Tayla Corrigan

S00117249

Issues in Childrens Literature: Multicultural Childrens literature

Multicultural childrens literature needs to be embedded into all
classrooms to encourage cultural diversity and understanding of different
culture groups around the world. Childrens literature is centrally
concerned with the domain of everyday life; relationships within the
family, with friends, at school, and in the wider community (Dudek,
Ommundsen, 2007, p. 3). Teaching cultural diversity through
This shows
childrens literature will provide a window into the lives of different
my
people, allow children to relate and see their own experiences
understandin
through the eyes of others and expand their knowledge and
g of providing
understandings of history, identity, customs, race and language
culturally
(Thirumurthy, 2011).
diverse
learning

Multicultural literature is an important aspect for teachers to

experiences
incorporate into their curriculum. Thirumurthy (2011) states that
for students
childrens literature can provide a powerful platform for sharing
with diverse
multiple viewpoints and help children develop positive concepts, not backgrounds
only about the self and their cultural groups, but also about people
across the world (p.446). Children need to hear and see different
perspectives of our world in order to understand their place in it. By
reading stories from different cultures, or stories that include
Teaching
characters from different backgrounds will allow all children to feel as
strategy*
though they are apart of something, and that they do belong.
Illustrator and author Eric Valasquez stated that when he was a young boy
his mother would read to him every night and he remembers two books in
particular The Sky Dog (Turkle, 1969) and The Lollipop Party (Sonneborn,
1968). The reason these two books were so special, he believes, is
because he could identify with the dark- skinned characters in the books
(Williams, Christensen Haag, 2011, p. 53). Very few childrens books in
those days featured characters of different cultures. It is very important
for teachers to use multicultural literature in schools, as children need to
be able to identify with characters from all around the world, so that they
can create personal connections with children from different backgrounds
other than there own.
Seeing stereotypes of characters from different countries and cultures in
childrens literature, does not allow children to understand or relate to
these characters as it gives children a perceived idea that this is all they
do. It does not show the similarities children may have with other cultures
other than their own. Multicultural literature needs to provide students
with opportunities to reflect on their own cultures (mirrors) and examine
other ways of perceiving the world (windows). Specific cultures explored
must be examined through multiple viewpoints that investigate their

unique, diverse, and universal characteristics (Schwartz, 1995, p. 6). If it

does not do this, it is form of discrimination as it is limiting a certain race
to a generalised image. Culture is no longer viewed as static, one
dimensional, and uncontested, but as having multiple layers (Schwartz,
1995, p. 4).
Sometimes teachers and librarians have a narrow view, believing that
books about a particular culture are appropriate only for students from
that culture (Williams, Christensen Haag, 2011, p. 52). This is not true. It
is very important for all children from all backgrounds to read books about
different cultures as it broadens there understanding of different places,
people and things they may not have heard about before. Some children
may not have had the chance to learn about any cultures and this allows
those children to experience them and answer any questions they may
have had before or now. Librarians need to be including culturally diverse
stories in schools, so that they are not a foreign genre to children and it
becomes a natural thing for them to read. The types of cultural literature
teachers should be able to find in their libraries to share with their class
should increase students awareness and appreciation of other people; to
help them recognise similarities and differences between groups of
people; to show how we are connected to one another through emotions,
or needs and or desires; and to develop an understanding of the effects of
social issues and focusses on the lives of ordinary individuals (Buffington
Duren, 2000, P. 1).
Author John Stephens contended that while texts of the 1970s and 1980s
reveal an increasing acceptance of difference and heterogeneity, they
were still, in the main, written by Anglo-Celtic authors, few of whom were
actually of the classes, races or even demographic area represented in
their stories (Stephens, as cited in Pearce, 2003, p. 238). This resonates
that for childrens literature to be multicultural, there needs to be more
writers from different cultures so that the stories can be from true
personal experiences. Otherwise some people may be offended by how
one author may depict or stereotype other cultures and may feel that they
are silencing or erasing them by speaking in their place (Pearce, 2003,
p. 239). There are many educators who were influenced by multicultural
literature as a child, which then made them want to reach out to other
children as it did for them. KaaVonia Hinton a teacher at Old Dominion
University of Norfolk, Virginia (2005), states that when her teacher read
black literature to her class, for the first time she felt like she was not
alone in the world and that there were other coloured girls having
experiences similar to hers. She was able to relate to the characters in the
story and by this one simple act - my teacher handing me a book written
by and about blacks - changed my life. Seeing myself in the literature

Tayla Corrigan
S00117249

made an indelible impression on me (Hinton, 2005, p. 285). This example

expresses the impact multicultural literature can have on young children
from different cultures. It can save the lives of students by validating
their existence (Hinton, 2005, p. 285).
Reading multicultural literature with children helps them understand and
learn about many cultures, countries and immigrant experiences. It also
helps readers to examine stereotypes and explore their own feelings,
beliefs and personal experiences in relation to their new knowledge
(Gregor, Green, 2011, p. 423). Story is the essence of communication.
Through story, we share our opinions, values and experiences; what
makes us happy and what makes us sad. We share the most personal
aspects of our culture and the ways in which we identify with a particular
ethnicity, geographical region, religion, or other cultural group (Mathis,
2001, p.155). This highlights the imperative need for multicultural
literature in classrooms today, as it allows children to make meaning of
what they have just read and discuss experiences and new
understandings. It allows children from different backgrounds to relate to
these stories and feel proud of who they are and where they come from. It
will provide them with a sense of pride and encourage children to want to
read more, as they will now feel apart of something, rather than feeling
excluded when they are reading the same type of stories with Anglosaxon characters.

Teacher Emma Buffington Duren (2000) stated that using multicultural

literature provides my students with an opportunity to not only learn
about different racial and ethnic groups but also examine their own
stereotypes and prejudices (p. 1). This is very important as it emphasises
the importance of children understanding that each individual has their
own cultural background, and even us as Australians can be stereotyped.
It would be meaningful to have a class discussion on this to talk about
how other people from around the world may see us. To have discussions
like this there needs to be more education and professional experience
with multicultural literature for pre- service teachers and teachers already
in the classroom. Most teachers tend to not include it in there classroom
as it is something they feel that they do not have enough perspective and
cultural knowledge to be able to discuss it in a sensitive way with children.
If teachers want to have children reading multicultural literature, they
need to keep books about other cultures in the classroom, and read them
on a regular basis to show that they are appreciated and admired.
Multicultural literature needs to be included throughout the curriculum

and not something that teachers feel they need to quickly touch on
(Mathis, 2001).
Childrens literature has been created to explore contemporary ideas and
experiences, as well as historical events and bygone days; finds ways to
discuss serious and critical social issues; provides outlets for fantasy and
magic; piques childrens imagination and curiosity; and obliterates
boundaries between cultures and countries (Johnson, 2009). Multicultural
childrens literature can do all of these things, as well as create an
environment where children of all backgrounds can feel included. It needs
to become apart of every classroom to create meaningful learning
experiences for children.