(NEW YORK)— PEN America issued comments today from Kasey Meehan, program director, Freedom to Read, responding to news reports of the closure of New Jersey-based Lectorum Publications, the largest distributor of Spanish-language books in the United States, in part due to cuts to public education funding from the Trump Administration.
“The closure of Lectorum Publications stands to deal a devastating blow to millions of Spanish-speaking students who will be left empty-handed – without books that reflect their language, identity, and experiences. This is the inevitable downstream effect of public school funding cuts from the Trump Administration, which are impoverishing our students’ educational opportunities, limiting publishing venues for authors, and directly chilling access to diverse books in schools.”
Access to literature in Spanish is already limited within the United States, impacting 45 million Spanish speakers nationwide. Recent surveys note that Spanish is the primary language at home for 4 million students in public schools, with over 14 million students in public K-12 schools of Hispanic background.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057