Multicultural Literature

In an article written by Dorothy Heard (1990), she explains the goals of multicultural
education are to develop within students a sense of esteem for cultures. She also feels
that knowledge of historical perspectives and differences in world perspective shape
cultures. She feels that children who do have this type of education have the ability to
successfully interact with individuals and groups with different cultural backgrounds.

I will discuss and analyze multicultural literature. I will define what multicultural literature
is and what forces produce multicultural literature. I will determine what makes a work
multicultural or not and finally how the quality of multicultural literature should be judged.
Literature, a major carrier of content, can be used as a powerful way to understanding
the world (Tway, 1989). Experts in multicultural education frequently emphasize the
importance of using literature to increase cultural awareness (Tway, 1989). The
literature used should accurately portray the history, customs, values, and language of a
particular cultural group (Cutter, 2005). Through sharing literature that reflects the
multitude of cultural groups, students can learn to understand and to appreciate a
literary heritage that comes from many diverse backgrounds. For example in the story
Good Girls Are Bad News by Subhadra Sen Gupta Bineeta is caught smoking in
public, this starts a feud with the parents who try to make her think that smoking will
affect her grades in some way and are very disappointed in her. In the Asian culture it
looked down upon for a woman to smoke cigarettes with a very low number that actually
do. Bineeta proved to everyone that smoking did not have any effect oh her grades and
that her main point was to prove that the decisions she makes will always be what is
best for her and her future.

Literature becomes multicultural when it is culturally diverse and is used to increase

cultural awareness. The literature should accurately portray the history, customs,
values, and language of particular cultural groups. (Tway, 1989)

For 500 years, immigrants from diverse cultures have sought freedom and opportunity
in what is now the United States of America. The writers among them recorded their
experiences in letters, journals, poems, and books, from early colonial days to the
present. (ejournal pg.1). These various ethnic forces produce multicultural literature by
enriching the understanding of others when sharing their art and culture. (ejournal page
1).

It was not till the end of the 20th century that multiculturalism became prominent in
American education. Multiculturalism became necessary in education to address the
educational needs of a society that continues to struggle with the realization that it is not
monoculture, but is an amalgamation of many cultures (Hanley, 1999)

In terms of literature, the term multicultural has come to signify the inclusion of
literature of underrepresented groups in the classroom with a view toward promoting
appreciation and respect for diversity and an affirmation for individuals who may have
not seen themselves in positive depictions in books. High quality multicultural literature
shares five major characteristics: accuracy, expertise, respect, purpose, and quality
(Agosto, 2002).

Agosto (2002, p.1) stated, Accuracy of cultural representation is a crucial aspect of

high quality multicultural literature. Shioshita (1997, p.1) stated that books must have
current, correct information, be careful of not reinforcing stereotypes, and use actual
language in books. Inaccurate information can misinform the reader and cause the
reader to form stereotypes.

Expertise is essential in depicting accurate portrayals of a cultural group. Sufficient

background knowledge is a necessary characteristic for an expert in multicultural
literature. Dietrich & Ralph (1995, p.2) stated, Accurate background information
prevents the students prejudices and stereotypes from coloring the text. In The
Miracle by Babila Mutia the story is about a boy born with a deformed leg. His mother
a strong practicing catholic and believes that the Pope can heal her sons leg when he
visits. When the boy finally got the opportunity to meet the Pope the Pope just tells him
to pray for healing. I feel this is an area that is shared by many cultures in the world and
is very understandable by all cultures even though not everyone believes in the same
God. The accuracy of this story is what made it a good example of multicultural
literature.
Respect and Value are both essential trades that people possess. In the same sense, it
is necessary for authors of multicultural books show value and respect the different
cultures they may be writing about. Creators of multicultural literature should exhibit
respect for the cultures they portray (Agosta 2002). All of the authors in our stories have
done an outstanding job showing both value and respect in the stories. Though some
stories were written sometime ago they all kept with the traditions shared today by the
cultures they represent.

Purpose is also an important characteristic of high quality literature. Although good

literature contains universal themes, there should be a purpose for using a particular
setting or for representing characters of a particular cultural background (Agosta 2002).

Another important characteristic of well written cultural literature is quality. It must meet
the general quality standards applied to all other literature (Agosta 2002). For
example, quality is displayed in well-organized plots, settings, characters, and
perspective (Agosta 2002)."The Day They Burned the Books" by Jean Rhys. Was a
extremely well written story that told the story of a mixed relationship filled with
disrespect and domestic violence The story really helped to open our eyes to issues
that are seen in all cultures to some extent. Even though I have no experience with the
way Mr. Sawyer treated his wife I felt very much apart of the story even though the story
is based in the past. The premise of the story is very much still a pert of our society and
cultures through out the world.

In closing multicultural literature if told correctly following a few basic principles can tell a
great story and help bring cultures together. It can help those that do not understand,
understand. We learn from multicultural literature that for the most part all cultures are
closely alike in some way or another; the story is just told in a way that is easily
understood for all cultures regardless of understanding.
Reference

Bozzini, G. R., Leenerts, C. A. (2001). Literature without borders: International literature

in English for student writers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Agosto, D. E. (2002). Criteria for evaluating multicultural literature. Retrieved from

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~dea22/multicultural.html

Bozzini, G. R., Leenerts, C. A. (2001). Literature without borders: International literature

in English for student writers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Cutter, Martha J. Lost and Found in Translation: Contemporary Ethnic American Writing
and the Politics of Language Diversity. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 2005.

Dietrich, D., & Ralph, K. S., (1995). Crossing borders: Multicultural literature in the
classroom.Boise State University.

Hanley Lynch-Brown, C. & Tomlinson, C.M. (1999). Essentials of childrens literature

(thirded.). Boston:Allyn and Bacon.

Multicultural Literature in the United States Today. (2009, February). eJournal USA,
14(2), .Retrieved from http://www.america.gov/media/pdf/ejs/0209.pdf#popup

Shioshita, J. (1997). Beyond good intentions: Selecting multicultural literature.

Childrens Advocate newsmagazine.

Tway, E. (1989). Dimensions of multicultural literature for children. In M. K. Rudman

(Ed.),Children's literature: resource for the classroom (pp. 109-132). Norwood, MA:
Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.