I had an awesome gig about three weeks ago to shoot a story about illiteracy for The Wall Street Journal. The news peg was about Barnes and Noble closing their B. Dalton bookstore, making Laredo the largest city in the US without a bookstore. This reflects a multitude of issues primarily including the state of the economy and literacy along the border. Laredo’s location as a border town presents a unique view into immigration politics as well as the English-Spanish dichotomy facing any immigrant to the US.
I was excited to be working with photo editor Taylor Umlauf and we immediately saw the potential for a larger story. My pitch was to work it into a longer piece extending beyond the closing of the book store. I had four days in Laredo and realized after day one that I would need more time.
Laredo is quite the town. When I arrived, I had two hours before my first meeting. After checking into the cheapest hotel I could find (the Loma Alta), I briefly walked around the closest three blocks to my hotel. Amidst the many Mexican pottery import stores and mechanic shops adorned with signage brightly painted in Spanish with Mexican motifs and iconography, I forgot I was in the US. For my first two days in Laredo, I did not see another white person and did not hear English. Needless to say, it was great to feel like I was out of the country again…and refreshing to find a community like this in the US.
The problem with shooting such a wide ranging story in four days is that you can’t possibly understand all the dynamics that come into play and expect to know why Laredo has such low literacy. I met many interesting characters and was able to establish a base for further exploration. I feel that the combination of the economy, Laredo’s location on the border, the overwhelming majority of Spanish speakers and the culture of non-reading all mix to prevent reading from progressing.
Not all was bad. I spent some time at an elementary school, where students had written letters to corporate headquarters asking to keep their book store. These kids were smart and more than impressed me with their bi-lingual abilities and outgoing personalities. The problem became clear after talking to the kids for a short while. It isn’t that they can’t read, as much as their parents are not English speakers. Kids speak Spanish at home and leave their English at school. I believe this lies at the heart of the issue and presents a clear clue as to why illiteracy remains so high. Parents are often first generation immigrants to the US and simply don’t have a need for English in their everyday life.
I did find an adult ESL class studying English. It was in conjunction with a US history class to prepare for the citizenship exam. Many of the people I spoke with mentioned the desire to help their children with homework as a primary reason for taking the free class held at a local high school.
I connected with one particular family and spent a day with them. They were exemplary of everything I have mentioned. The mother was Mexican and the father was from the US. They own an apartment complex in Laredo, but like most Americans, have been facing tough times in the past year. In addition, they have two children ages 9 and 11. The mother is participating, out of her own will, in the adult literacy class. Not only does she desperately want to help with her children’s studies, but she will be taking over the day to day operations of the apartment complex as her husband find another job. She was a banker back in Mexico, but has had trouble in the US due to the language barrier. I really felt bad for this family. They were so nice and really seem to be struggling. I am sure the mother’s English will be great…I am hoping their economic situation improves. (I did not use their names, as their photos have not yet been published. You will have to wait for a future post.)
I met a man who had lit a fire in an abandoned cantina because his home had not heating. At first, I didn’t know how this would fit in the story. It became clear…he has lived in this country for several years and has trouble finding work. He speaks little English. Seems to top off the story.
The plan was to create a four part series online using all the elements I shot and the over three hours of audio recordings I made. Luck would have it that the Associated Press ran an article on the bookstore a day after I finished shooting and drove the article to publish early. We had to scrap two parts of the story including the one involving the family. I was still very pleased with the six column picture they used on A3 as well as the two slide shows.
Check out the article written by Stephanie Simon found on the Wall Street Journal site. The also ran a short audio slide show featuring some of the kids I photographed and made a nice update to their Photo Blog.
***I want to write an update to address several comments and thoughts regarding this post. People have expressed concern over this issue and suggest that I was presenting negative impressions of Laredo. I would like to point out that I never spoke poorly of Laredo and continue to feel that I had a great time and found the community very welcoming. Any negative perceptions regarding West Laredo do not come from me. Others have suggested that my post is one sided. This story was never meant to generalize Laredo as a city in general. It is a story specifically regarding illiteracy in a city ranked with the lowest literacy rate in the country. I invite people to offer their opinions as to why Laredo has trouble with literacy. We did make a point to talk about the many bi-lingual classes and other aspects which Laredo can be proud of. In addition, I would like to point out that I did not write the article which was published in The Wall Street Journal. I welcome criticism and enjoy the dialogue. I look forward to hearing more comments. Thanks, Matt
Matt
Your photos are good.
However, your story gives a perfect myoptic/one sided view of Laredo. What possessed you to choose Laredo’s decaying San Bernardo Ave area, stay in the worse motel there, snap area photos then conclude that this is Laredo?.
Thanks for your feedback. I did head over to the Del Mar area and saw more of Laredo. Yet, as I mentioned in my post, I had four days to shoot and was the first to admit that my understanding of Laredo was and still is hindered by a lack of time to further investigate. I also did not intend to report that this represents Laredo as a city. It was more of an attempt to explain why there are low literacy levels and the importance of a book store in town. There is still another piece to the story, which goes beyond that area of town, and I look forward to returning to spend more time.
I actually enjoyed my time in the San Bernardo area, and in my cheap (notice I never mentioned worst) hotel.
I would love to hear your thoughts on why you think Laredo has such a poor literacy rate (I assume you live there.)
Thanks again for your comment!
Matt
Matt, I believe that your story would have had a bigger impact if you wrote of the Appalachian Mountain people. I believe you will find illitarcy facing America. Next time, don’t leave out all the productive generations of Mexican-American that have built Laredo to what it is today. Good citizens that are bi-ligual. It’s like any city in American, if you go to the slump side you will get the slumps… Thank you for bringing Laredo to Wall Street Journal.
Hi Dan,
Thanks for writing. I agree that a story in Appalachia would be good as well. We came to Laredo due to the closing of the B. Dalton bookstore as well as its notable low literacy levels. We did discuss the rise in bi-lingual programs geared towards students in Laredo. My understanding is that even these programs stop before high school. I certainly didn’t try to generalize Laredo as a city…but was there to profile their literacy programs and problems.
Thanks for writing. Come back soon!
Matt
Hello Matt. I see your article as very one sided. It would be nice if you could return to do a story of the other side of Laredo. As an author,I can’t understand why you would write such a one sided story.
Hello A. J.,
As I have pointed out to other comments on this post, I had four days to shoot and was the first to admit that my understanding of Laredo was and still is hindered by a lack of time to further investigate. I also did not intend to report that this represents Laredo as a city. Also, I would like to note that I did not write the article and nowhere in my post do I speak poorly of Laredo.
I would like to present the question again to you and ask why Laredo has such a low literacy rate? I would love to hear your ideas.
Thanks again,
Matt
Hi Matt,
I’ve been following the various stories regarding the closing of our lone bookstore, and I’m torn between being amused and embarrassed by the hullabaloo. As I stumbled across your photo story, I was reminded of something I learned when I left Laredo for college. It’s hard to see this city for what it is when you live here. Sometimes a little distance and an outside perspective is exactly what we need. We exist in a bubble, sheltered from the outside world.
The fact of the matter is, we do have high illiteracy rates. We also have a terrible educational system that fails many of our students. Reading is not and has never been a priority. I fully own up to the fact that it has been ages since I purchased a book at B. Dalton. Why? They are overpriced and rarely have what I’m looking for in stock. It isn’t their fault. It’s the market. And while efforts are being made to obtain another store for us, my cynical Laredo self will continue to believe that the ashes of this particular fire will, in time, blow away, never to be thought of again.
Thanks for your visit, and come back any time. We may not be big readers, and our poverty levels may be above average, but Laredo is a wonderful city filled with warm and happy people. We’ll welcome you again.
Noni
Hi Matt, Same story here… A Mexican husband and American spouse, with three children two of them reading a book every three days (the youngest -3- hears one every night), doing this since they got in to elementary school, buying a lot of them in San Antonio and some at B. Dalton, trying to catcht up with my Kids (both) on what to buy them… I forgot to mention that this probably the next four days of your story or the “forgotten side of Laredo”, appears that far from help us bring a new or a bigger bookstore to Laredo you are keeping them away from us. Thanks but no thanks. Keep your passionate job out of our city and also your nice photos.
Hi Miguel,
Thanks for writing. I’m sorry to hear you feel our story is responsible for preventing bookstores from coming to Laredo. That is certainly not our intention and I honestly don’t believe you can place blame on us for your city’s lack of bookstore. I hope your kids continue to excel in school. Thanks again for writing.
Matt
Hi Noni,
Thanks for the pleasant feedback! This story seems to have hit a nerve. I hope some readers see the merits of our story. Like I have mentioned, I was very impressed with the Laredo community and the hospitality I received. I honestly didn’t feel the poverty in Laredo was more than I see in other cities. I look forward to my next visit!
Matt
Apart from class and cultural issues, the bookstore was poorly marketed. Bookstores in bigger cities offer built-in cafes, places to sit and to preview books, and also a larger selection of books. No effort was made to find out what types books and book topics interest local readers. No advertising to reach out to people, particularly young readers, and to excite them or make them want to purchase a book from Dalton’s. Many of Laredo’s readers, including myself, undoubtedly purchase books online. I enjoy the larger selection of new and used books and deep discounts available online.
I do think that Laredo schools could (and should) do more to improve youth literacy. I was not raised in Laredo, but I grew up in a household where very little reading took place. Where I learned to read, and to appreciate reading, was at school. As a student, I was motivated to achieve, yet somewhat lazy (like alot of students in Laredo). I did not have a great personal interest in reading, but my teachers at school required me to read (textbooks, novels, articles, etc.) and they held me accountable for not doing so. In most of my high school classes, if a student did not thoroughly read the chapters in the textbook, the level of assessment was such that the student could not make an A in the class. A brilliant and gifted student might be able to get a B without reading, just based on their ability to listen and to remember.
Far too many of us teachers in Laredo do not consistently require students to read. Our schools have great reading programs and activities that do inspire students are already inclined to read. But, what about reluctant readers? We allow them to pass our classes without ever checking out a textbook from the campus bookroom. We have forgotten that students who do the minimum should be making C’s not A’s. Shame on administrators who directly or indirectly pressure teachers to issue passing grades to students who have not done the required work. If we start holding students accountable for reading and doing their work in elementary, and then ratchet-up the expectations during middle school, and at least maintain those expectations in high school we may yet see TAKS scores and graduation rates improve.
Parents need to encourage reading and re-inforce what the schools are trying to do. Shame on a parent who comes in to argue with the teacher for grades or making excuses for why their child has not read or done the required work.
I know that what I am advocating here tends toward forcing students to read, but I have no problem with this. Today’s globally competitive world requires that children become literate adults. If we do not require students to read, we will only be encouraging the continuation of class inequality in our community.
Matt,
I fully understand the point of your blog, and the mission of the article published in the Wall Street Journal. There is no doubt that Laredo has a high illiteracy rate, and you clearly stated your findings. Ofcourse, taking pictures of old vacant restaurants, Hispanic children, and the pottery shops along San Bernardo Avenue would add to your story. I don’t blame you. What I do not undserstand, is you adding ” I did not see another white person”. I assume that saying Laredo is a primarly Hispanic town would have sufficed. This might have given the impression that you’re linking race with literacy levels. That is why your blog may have stirred the pot for some of us.
There was a message here; Maybe elaborating on it would’ve helped. We are a border town like many others. Families from across the border move to the US for a better life. They want to be able to recieve an education, and to live life somewhat better than they had to provide more for their children. They arrive in Laredo with no knowledge of the English languaqe. There are no programs for “Spanish speaking children”, so they must learn and learn to understand it on their own at school or from friends. Those are a few of the factors why I believe Laredo has the highest illiteracy rate in the US.
“The news peg was about Barnes and Noble closing their B. Dalton bookstore, making Laredo the largest city in the US without a bookstore.” Okay, this was the whole idea for the gig. So why link “illiteracy levels” and “B.Dalton’s closing their bookstore” in the way you did? It may even come off as you saying that they’re closing the bookstore BECAUSE Laredo has such a low literacy level. I was just wondering about that idea.
I thank you for shedding some light on us, Matt. Laredo usually is under the microscope for negative things. I hope that this will open the eyes of many of us and we will work to try and assess this situation. Maybe we’ll provided with help from America who is so concerned that Laredo is illiterate.
This is for Dan Gutierrez…
Sir, you are a prime example of the problems that we face here in Laredo. Poor literacy skills and lack of organizational thoughts, are clearly evident in your writing. I have corrected just a few of the mistakes below. No offense please. I am just making a point. Laredo is in dire need of educational aid!!!
Dan Gutierrez
January 3, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Matt, I believe that your story would have had a bigger impact if you wrote of the Appalachian Mountain people. I believe you will find 1*illitarcy* facing America. Next time, don’t leave out all the productive generations of Mexican-American2* that have built Laredo to what it is today. Good citizens that are 3*bi-ligual*. It’s like any city in American4*, if you go to the slump side you will get the slumps… Thank you for *bringing* Laredo to Wall Street Journal.
1* illitarcy= illiteracy
2* Mexican American= Mexican American people or families
3* bi- ligual= bi-lingual
4* American= America
5* bringing=taking
I find it hard to believe you were only able to take photos of one street and one school. Aren’t vacations or trips planned on a three, four day span? Of course, absorbing Laredo and its government would require you live in it, but to tell you the truth your efforts are lazy. Simon’s story was not bad as it kept with the premise, using information that will soon be discarded come Census 2010. She got what she wanted and left. I know you have a lot of pictures stored away, awaiting publication, but you chose to upload these. Why? And the comment posted by LISD STUDENT is right. It was unnecessary to mention race. It only deems the race mentioned to fall into a category, a stereotype. Speak of the border, yes, as it constantly deals with immigration violators, but be precise. I’m a reminded that reporters only care to go up the ladder even if it means exploiting the subject as Nazario did. You did it to Laredo. Simon did so too. There is no more truth in journalism. It’s a mere facade to garner Pulitzers and other awards so one can eventually fall into the history books. It’s a shame you failed to see the unity of the community; a shame you were not able to exploit the corrupt officials who lie and abuse it. You and Simon should have made the effort to mention thoroughly that Laredo only has one bookstore, and it’s the only one for the past three decades. Before that there was none. The two of you had the chance to do RIGHT but failed. Miserably.
Hi. Thanks for your feedback. First, this wasn’t a vacation or a trip. I was there for work. I would hardly say I am lazy. I worked for more than 10 hours each of those four days. Let me also point out that my blog is NOT a journalism publication. Nowhere do I claim to be unbiased and objective in my blog posts. My blog posts are MY opinions about MY experiences. If you or anyone else is reading my blog posts and assuming that I am presenting news, than I advise you to broaden your news search. Once again, my mention of race was not to GENERALIZE about the city, but to describe my experience on a given day. I also never once said I only took pictures on one street or one school. Please to a better job of reading my posts before leaving such negative feedback. Also, do you really think I am trying to exploit Laredo to win a prize? You really must be bitter. If you have problems with your local community representatives, you should not rely on the media to discuss it. You should organize within your community and be proactive rather than spending your time blasting people online. If you had taken the chance to read our article more clearly you would see that we did discuss the positive aspects of Laredo’s reading problem (which clearly there is).
Lastly, you claim we have failed (and miserably too.) I will point out that the purpose of the media is not to cause CHANGE directly but to spark conversation so YOU can create change. By the amount of emails and interest in this post I would say it is more than obvious I have been successful in sparking conversation. Thanks for writing!
Matt
No problem, Nager. I a-ssumed you were objective and unbiased because you replied to those that commented otherwise. Now, it’s a vacation when there’s no work being done. I live in Laredo. The pictures you have in your BLOG are San Bernardo Avenue. You could have helped us out by showing outsiders why this city isn’t that bad. That you say you’re not out to win awards makes me wonder why you should say media is not to be relied upon. It’s ironic: you’re humble yet you don’t care; you report but for what cause? I always thought journalism/media was a form of massive communication where everyone can get the truth. With it corruption and all things evil are exposed and diminished. I read Simon’s article and I saw your photo journal. I continue to fight for the better of this community. It’s not easy. And, as I reflect I wonder, “How did The Wall Street Journal make it big?” You did spark conversation and it was successful but not in (I assume) the way you wanted. You don’t have to thank me for commenting. I found you because you’re writing about me. I am Laredo after all. It just hurts to know we get some light only when it’s something “negative” like losing our bookstore. I suppose you need the sales. Humiliations if not tragedies are what sell. That and celebrity gossip. Can’t it be about something good? No? And yes, you’re entitled to have an opinion. It’s your right.
OK. The problem I have is that everyone keeps saying this was a negative, story. I don’t see it that way. I don’t think the photos or the article reflect Laredo in a bad way.
Laredoan & LISD student,
You are just an example of that a “Laredoan” in denial. So what if Matt didn’t take pictures of other than San Bernardo Street. Would you have rather him take pictures of the north side of Laredo? Lake Side, Plantation, Alexander Estates, the LEC, our mall? It’s obvious you are missing the point here.
Instead of lashing out against someone for doing his job, you should really focus on the things you can do to change Laredo’s image? I could list 20 things that have landed Laredo where it’s at now, but I’ll narrow it down to one: teachers are not teaching. Stats, test, and other things are not allowing teachers to TEACH which is what they should be doing.
Instead of writing to Matt, start writing to the people responsible for the high illiteracy rates in our city. Being in denial is not helping this city.
LISD student,
Coming from Mexico and not learning the language is no more than a mediocre excuse not to succeed. I went to school in Mexico for many years before coming to the US in search of a better life. I refused to spend all my high school years in ESL and today I hold a Masters Degree in Psychology (and not from TAMIU). If you really want to, you can definitely succeed and giving excuses as to why Laredo has high illiteracy rates is just unacceptable.
Thank you
Laredoan: Racist comments are not allowed on this blog. Your comment has been deleted.
Analilia,
Please understand that I am not in denial. My comment was not an excuse but a personal opinion, just as Matt has posted on here himself. If you have time, reread my post. Matt simply asks us for our ideas on why Laredo is illiterate. I gave him an opinion, one idea of mine, on why I think Laredo is in this situation, not a pitiful excuse. You must admit ,though, that it is a vital point in this matter. I attend a high school where the majority of kids cross the border and back everyday, Monday through Friday. Our TAKS scores tend to be brought down, especially in the ELA because of this. I am no one to say teachers are not teaching, nor that students are not learning. My teachers have all taught me well, I’ve chosen to absorb all that I can.
I find it awesome that you have a master’s in psychology! But you see, adding the comment “(and not from TAMIU)” gave ME the impression that if you were to get your Master’s from Tamiu it would be somewhat inferior. Correct me if I took that out of context. If you were to have read and understood my comment you would have taken from It, that I am wanting to help Laredo. No pun intended.
“If you really want to, you can definitely succeed…”, this is a good point! From my high school experiences, there are children who come from Mexico and strive to succeed. They work hard, and then the language barrier does not hold them back. There is nothing to stop them from outdoing and achieving their goals! You are a perfect example of that!
“I fully understand the point of your blog, and the mission of the article published in the Wall Street Journal. There is no doubt that Laredo has a high illiteracy rate, and you clearly stated your findings.” These were the first few lines of my post. I intend to major in journalism, so I related to Matt on how he approached this gig. Once again, I am not making excuses for Laredo. Laredo does not need any more of those. I tried to view this as a positive situation, but you comparing my views to “Laredoans” views, and calling us both out on our comments, I found “unacceptable”! In my opinion, “Laredoan” may have missed Matt’s point, just as many others commenting on here. Please, again, understand that I am not one of those. I am on Laredo’s side, and also on the side of good journalism. J
“Instead of writing to Matt, start writing to the people responsible for the high illiteracy rates in our city. Being in denial is not helping this city.” First of all, I do not believe people in general are responsible for this. You fail to mention other factors that may have an impact on Laredo’s illiteracy levels. Matt points some of them out, “This reflects a multitude of issues primarily including the state of the economy and literacy along the border.”, and I agree with him. Second of all, the fact that I am aware of Matt and Stephanie’s gig is doing a little, if you agree, to help our current state. Writing this empowers me. It is a blessing to know, that my word is heard. My opinion matters enough to be responded to. I am Laredo, and I can write to whomever I please.
I was NOT lashing out at Matt. I praise him in his quest for a good story. It seems that you misunderstood me. I hope you have read this, and my response directly to you, is clear enough this time.
LOVE,
K.S
Good article, Matt! I’ve taught in higher education in Laredo for over thirty years. You hit Laredo’s most pressing problem on the proverbial head. Your photos ARE very stimulating. We have many good people here and they usually tend to have good intentions, particularly as it deals with improving our quality of life in this peripheral American city. Illiteracy is a major concern, and I do indeed require that my students read their textbooks, in their entirety if the semester permits. There has been a generational shift, swiftly going downhill, in terms of literacy. My experience has been that our high school students are generally coming out with very low levels of reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, but sadly they have also learned from our local school systems to be apathetic towards learning. It is a learned attitude from a lifelong system that de-emphasizes any curiosity to improve the self. Once more, Matt…WELL DONE. Viva mi raza!
Thanks Candido! I really appreciate your kind feedback. I’m glad to see you push your students. It will be rewarding to the next generation. All the best,
Matt
Hello all –
I’m a local Laredoan who has been following this story very closely and am working on a project on the subject. I am looking to interview people in the Laredo area who have strong opinions on the closing. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the insight from the various comments above. Please email federito@gmail.com if you’d like to participate or would like to know details about the project. Thank you.
I appreciate your enthusiasm about Laredo, I believe our community has potential to grow and become better as whole. The pictures taken are beautiful and very authentic to our culture.
Hi Sylvia,
Thanks so much for your kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Hope all is well.
Matt