New and Essential New and Essential Voices in Multicultural Voices in Multicultural Children’s LiteratureChildren’s Literature

3636thth Annual Illinois Annual Illinois Statewide Conference Statewide Conference for Teachers Serving for Teachers Serving

Linguistically and Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Culturally Diverse

StudentsStudents

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1. The Reality of Diversity1. The Reality of DiversityOur education system and Our education system and those organizations that those organizations that interact with it operate interact with it operate under a myth that we under a myth that we have proof is false but still have proof is false but still teach because the myth teach because the myth is ingrained in our is ingrained in our national consciousness. It national consciousness. It would also mean dealing would also mean dealing with some painful truths with some painful truths about how we educate about how we educate children and the realities children and the realities of the world each faces.of the world each faces.

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The major myth concerns the balance The major myth concerns the balance between similarities and differences in between similarities and differences in

individualsindividuals It is, of It is, of course, a course, a reassuring reassuring concept to concept to view us all view us all as a part of as a part of a world a world familyfamily

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The image of the world The image of the world holding hands with each holding hands with each other in harmony and love is other in harmony and love is beautiful but it rarely gives beautiful but it rarely gives us the important information us the important information that our membership in the that our membership in the world family, like all families, world family, like all families, can be quite frustrating and can be quite frustrating and disconcerting. The disconcerting. The statements we make such as statements we make such as “We may be different on the “We may be different on the outside, but on the inside outside, but on the inside we’re all just alike” may we’re all just alike” may make us feel good but it is make us feel good but it is an ineffective human an ineffective human relations tool?relations tool?

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A more accurate analysis would be A more accurate analysis would be that the more different we are that the more different we are

from each other, the more from each other, the more challenging it is going to be to get challenging it is going to be to get

along with, work with and by, along with, work with and by, interact with, build relationships interact with, build relationships

together and understand one together and understand one another.another.

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A continued diet of A continued diet of feel-good pseudo-feel-good pseudo-

cultural pap will only cultural pap will only produce a produce a

generation of generation of ethnocentric ethnocentric

ignoramuses ill-ignoramuses ill-prepared to the deal prepared to the deal

with the with the complexities of a complexities of a

modern world.modern world.

Michael MarkerMichael Marker

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Understanding the Understanding the past to past to

change the futurechange the future

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What has been the result of most of What has been the result of most of cultural sensitivity workshops, cultural sensitivity workshops, international day celebrations, international day celebrations,

intercultural dance festivals, ethnic intercultural dance festivals, ethnic food fairs and motivational speakers food fairs and motivational speakers over the past ten to fifteen years?over the past ten to fifteen years?

The “Essential” The “Essential” CollectionCollection

Diversity is not “natural”. It doesn’t happen Diversity is not “natural”. It doesn’t happen without great care and great insight. It is without great care and great insight. It is

created by you with intention, research and created by you with intention, research and care. It has a viewpoint. It has a care. It has a viewpoint. It has a

perspective. It will be different for any perspective. It will be different for any classroom or school. It is dictated by classroom or school. It is dictated by

student need.student need.

Multicultural meansMulticultural meansMulti(perspective)Multi(perspective)

Existing curricula and the concepts to be Existing curricula and the concepts to be shared with students over the course of a shared with students over the course of a school year serve as the framework any school year serve as the framework any

educator uses for choosing materials to use educator uses for choosing materials to use in a classroom.in a classroom.

Books and materials are chosen Books and materials are chosen that explore and illuminate the that explore and illuminate the

curriculum from as many curriculum from as many varying perspectives as varying perspectives as

possible.possible.

It is more complicated It is more complicated than simply choosing than simply choosing materials that feature materials that feature

more African-more African-Americans, however Americans, however noticing things like noticing things like

racial background of racial background of character and setting character and setting

are important.are important.

Moving beyond Moving beyond the 5 F’s the 5 F’s

It isn’t hard to understand why moving It isn’t hard to understand why moving beyond cultural resources such as food, beyond cultural resources such as food, fashion, festivals, famous people and fashion, festivals, famous people and

folklore as the major devices for folklore as the major devices for depicting cultural experience is an depicting cultural experience is an important step in becoming more important step in becoming more culturally responsive as a teacher.culturally responsive as a teacher.

Cultural awareness starts with Cultural awareness starts with self, moves to family and then self, moves to family and then

extends to group ---eventually to extends to group ---eventually to multiple group membership and multiple group membership and

ethnic and social identities ethnic and social identities

What is the What is the difference in a difference in a resource that resource that

celebrates celebrates culture and culture and

one that one that celebrates a celebrates a concept of concept of culture?culture?

But what to replace But what to replace them with?them with?

All books and materials reflect social All books and materials reflect social values and attitudes, some more values and attitudes, some more

obviously than others. Since we are obviously than others. Since we are attempting to have books play a attempting to have books play a significant part of any child’s life, significant part of any child’s life, much care is needed to begin to much care is needed to begin to

select and use them in the classroom.select and use them in the classroom.

A Continuum for Reader A Continuum for Reader InvolvementInvolvement

At one end, aesthetic reading: the reader is At one end, aesthetic reading: the reader is drawn into the story and participates through drawn into the story and participates through identification with the characters; primary identification with the characters; primary goal is enjoyment or entertainmentgoal is enjoyment or entertainment

At the other end, efferent reading: the reader At the other end, efferent reading: the reader is primarily interested in gaining informationis primarily interested in gaining information

Readers will operate all along this continuum, Readers will operate all along this continuum, using books for both enjoyment and learningusing books for both enjoyment and learningSource: Rosenblatt, L. (1995) Source: Rosenblatt, L. (1995) Literature as ExplorationLiterature as Exploration. New York: Modern Language . New York: Modern Language Association of AmericaAssociation of America

Psychosocial Uses for Psychosocial Uses for LiteratureLiterature

Provide characters and events with which Provide characters and events with which readers can identify and through which readers can identify and through which they can consider their own actions, they can consider their own actions, beliefs and emotionsbeliefs and emotions

Introduce readers to what the world may Introduce readers to what the world may look like through others’ eyes and offer a look like through others’ eyes and offer a chance to further construct their own chance to further construct their own views of self and the worldviews of self and the world

The mirror and the window (Sims Bishop)The mirror and the window (Sims Bishop)Source: Temple, Charles A.; Martinez, Miriam; Yokota, Junko; & Naylor, Alice. (1998) Source: Temple, Charles A.; Martinez, Miriam; Yokota, Junko; & Naylor, Alice. (1998) Children’s Books in Children’s HandsChildren’s Books in Children’s Hands. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

The mirror and the The mirror and the window. . . .window. . . .

The main task is to intervene in The main task is to intervene in children’s developing the belief children’s developing the belief that the dominant White culture that the dominant White culture is superior to other ways of life is superior to other ways of life

by their simple exclusion.by their simple exclusion.

Children learn this bias through lack of Children learn this bias through lack of exposure and lack of information, as exposure and lack of information, as well as through direct exposure to well as through direct exposure to

prevailing biased beliefs. Remember prevailing biased beliefs. Remember that the lack of something is a powerful that the lack of something is a powerful

teaching tool.teaching tool.

Authentic Creation: Authentic Creation: Who Does the WritingWho Does the Writing

Making Informed ChoicesMaking Informed Choices

Rudine Sims BishopRudine Sims Bishop

One of the most sensitive current One of the most sensitive current issues in the field of literature in issues in the field of literature in

general, and children’s literature in general, and children’s literature in particular, is the issue of. . .particular, is the issue of. . .

CULTURAL CULTURAL AUTHENTICITYAUTHENTICITY

Why?Why? History…………History………… Arguments are usually about individual Arguments are usually about individual

books and their portrayals of people of books and their portrayals of people of color, as well as representation of specific color, as well as representation of specific aspects of their cultures such as values, aspects of their cultures such as values, customs, and family relationshipscustoms, and family relationships

Almost always the controversies are about Almost always the controversies are about books written by someone from a different books written by someone from a different cultural background, usually Euro-cultural background, usually Euro-AmericansAmericans

INSIDERS AND OUTSIDERSINSIDERS AND OUTSIDERSWhat the big deal withWhat the big deal with

Two conflicting Two conflicting viewpoints……viewpoints……

AUGUST WILSONAUGUST WILSON Insists on a Black Insists on a Black

director for his film director for his film FENCESFENCES

““the specifics of our (Black the specifics of our (Black Americans) cultural history Americans) cultural history are very much different. . . are very much different. . . someone who does not someone who does not share the specifics of a share the specifics of a culture remains an culture remains an outsider, no matter how outsider, no matter how astute a student or well-astute a student or well-meaning their intentions.”meaning their intentions.”

LOUIS GATES, Jr.LOUIS GATES, Jr. Argues that Argues that

membership, does not in membership, does not in and of itself confer the and of itself confer the ability to create ability to create “authenticity”“authenticity”

““The lesson of the literary The lesson of the literary blindfold test is not that our blindfold test is not that our social identities don’t social identities don’t matter. . .our histories, individual matter. . .our histories, individual and collective do . . .[but] no and collective do . . .[but] no human culture is inaccessible to human culture is inaccessible to someone who makes the effort to someone who makes the effort to understand, to learn, to inhabit understand, to learn, to inhabit another world.”another world.”

So for our purposes, we So for our purposes, we havehave

InsidersInsidersOutsidersOutsidersInformed OutsidersInformed Outsiders

MULTICULTURAL MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE?LITERATURE?

So what exactly is So what exactly is

Reflect the Diversity Around Reflect the Diversity Around YouYou

Most books and materials should be about Most books and materials should be about contemporary life in the United Statescontemporary life in the United States

Multicultural must become “across the Multicultural must become “across the table, not across the ocean.”table, not across the ocean.”

Children need to see diversity all around Children need to see diversity all around them and culture needs to become them and culture needs to become familiar and normal not “strange lands and familiar and normal not “strange lands and foreign peoples”foreign peoples”

Culture is embedded in storyCulture is embedded in story

Explore the Explore the similarities through similarities through

the differences. the differences.

Everyone laughs, cries, Everyone laughs, cries, eats, works and plays eats, works and plays

because we’re all human because we’re all human beings, and people do all beings, and people do all

these activities in these activities in different ways. All ways different ways. All ways meet the same human meet the same human

needs.needs.

Let’s think about culture. . .Let’s think about culture. . .

Communicate through individual Communicate through individual character perspective.character perspective.

Non-fiction explorations of generic Non-fiction explorations of generic cultural experiences may reinforce cultural experiences may reinforce generalizations and stereotypes.generalizations and stereotypes.

The best materials are those which The best materials are those which examine a universal theme or concept examine a universal theme or concept from a specific cultural perspectivefrom a specific cultural perspective

““The most universal The most universal experiences are those that experiences are those that

are the most specific.are the most specific.

Universal SpecificUniversal Specific

Building a the “Essential” Building a the “Essential” Collection Collection

FOUNDATION is universal specific FOUNDATION is universal specific BUILD with comparative and universal BUILD with comparative and universal

comparativecomparative SUPPORT with universal (diversity and SUPPORT with universal (diversity and

difference)difference) DECORATE with historical/biography DECORATE with historical/biography ACCESSORIZE with and “other places”ACCESSORIZE with and “other places” Age and reading levelAge and reading level Eliminate generic and generalEliminate generic and general

Having a book in one’s Having a book in one’s classroom library for classroom library for

student’s use is different student’s use is different than selecting a than selecting a

resource to feature in resource to feature in one’s curriculum.one’s curriculum.

Each “collection” should reflect a diversity Each “collection” should reflect a diversity of gender roles, racial and cultural of gender roles, racial and cultural

backgrounds, special needs and abilities, a backgrounds, special needs and abilities, a range of occupations, a range of range of occupations, a range of

socioeconomic experiences and a range of socioeconomic experiences and a range of ages.ages.