Diversity in Adolescent Literature

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Diversity in Adolescent Literature

• Jessica Dockter University of Minnesota 2009
• Adapted from Beth Brendler 2008

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• The world in which you were born is just one
  model of reality. Other cultures are not failed
  attempts at being you they are unique
  manifestations of the human spirit.
• Wade Davis

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What does multicultural or culturally diverse
mean?

• About all cultures
• Race and Ethnicity
• Multiethnic
• International
• Gender
• Sexuality
• Exceptionalities
• Values, attitudes, customs, beliefs, ethics
• Religion

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What does multicultural mean?

• Race and Ethnicity
• The Heart of a Chief Joseph Bruchac
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
  Sherman Alexie
• Before We Were Free Julia Alvarez

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What does multicultural mean?

• Race and Ethnicity
• Born Confused - Tanuja Desai Hidier
• The Skin Im In Sharon G.  Flake
• Baseball in April Gary Soto
• Habibi Naomi Shihab Nye

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What does multicultural mean?

• Gender
• Fat Chance Leslea Newman
• Inexcusable - Chris Lynch
• Speak Laurie Halse Anderson
• A Northern Light Jennifer Donnelly

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What does multicultural mean?

• Sexual Orientation
• Luna Julie Ann Peters
• Hard Love Ellen Wittlinger
• Annie on My Mind Nancy Garden
• Totally Joe James Howe
• From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun Jacqueline
  Woodson

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What does multicultural mean?

• Exceptionalities
• Stuck in Neutral Terry Trueman
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
  Mark Haddon
• Invisible Pete Hautman
• Stop Pretending What Happened When My Big Sister
  Went Crazy Sonja Sones
• Joey Pigza books Jack Gantos

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What does multicultural mean?

• Values, attitudes, customs, beliefs, ethics
• Stargirl Jerry Spinelli
• Whale Talk Chris Crutcher
• Feed M.T. Anderson

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What does multicultural mean?

• Religion
• Armageddon Summer Jane Yolen Bruce
  Coville
• Godless Pete Hautman
• Leaving Fishers Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Blind Faith - Ellen Wittlinger

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What does multicultural mean?

• International Literature
• Halinka and Malka Mirjam Pressler
• True Confessions of a Heatless Girl Martha
  Brooks
• Out of Bounds Seven Stories of Conflict and Hope
  Beverly Naidoo

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Why multicultural literature?

• If children never see themselves reflected in
  literature, they receive the message that they
  are not important to society.
• If children never see other cultures in books,
  they get the message that people with differing
  worldviews are not valuable.

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Why multicultural literature?

• If we understand people of other cultures and
  other nations, it is difficult to view them as
  being on the other side in times of conflict.

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Why multicultural literature?

• Illuminates similarities of problems around the
  globe while demonstrating the value of difference
  as well
• Universal themes
• Fear, love, grief, faith, injustice,
  peer relationships, independence, family
  relationships, coming-of-age

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Why multicultural literature?

• Approximately 12 of childrens books published
  in the US are by or about people of color (2008
  statistics)
• Less than 1 of childrens books published in the
  US have been translated from another language /
  culture
• (Childrens Cooperative Book Center)

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Why multicultural literature?

• Statistics represent only quantity, not quality
  or authenticity
• (Childrens Cooperative Book Center)

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Why multicultural literature?

• In 2007-2008, 44.2 of all public school students
  were students of color
• (National Center for Education Statistics)
• In 2004, more than 88 of public school teachers
  were White
• (National Center for Education Statistics)

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Evaluating Multicultural Literature

• The best books offer an experience that is more
  like looking through a window as light slowly
  darkens. At first one sees clearly through the
  window into anothers world but gradually, as
  the light fades, ones own image becomes
  reflected too.
• (Lee Galda)

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Evaluating Multicultural Literature

• Look for books that
• avoid / challenge stereotypes
• portray the values and the cultural group in an
  authentic way
• use language that reflects cultural group usage

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Evaluating Multicultural Literature

• Look for books that
• validate readers experiences while also
  broadening vision and inviting reflection

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Cultural Authenticity

• What is cultural authenticity?
• Who decides?
• Why does this matter?

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Consider

• Insider / outsider status for author and
  illustrator
• Whose understanding is presented?
• Variation of experience, beliefs, and values
  within cultures

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Cultural Appropriation

• Was the author careful to research and
  acknowledge the help of insiders?
• Who gets published?
• What is the publishers responsibility?

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How can teachers address authenticity and
accuracy?

• Show examples of what you consider to be
  authentic and inauthentic
• Explore stereotypes in those examples
• Reveal the complexities of the issue

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How can teachers address authenticity and
accuracy?

• Question be a critical reader
• Acknowledge that you cant know everything
• Ask insiders for input on cultural nuances

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How can teachers address authenticity and
accuracy?

• Use good review sources
• Look at cultural award winners
• Use trusted authors

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How can teachers address authenticity and
accuracy?

• Consider the artistic quality of the writing as
  well as the cultural quality
• Is it good literature if it is culturally
  accurate but artistically poor?

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How can teachers address authenticity and
accuracy?

• Worry less about individual books and more about
  the diversity of the entire collection
• Balance the differences and similarities

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Multicultural Book Awards

• Américas Award
• presented annually for outstanding books,
  written in English or Spanish, that portray Latin
  America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United
  States.

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Multicultural Book Awards

• Mildred L.
• Batchelder Award
• presented annually to the publisher of the most
  outstanding childrens book originally published
  in another language and later translated into
  English and published in the United States

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Multicultural Book Awards

• Pura Belpré Award
• presented biennially to a Latino/Latina author
  and illustrator whose work best celebrates the
  Latino cultural experience

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Multicultural Book Awards

• Coretta Scott
• King Award
• presented annually for the most outstanding book
  by an African American author and by an African
  American illustrator

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Multicultural Book Awards

• Jane Addams Childrens Book Award
• presented annually by the Women's International
  League for Peace and Freedom and the Jane Addams
  Peace Association to the children's book that
  most effectively promotes the cause of peace,
  social justice and world community

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Multicultural Book Awards

• Asian Pacific American Award for Literature
• for outstanding books by and about Asian Pacific
  Americans
• Childrens Africana Book Awards
• presented to the authors and illustrators of
  the best children's books about Africa

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Multicultural Book Awards

• Carter G. Woodson Book Awards
• presented by the National Council for the Social
  Studies for the most distinguished social science
  books depicting ethnicity in the United States