Cris Plata: From Fields to Stage // Del Campo al Escenario

by Maia Surdam

Raised among Mexican American farmworkers, singer-songwriter Cris Plata spoke Spanish, ate Mexican food, and heard Mexican music played by family and friends. He also spoke English, went to school with mostly white children for at least half the year, and grew more familiar with mainstream American culture. Until he was seven, he and his family lived and worked on a ranch near Poteet, Texas. The family became migrant farmworkers, moving from Indiana to Arkansas and Florida before finally settling in Wisconsin in 1966 to work at an Astico farm.
 
This dual language book shares the Plata’s family story of migrant farming, music, and family amid the constant change and uncertainty of migrant life. While hardships—from poor working conditions and low wages to racial prejudice—were constant in Cris Plata’s upbringing, so too was the music that bonded and uplifted his family. After long days in the fields, Cris’s family spent their small amount of free time playing and singing songs from Mexico and South Texas. Cris learned to play the guitar, accordion, and mandolin, beginning to strum when he was just five years old. Today, he writes his own music, performs songs in English and Spanish, and records albums with his band, Cris Plata with Extra Hot.
 
Following Cris Plata’s journey from farm fields to musical stages, the story explores how a migrant, and the son of an immigrant, decided to make Wisconsin his home.

Genres: Childrens, Biography

136 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2014

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Plata has led an interesting life, and his migrant experiences are an important part of Wisconsin’s history. The author includes photos, song lyrics, and historical side notes that are all great additions. It does still fit the Badger Biography formula, though, so while it’s well-written, it isn’t groundbreaking writing.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Middle School Spanish and culture teacher, this book is a perfect fit for our classroom. We will eventually cover a unit on the state of Texas, in which this book will be a perfect segue-way. The fact that it is written as a dual language book made this a double bonus in guaranteeing comprehension in my students' native tongue and also a great way to practice our Spanish reading and understanding.

I think my favorite part of this book, however, was the variety of pertinent topics that it covered in both a sensitive and personal context. There are so many wonderful discussion points that will provide my students with the opportunity to grow in their knowledge, combat their prejudices, and relate to in their own lives. Sample classroom topics include: sharecroppers, migrant labor/living conditions, racial stereotypes, Mexican food/culture, The Bracero Program, individual responsibilities and chores, gardening, poetry, the bonds created within families through music, racism, the pros/cons of industrialization, environmental issues, pride in one's roots, and landscape comparisons.

The only thing that could make this book better for me, would be a personal reading and visit to my classroom, by the author, Dr. Maia A. Surdam. And who knows...Cris Plata has proven that dreams can become reality; perhaps this dream will become the reality of my students.