Introduction

Literature is a powerful tool to teach children about the world, themselves, and others. Literature takes children beyond their own lives, broadening their backgrounds, developing their imaginations, and enabling them to grow in understanding and respect for others.

What is Multicultural Literature?

An Introduction

What do you KNOW about multicultural literature?

Think about the word multicultural, what does it mean?

How does the word multicultural relate to you?

What do you WANT TO KNOW about multicultural literature?

Are there specific topics of interest that you would like to explore?

Are there particular cultures that are important to you?

What experience have you had with other cultures?

Literature of diversityLiterature that provides accurate representations of the lives and experiences – both contemporary and historical – of individuals who are members of various ethnic and racial groups in America and around the world

What is Multicultural Literature?

Multicultural Literature is…

Multicultural literature can also be described as literature that portrays racial or ethnic groups

Multicultural literature helps to enhance cross-cultural understanding and respect for individuals.

 It also accents the contributions that other cultural groups have made to society.( eg in America) The four major ethnic groups about whom a number of books have been written include African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans.

Why is it important in the classroom?

Multicultural Literature …

Expands horizons,

“In schools often segregated by lines of color and class, literature may present one of the few opportunities for all students to encounter people of different racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups.” (Rudine Simms Bishop)

Affirms identity,

“We have a whole generation growing up without ever seeing themselves in print. What does it mean if you don’t see yourself in books? There is a strong connection between images and identity” (Pat Mora)

Builds bridges

“Cultural diversity is a strength for building powerful learning contexts, not a problem to be solved. Difference, not sameness, makes a classroom and society strong.” (Kaser and Short, 1998)

Multicultural Literature can…

Provide knowledge or informationOffer varying perspectivesSpan the curriculumPromote or develop an appreciation for diversityDevelop critical thinking skillsProvide enjoyment!

Sonia Nieto (1992) (Sims Bishop, 1997)

Values of Multicultural Literature

Multicultural education can be developed through multicultural literature.

Rena Lewis & Donald Doorlag (1987) state that multicultural education can restore cultural rights by emphasizing cultural equality and respect, enhance the self-concepts of students, teach respect for various cultures while teaching basic skills.

Goals for multicultural education is similar to the following goals of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child and cited by Doni Kwolek Kobus (1992):

1. understanding and respect for each child’s cultural group identities

2. respect for and tolerance of cultural differences, including differences of gender, language, race, ethnicity, religion and disabilities

3. understanding of and respect for universal human rights and fundamental freedoms

4. preparation of children for responsible life in a free society

5. knowledge of cross-cultural communication strategies, perspective taking, and conflict management skills to ensure understanding, peace, tolerance, and friendship among all peoples and groups.

Benefits of learning multicultural

Realize cultural heritage

Develop self-concepts and cultural identity

Learning other cultures allows students to understand people as individuals with feelings, emotions and needs- as human beings not stereotypes.

Learn to respect and value others

Broaden children’s understanding of history, geography, and natural history when they read about cultural groups living in various regions of their country and the world.

Wide range of multicultural themes also helps children develop an understanding of social change.

Raise the aspirations of children who belong to a minority group.

Help readers make connections with individuals in other cultural groups so they may view themselves as members of various groups rather than one.

(Ramsey, 1987; Steiner, 2001; Stoodt, 1992)

Why is Multicultural literature important in the classroom?

Multicultultural literature is important in two very different

kinds of classroom settings:

1. Elementary and middle-school classrooms.

2. Classrooms in pre-service and in-service teachers:

a. teachers as the role models, if they read and share, the children will read it too.

b. teachers need to be aware of cultural traditions of students from cultural groups different than their own.

In a global or a multicultural society, our students need to feel

comfortable interacting with different than they are .

Issues to consider when we read books that are outside of our cultural familiarity

1. Words may be unfamiliar and the context may place readers as outsiders- they need to infer meanings.

2. Readers may make inferences different than those anticipated by author ; thus, discussion is important. Discussion gives the chance to be exposed to ideas that may new to readers and their way of thinking about a cultural group may be impacted in a positive manner.

When children read well-written books with adequate details, they

are better able to make connections between different cultures and

places and their own lives.

Multicultural literature help readers understand both the differences

and similarities among cultures.

The relevance in learning multicultucural literature

“All children need opportunities to see characters like themselves in books, dealing with issues like the ones children

face in their own lives” (Copenhaver, 2001).

Pat Mora (1995) suggests that all children should see themselves in the picture books that they look at. If they don’t, “these children might conclude that there is something the

matter with who they are, their skin color, their language, or

their family customs and values..”(p. x).

It can be used to help children identify with their own culture, exposes children to other cultures, and opens the dialogue on issues regarding diversity (Colby & Lyon, 2004). Multicultural literature has the profound ability to shape our lives and our thinking. It offers children opportunities to celebrate who they are while learning about others. Teachers need to become more sensitive to the needs of their students and fully aware of what they communicate to them.

Power of Literature

We communicate through literature and we share our opinions, values, experiencesLiterature has the power to perpetuate and dissolve stereotypes. Through a literature study students should not only just learn new facts, but Takaki (1999) states they should understand and respect one another’s cultures while recognizing the shared histories and experiences hat unite us.Children's books have the potential to support diversity in the curriculum and raise consciousness on cultural issues that have been historically ignored.

Power of Literature

It is important for students to understand that people of different cultures are more similar than different from each other. When differences are noticeable, it is equally important for students to develop positive attitudes towards differences. Multicultural literature can help students to gain skills that foster collaboration and positive interactions.

Guidelines for Choosing the Books

Books should be age and developmentally appropriate for the student, as well as at the correct reading level for that student.

Check for authenticity: the book should not contrived or full of inaccuracies. The ethnicity of the author and illustrators does not necessarily guarantee the book’s authenticity.

The book needs to contain enough cultural elements to enable students to obtain new cultural knowledge and an increased understanding

Teachers need to assess the story’s perspective and determine whether feelings are celebrated or exploited (Louie, 2006).

The book should not have distortions or omissions of history.

Guidelines for Choosing the Books

The lifestyles and speech of the characters should be genuine and complex, not oversimplified or generalized.

The text and illustrations should not have negative or inaccurate stereotypes of the ethnic group being portrayed.

Derogatory words should not be part of the text. Examples of such words are savage, primitive, lazy and backward (http://www.newhorizons.org/).

There should not be anything in the story that would embarrass or offend a child whose culture is being portrayed.

Most important of all, the book should provide many possibilities of class or group discussion.

During the Literature StudyWhen introducing a lesson or book that deals with cultural issues, the teacher should have an activity that sparks the children’s interest. During reading the students should try to understand the context of the characters actions. The book should help them understand the world of the characters and see this world from their perspective. Students should be able to consider that the motives and reactions of the characters may be different from their own.

During the Literature StudyThe students should be given an opportunity to reflect on what they have read and react to it. A teacher may want to give an opportunity for journal entries before a discussion is started in order for the students to adequately reflect on the story. The teacher must be actively involved in the discussion and act as a moderator of the discussion. The teacher’s involvement should encourage critical thinking and enhance the children’s understanding of the story and the themes depicted in the story.

ConclusionIt is important for children to understand different points of view, but also to understand the connections between these perspectives and how they affect each other (Pedersen & Kitano, 2006). Since it is not the literature alone, but the experiences created in response to the literature that determine the power of the stories, teachers’ participation in a literature discussion group can intensify their reading experiences (Wan, 2006). It is important for the teachers to make connections to the literature. These connections can then be transmitted to their students and empower them. We all must examine our lives and be more aware of the social injustices in order to put an end to them. At the same time we must embrace the uniqueness and strengths of all.

WebsitesCelebrating Cultural Diversity Through Children's Literature

http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/ This web site contains links to annotated bibliographies of children's multicultural books appropriate for the elementary grades. Cultural groups currently listed include: African Americans, Chinese Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Japanese Americans, Jewish Americans,  Native Americans, and Korean Americans. Books are categorized by genre: realistic fiction, information (non-fiction), traditional literature, biography, historical fiction, poetry, and fantasy. The recommended books are also linked to Amazon.com. The site also has links to websites about each culture.

WebsitesFive Standards for Effective Pedagogy.

http://www.crede.org/standards/standards.html Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE) created a list of The Five Standards articulate both philosophical and pragmatic guidelines for effective education. The standards were derived by educational researchers working with students at risk of educational failure due to cultural, language, racial, geographic, or economic factors. This would be a great site for teachers.

Knowledge Loom. http://knowledgeloom.org/elemlit/index.jsp The site for educators has information on elementary literacy that includes practices, suggestions, and success stories. Among these topics it also presents principles, stories, and online resources to support culturally responsive teaching in schools and districts.

Websites

New Horizons. http://www.newhorizons.org/ A site for educators that provides information on researched and widely implemented methods of helping all students to learn more successfully. It includes many articles on a variety of topics related to education.

Notable Books for a Global Society. http://www.csulb.edu/org/childrens-lit/proj/nbgs/intro-nbgs.html This site would be great for anyone looking for books promoting multiculturalism. The website lists outstanding trade books for enhancing student understanding of people and cultures throughout the world. Winning titles include fiction, nonfiction, and poetry written for students in grades K-12.

Websites

Scholastic. http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3757 A great site for teachers, students, and parents. In addition to information about books and authors, it has fun activities and links for students. The site has resources for teachers including articles about how to choose multicultural literature.

Print References

Callins, T. (2006).Culturally responsive literacy instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39, 62-65. This article for educators addressed the instructional practices with regard to helping the reading skills of culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

Colby, S. & Lyon, A. (2004). Heightening awareness about the importance of using multicultural literature. Multicultural Education, 11, 24-28. This article attempted to create awareness among teachers of important role multicultural literature.

Louie, B. (2006). Guiding principles for teaching multicultural literature. The Reading Teacher, 59, 438-448. The article offers guidelines for teaching multicultural literature. It uses variations of the story of Mulan to show instructional strategies.

Print References

Pedersen, K. & Kitanom M. (2006). Multicultural literature unit for gifted learners. Gifted Child Today, 29, 38-49. This article for educators focuses on enhancing students’ knowledge, skills, and coping strategies through literature activities.

Wan, G. (2006).Teaching diversity and tolerance in the classroom: A thematic storybook approach. Education, 127, 140-154.

This article for educators points out the importance of addressing tolerance and differences in our schools. It also shows how the thematic approach can be used to enhance children’s awareness of diversity and similarities among cultures.

Types of multicultural literature

The Role of Multicultural LiteratureAppropriate content is one of the major elements of multicultural/diverse perspectives (Banks, 1990). Literature, a major carrier of content, is a powerful medium for understanding the world.

Cultural AuthenticityExperts in multicultural education frequently emphasize the importance of using literature to increase cultural awareness (Piper, 1986; Tway, 1989). The literature used should accurately portray the history, customs, values, and language of a particular cultural group (Sims, 1982). Through sharing carefully selected literature, students can learn to understand and to appreciate a literary heritage that comes from many diverse backgrounds (Norton, 1990).

Improves Self-ConceptStudents also benefit from reading literature that reflects their own ethnic and cultural background. Such literature can be an important tool in helping all students develop a healthy self-concept - one that is based on a knowledge of and a sense of pride in family background (Hittleman, 1978).

The Role of Multicultural Literature

Promotes Understanding Among CulturesThe use of multicultural literature can also extend students' knowledge about parallel cultures by exposing them to the differences and similarities between their culture and that of other groups (Norton, 1983). These observations, documented in research, support the notion that incorporating multicultural literature into the curriculum can expand students' awareness and decrease negative stereotyping of individuals from other cultures (Litchner & Johnson, 1973).

Literature can present students with clear contrasts in perspectives and can help them to understand their own cultural heritages and those of others - within and outside the classroom (Rasinski & Padak, 1990).