Why Translation Matters: Transforming Power On! Into ¡Conectados!
Civics of Technology Announcements
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By Jean J. Ryoo & Jane Margolis
We recently published ¡Conectados! - the Spanish version of our graphic novel, Power On!. From the start, our goal for publishing Power On! was to translate our prior research - about why so few students of color and women were learning Computer Science - into a medium that would be engaging for a diverse population of youth, families, educators, and friends. We wanted to talk about why underrepresentation of Students of Color and women in tech really matters and share the story of Computer Science (CS) education through the perspectives, lives, and voices of the students themselves.
But as soon as we published the English version, we knew that “translating research” wasn’t enough: We wanted to translate the book into multiple languages and accessible formats too. Translation into Spanish was particularly important to us because in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest district in the country where we have conducted years of research in partnership with CS teachers and administrators, 73% of students identify as Hispanic and 44% speak Spanish at home. Furthermore, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the US (specifically 23% of the population speaks Spanish). At the same time, Latine students are some of the least represented in Computer Science and tech fields due to institutionalized racism and segregation in schools. We wanted to make sure that the ideas from the book about equity and computing were reaching the communities which the story is meant to serve.
The story of Power On! and ¡Conectados! is centered on four friends about to enter high school. Scrolling through their cell phones while at their favorite diner, one friend reads a news alert about a police shooting in their neighborhood caused by a biased AI facial recognition system. Upset, the friends ask: “Who makes this stuff?” And, “Can AI and robots be racist?” Investigating further, they find out more about technology gathering vast amounts of private information without us realizing it. One of the friends, Christine, becomes worried and alarmed at how this new world of AI and technology could be used by ICE for racially motivated purposes against her father, who is an undocumented immigrant. The friends make a pact to all take Computer Science classes when they enter high school to learn more about how this technology works and what they can do to address these growing problems with computing and AI.
Image from ¡Conectados! of Christine mentioning her dad
Upon first publication, and with our Latine community of friends, families, educators, and students in mind, we immediately started the process of seeking funding, publisher support, translators, etc. to turn Power On! into ¡Conectados!. It took three years to accomplish this task!
And during these three years, much has happened. Democracy is being threatened. Authoritarianism is on the rise. And, today, AI and computing tools are being used as weapons against People of Color in the US, especially anyone labeled as an immigrant because of the color of their skin or languages they speak. Meanwhile, we are often forced to use these same technological tools on a daily basis (to communicate, commute, apply for jobs, receive healthcare, etc.), amplifying the magnitude and impact of racially biased, life-threatening, and family-destroying attacks on our communities through tracking, misinformation, deepfakes, surveillance mechanisms, and biased algorithms. Have you tried turning AI tools off when doing an internet search or using your cell phone recently? It is nearly impossible. All people must understand how biases and violence embedded in computing tools are often linked to the lack of diversity at tech design tables and data fueling the machines (e.g., Benjamin, 2019; Lee, 2018; Noble, 2018; West et al., 2019, etc.).
Just before we published ¡Conectados!, a Presidential executive order was signed, designating English as the official language of the US. Soon after, brown-skinned immigrants all over the country - including both citizens and undocumented immigrants - have been abducted from their homes and torn from their families by ICE because of the color of their skin and the languages they speak. The tech industry is now involved in supporting ICE. A recent NY Times article describes how Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is offering his company services to boost ICE’s mission. And, numerous reports reveal how government agencies are using social media surveillance to identify communities to target as well as silence critics of US policies:
Though agencies like the State Department have gathered millions of handles and monitored political discussions online, the Trump administration has been more explicit in who it’s targeting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a new, zero-tolerance “Catch and Revoke” strategy, which uses AI to monitor the public speech of foreign nationals and revoke visas of those who “abuse [the country’s] hospitality.” (Brookings Institute, 2025)
Given these injustices and increasingly challenging times of the past couple of months, we feel it is more important than ever to share knowledge about the ethical implications of tech with Spanish-speaking communities and uplift the cultures and languages of Latine people specifically. Toward such ends, we’ve had the privilege of sharing about ¡Conectados! on Spanish-language podcasts, interviews, and blogs. Hearing the passionate responses from the Latine and Hispanic community in the US (including Puerto Rico), Colombia, and Mexico, has elevated for us the importance of enlarging the reach of discussions about CS education inclusion, empowerment, and justice within our country and internationally:
“A new generation of readers is about to meet their digital reckoning and their empowerment…This is more than a book, it’s a catalyst for change. Whether you’re a parent, an educator, or simply someone who believes in equity, innovation, and inclusion, ¡Conectados! is a vital read. Let this powerful graphic novel spark dialogue, inspire courage, and help shape a tech future that reflects us all—bold, brilliant, and beautifully diverse.” - Our Latinx Magazine
“Ryoo and Margolis are aiming to flip the script and show just how essential cultures and diversity are in the world of tech.” - Latinitas Magazine
“As Latina moms raising bilingual and bicultural kids, many of us want to spark interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), but we don’t always know where to start, especially if we didn’t grow up in tech spaces ourselves. Dr. Ryoo shares how we can empower our children, especially girls and BIPOC youth, to not only enter the tech world but to see themselves as changemakers in it.” - The Latina Mom Legacy
Una novela gráfica en español donde adolescentes enfrentan el sesgo algorítmico y la desigualdad tecnológica. Una lectura esencial para estudiantes, educadores y agentes de cambio. - Al Día News
We found that by sharing the ideas in our book with new friends in Spanish: 1) many parents and community members agreed that we need to be centering key issues of ethics and equity in computing and education, 2 ) new people joined the conversation to share, from their perspectives and experiences, why critical computing education is needed and matters, and 3) Latine parents and activists described why they value having their home languages and cultures centered during a time when the country is actively trying to attack Latine heritage and the Spanish language.
While this small but not insignificant act of translating Power On! through the publication of ¡Conectados! was part of our commitment to increase access to important and relevant research, we also believe it amplifies the voices of wider groups of students and communities. Current events urgently require that we earnestly engage in efforts to uplift all marginalized voices (and languages), standing together and remaining committed to a future rooted in dignity, safety, and belonging for us all.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Michelle Choi who helped edit this piece and has been supporting our efforts to share Power On!, ¡Conectados!, and all activities related to the graphic novel. We also would like to acknowledge the great work of Mariana Llanos, translator of Power On!, and all the students, teachers, school leaders, parents, and community members who have contributed to this project.
Works Cited
Benjamin, R. (2019). Race after technology: Abolitionist tools for the new Jim code. Polity.
Brookings Institute. (2025). How tech powers immigration enforcement. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-tech-powers-immigration-enforcement.
Knight, Heather. October 16, 2025. NY Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/us/salesforce-benioff-ice.htm
Lee, N.T. (2018). Detecting racial bias in algorithms and machine learning. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 16 (3): 252–260. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-06-2018-0056
Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of oppression: How search engines reinforce racism. New York University Press.
West, S.M., Whittaker, M. and Crawford, K. (2019). Discriminating Systems: Gender, Race and Power in AI. AI Now Institute. Retrieved from https://ainowinstitute.org/ discriminatingsystems.html.