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La Familia Cool: A Visit with Author Dania Santana (and a Giveaway!)

So many amazing multicultural authors stepped forward to show their support during the 2016 Multicultural Children’s Book Day, and Dania Santana was one.

Dania’s was an Author Sponsor for our wildly successful online event and her book, La Familia Cool, is a wonderful bi-lingual children’s book helps create awareness about the #Latino family with #bilingual #multicultural characters.

La Familia Cool represents the Latino family in the United States, with its variety of colors, customs and gastronomy. Through the website and #bilingual book we tell the story of the Cools, a close-knit nuclear family which is also very close to the extended family, in which sons and daughters along with nieces and nephews share with the siblinghood characteristic to Hispanic families. The characters of the family are multiethnic, multicultural and bilingual, and the children are first generation American, with origins that link them to different countries of Latin America. The main members of La Familia Cool are: MamiCool, PapiCool, AbiCool, TitoCool, PepeCool and AbueCool, they live together and are always doing family activities. However, like all Latino families, La Familia Cool is also part of an extended family and the relationship among the cousins: SisyCool, TonyCool, LoliCool, KikeCool, PattyCool, MayaCool and BetoCool. All of them learn from one another and the particular characteristics of their parent’s countries origin.

La Familia Cool: “The Most Valuable Treasure”/ “El Tesoro Más Valioso”  is a bilingual book about celebrating diversity, family values and identity. Dania Santana is the creator and founder of the bilingual site La Familia Cool. Born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, she has lived in the United States for over a decade. She is a storyteller, journalist, multicultural matters advocate, social media influencer, and author who is very passionate about the role of the American Latino and the importance of nurturing a multicultural society.

Getting know more about the author and the Book Interview Questions:

 What was your inspiration for La Familia Cool?

My main inspiration were my children and my nieces and nephews growing up in a multicultural family. Having to experience being different and culturally ambiguous, while also looking different due to the racial mixes. I felt the need to create a way for my children to make sense of who they are, and in doing so, teach them that what matters the most is not the opinions other might express of us, but that we know and are proud of who we are.

Who is your mentor or biggest influencer when it comes to your writing?

I have always being a lover of words, of books and storytelling. During my childhood, I listened to stories in the form of folktales from my grandmother and as I grew that became a passion for books. Writing came as a natural byproduct of those experiences. Even though I never had specifically a ‘writing mentor’, I’ve had great mentors along the way who encouraged me to take the leap and start writing my stories.

If you were to let parents, teachers and librarians know ONE THING about La Familia Cool…what would that one thing be?

That this is a bilingual book about celebrating diversity, family values and identity.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see a couple more books published with the stories of American Latino children, showing them why they matter. Also as a speaker, educating people across the US about the importance of multiculturalism for the America of the future to succeed.

If you were to give any advice to those who dream of writing and publishing a book, what advice would you give?

To start writing and not be afraid, most likely the stories they want to tell will be meaningful to many. I think it is a responsibility for us writers to give life to the important stories of our time, to leave a legacy for the next generations, so they can learn from the past and create a better future.

What are you most grateful for?

I am thankful for many things, but the one I am most grateful for is that I had the courage to move to the United States. Without that step, I wouldn’t have had my amazing children, who ignited a fire in me to give voice to Latino children in America.

What would you like readers to know about Dania Santana?

I like them to know that I’m a Latina who has been living in the United States for over a twelve years in which I have acculturated and embraced American culture, and although I’m a proud immigrant to this country, my mission and passion is to shed light on American Latinos, who are usually overlooked and viewed as foreigners in this land.

I want them to know that there are many layers to who I am, and that each one of those layers is equally important: I’m a mother, a multicultural author, a wife, a journalist, a daughter, a writer, a sister, a professional copywriter, a friend, an Afro-Latina, an aunt, a student of cultural phenomena, a Caribbean, an editor, a social media influencer, a Dominican, a translator, a lover of life, a believer in change, an advocate, an American.

Like mine, the stories of all of us are multi-layered and cannot be boxed in a single category. That’s why my main goal is to educate and empower people all over the United States about the importance of a multicultural society, and how the contributions of Latinos are crucial to the advancement and success of the United States as a whole.

Dania Santana is not only the author of La Familia Cool, she is theFounder & CEO of Cool Communications, LLC/Connecting Latinos & Brands Through Language. Connect with Dania via: