As teachers, we need to constantly review our teaching practice to optimize and diversify the learning environment. Recent news events have indicated that we are still a society divided with misconceptions and misunderstandings about people who are different. How do educators help students to become knowledgeable, and affirm people who may not share the same history, culture, religion, political beliefs, or values?
More than 60 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, school systems in the U.S. continue to be separate and unequal. It is estimated that by 2022, the number of Hispanic students in public elementary and secondary schools is projected to grow 33 percent from the 2011 numbers. The number of multi-racial students is expected to grow 44 percent. Therefore, in 2016, the likelihood that you are or will at some time teach a group of students who may be the first generation to grow up in America, or who speak Japanese, Spanish, Cantonese, or another language is more likely than not.
Our society is becoming increasingly diverse. It is more important now than ever before that we learn to create a welcoming, culturally respectful and responsive classroom environment that affirms diverse cultures, lifestyle, and perspectives. Literature is an accessible and appropriate way to bring diversity into the classroom.
Multicultural and diverse literature plays an important role in the lives of young people and in the classroom. It can be used as a tool to open students’ minds. It helps to stimulate an understanding of diversity in the classroom and helps to build an understanding of and respect for people from other cultures and lifestyles. Students from the mainstream culture learn that there are other perspectives and ways of doing things that are just as valuable as their own. Also, multicultural literature can be used to examine prejudices. The use of Literature circles can be a powerful tool to weaken and dissolve prejudices.
Multicultural and diverse literature can also play a very important role for teachers. It opens up the conversation, affirms that they care about the individual differences of students and provides a current world view.
Factors in Selecting Multicultural Books In order for a multicultural book to do the culture justice, the characters should be authentic, not stereotyped. The characters must reflect the distinct cultural experiences and views of the specific group that is being portrayed where character representations must be portrayed in a true-to-life and balanced manner.
The settings should be consistent with the environment of the culture that is being portrayed. Also, the themes that are developed within the story must be consistent with the values, beliefs, customs, traditions, needs, and conflicts of the specific culture. In addition, the pictures, gender roles, and language characteristics of the cultural group should be accurate. One way to do this is to create places in the curriculum for students to explore all kinds of diversities. The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) has been collecting data on books for children about and by people of color since 1985 (www.ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/ pcstats.asp). Also, We Need Diverse Books (www.weneed diversebooks.org) is a grass roots initiative that cultivated a significant interest and recognition of the lack of diverse books being published for youth. If you want to focus on increasing images of American Indians, check out American Indians in Children’s Literature. AICCL is an insightful and thoughtful blog that analyzes books by and about American Indians at www.americanindiansinchildrenslit erature.blogspot.com and maintained by Professor Debbie Reese.
As you choose multicultural and diverse books, consider the criteria originally published in 1980 by the Council on Interracial Books for Children as the Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books for Racism and Sexism and updated on the Teaching for Change Books website (www.tfcbooks.org/2013- guide-anti-bias-childrens-books).
To help you identify quality diverse literature to incorporate into the curriculum and reading experiences of children, here are some sources for award-winning titles: Coretta Scott King Award Focus: Since 1970 this award recognizes outstanding authors and illustrators of books for youth that appreciate African American culture and universal human values URL: www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards Pura Belpré Award Focus: Since 1996 this award is given to the author and/or illustrator whose work best portrays the Latino experience. URL: www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/bel premedal Schneider Family Book Award Focus: Since 2004 this award recognizes the artistic expression of disability experiences for child and adolescent audiences. URL: www.ala.org/awardsgrants/schneider-familybook-award Jane Addams Peace Association Award Focus: Given to the children’s books that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence. URL: www.janeaddamspeace.org/jacba Stonewall Book Award Focus: Since 1971, this award recognizes high quality books that reflect the gay/lesbian/bi/transgender experience. URL: www.ala.org/glbtrt/award Sydney Taylor Award Focus: Since 1968 this award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. Gold medals are presented in three categories: Younger Readers, Older Readers, and Teen Readers. URL: www.jewishlibraries.org/content.php?page=Sydney_Taylor_Book_Award
Here is a small sample of diverse authors whose writing and illustrating reflects diversity:
Author/illustrator: Julia Alvarez Diversity: Hispanic American TITLES: Return to Sender; How Tia Lola Learned to Teach Author/illustrator: Cece Bell Diversity: Deaf Culture TITLES: El Deafo Author/illustrator: Grace Lin Diversity: Chinese American TITLES: Dim Sum for Everyone; Ugly Vegetables Author/illustrator: Yuyi Morales Diversity: Hispanic American TITLES: Nino Wrestles the World; Just a Minute Author/illustrator: Pat Mora, Rafael López, John Parra, Libby Martinez, Patrice Barton Diversity: Hispanic American TITLES: Tomás and the Library Lady; Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day Celebremos El dia de los niños/El dia de los libros; I Pledge Allegiance; Gracias! Thanks! Author/illustrator: Lesléa Newman Diversity: Gay/Lesbian; Jewish American TITLES: Heather Has Two Mommies; October Morning Author/illustrator: Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney Diversity: African American TITLES: Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America; Martin & Mahalia: His
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