Multicultural Literature

Serena Ramirez

GMS600

Professor Muhlbauer

6/20/2021
Serena Ramirez

GMS600

Professor Muhlbauer

6/20/2021

Multicultural Literature

Little Rosalia is new to the United States. It’s been 13 months since she left her

hometown in Puerto Rico. She misses her old school, her grandparents and her best

friend Luis. Although Puerto Rico is dominantly Spanish speaking, Rosalia is learning

the English language quickly. In fact Rosalia is showing strong foundational reading

skills but she isn’t interested in reading. During Reader’s Workshop it is Rosalia’s turn to

swap her books from her book baggy, back home Rosalia had very little access to

books so she should be excited. Today Rosalia is feeling very homesick and she wants

to be distracted with a book but as she sifts through the basket Rosalia sees Clifford,

Pinkalicious, Pete the Cat and Junie B. Jones - but no little girls with olive skin and

black long hair who play by the beach and hunt the little lizards in the sand. Not one

character looks like her or the country her family left behind. This reminds her how

different she is and causes her to pick any book so she can return to her desk and

daydream . Unfortunately, this is the reality for many multicultural learners. Students

need access to multicultural text in their libraries and classrooms to provide

representation for the diverse populations, improve self esteem, strengthen their

reading proficiency and to feed the desirability to read.

 In a heavy test-taking driven society students need access to materials that spark

their interests to reinforce reading for pleasure. According to the 2019 New York ELA

State Assessment, multicultural students in 3 rd through 8th grade scored significantly

lower than their caucasion peers (NYSED). Out of 181,810 Black and African American

students, 65% of the population scored below grade level. Out of 285,036 LatinX

students, 64% of the population did not meet grade level expectation, and out of 26,179

multiracial students, 53% scored below their grade level in reading. These findings

suggest more than half of the student body in these sub-category populations are not

reading on grade level. These three populations are the same populations that are least

represented in literacy. Although we can argue that there are many additional

contributing factors to these devastating statistics (social economic factors, exposure to

literature, home situation, language, and school districts) there is a major disparity of

multicultural literacy available within the community of our diverse learners. This is

proving to be a challenge, social-emotionally, as well as academically. The multicultural

population of students do not have access to books where they can see themselves and

peak their interest in reading.

Having desirability to read has proven to improve reading proficiency but how

can we support learners when they do not relate to the books available to them?.

Multicultural Literacy must have a place on all bookshelves students have access too.

Although multicultural text may seem like a genre focusing on a specific representation,

studies have shown, when students have access to text that they can relate to, it helps

impact student grade level reading proficiency. Gangi (2008) stated that “children must

be able to make connections with what they read to become proficient readers” (p. 30).
McCullough (2008) also believed that students’ reading comprehension increased when

reading culturally relevant materials. Teale and Gambrell (2007). Having access to

books that are more diverse can help improve students’ reading comprehension. This

will help students improve on standardized testing.

The accessibility to multicultural books is being brought to the attention of

educational stakeholders everywhere. Students not having access to multicultural trade

books is very transparent in today’s society. In 2018 Sarah Park Dahlen and David

Huyck created a poster that circulated the internet titled “Diversity in Children’s Books

2018” in this visual, out of 3,134 children’s books released in 2018, 5% of the characters

were LatinX, 7% Asian/Pacific Islander and 10% was African/African American. This

means out of 3,134 newly published books, these 3 subcategories combined totaled to

only 689 books (Dahlen, Huyck 1). Although these numbers are better than the study

from 2015, with results 13.3% from these same subgroups (2.4% LatinX, 7.6% African

American and 3.3% Asian/Pacific) the lack of multicultural text is very apparent, greatly

affecting these diverse populations negatively. These children are not seeing

themselves in the literature they are reading. They are not able to relate to the

characters in the books that are available to them or the settings and cultural norms.

How can we engage students to read more if they are unable to relate to the text?

The lack of diversity in books is not a new cognizance.This deficit has been a

challenge for both educators and multicultural students for over 3 decades. In 1989,

Emily Styles published an essay titled “Listening to all Voices.” In this article Styles

emphasized that learning content needs to be approached with a “windows” and

“mirrors” point of view to fully immerse students with the experience and exposure of
multicultural learners. From the “mirror” perspective the person is seeing a sense of self.

They see themselves in the character and cultural experience. In the “window”

perspective the person is seeing others and the different experiences of the world

outside of their own. Through mirrors and windows people are able to get an

understanding of each other’s cultural and life experiences, which all populations of

people benefit from. People have to have a balance of both the mirror (self) and window

(outside world) view. Styles states, “Promoting such partial seeing is highly problematic

for the creation of curriculum which will serve all students adequately.” Without diverse

literature we are seeing the world through only one lens.

Although all learners would benefit from the intentions of exposure to

multicultural text, accessibility to these valuable resources pose a huge challenge.

States wanted multicultural text to be a staple component of a successful curriculum.

During the shift of the Common Core Standards a goal in this transition was to use

multicultural literature as an overall focal point for this monumental educational shift

(Boyd, et al. 378). The goal was to choose literature that had a “realistic reflection'' of

the diversity of the student population. The initial goal was to have multicultural literature

embedded into the curriculum to provide students with rich valuable literacy that they

would have the opportunity to have a sense of identity. This would help students see

themselves as well as share relatable experiences within their text. A major challenge of

a multicultural rich curriculum was the lack of diverse books (Boyd, et al. 388). “To

educate all children appropriately, teachers need more books that depict diverse

lifestyles, opportunities, beliefs, choices and worldviews In addition to the status quo.”

Ideally, the intention of this shift in curriculum would be a rich and worthwhile experience
but with very little multicultural books to choose from how were the standards going to

be incorporated with fidelity.

The lack of multicultural materials has not only influenced the students but this

deficit has been an ongoing challenge for all stakeholders in the education system trying

to incorporate books that represent their learners. In a study conducted in Texas,

Tovar-Hilbert researched diverse anthologies for 8th grade young adult readers. The

study revealed that from 2001 to 2011 there was only a 1.34% increase in Hispanic

authorship. (Tovar-Hilbert, 21) These findings posed a serious problem for Tovar-Hilbert

because 52% of the population was Hispanic in this particular region in Texas. Exposure

to text that provides self-identity and diversity encourages readers. Students seeing

their culture represented in books supports their self confidence. By having text that is

diverse students these populations can see that they are not different but unique. There

is nothing wrong with their culture, how they look or what customs and traditions they

follow. “Students need to feel that (their) my story is story worthy.” (Tovar-Hilbert

21).The lack of resources doesn’t only affect student self-esteem but also their interest

in reading. Tovar Hilbert further explains an additional study surveying the Latino

student population measuring the kinds of books, the frequency they read and their

reading purpose. The study proved that students “found that the importance of racial

and ethnic identities were reflected in students’ decisions to read.” If students’ cultures

were represented in books this would increase their reading interest. Raising student

interest will reinforce students' desire to read.

An additional study where multicultural text was not accessible for readers was a

research project conducted in Australia. Hardie conducted a survey to see if the primary
school libraries in Australia had access to diverse text representing different

populations. The researcher extensively studied diverse books and composed a list of

11 titles which represented different populations. To survey which books these libraries

had in circulation in their libraries Hardie sent the list to 88 schools. Out of the 88

schools 79 schools chose to participate. The overall outcome proved that libraries

lacked multicultural book diversity based on the response of the book titles from the

survey. Libraries are student access points for books. If they cannot find multicultural

books there, where else will they find them?

The second best place to find multicultural books would be in a classroom library.

Unfortunately, schools are proving to not be well equipped. In a school in a metropolitan

area in Allendale in the United States, a 2nd grade teacher and several colleagues

worked together to inventory their classroom libraries to see if their books had diversity.

After surveying 3 classroom libraries (a total of 1,152 books in all), 1,300 books had

people characters. Out of these 1,300 books 36% focused on black, 12.3% was a

person of color, 5.8% was LatinX, and 40% were books with white characters

(Henderson, 750). Unfortunately the outcome did not reach their student population and

made them realize their libraries were as diverse as they thought.

School is one of the main places for students to have access to literacy. If a

classroom library or a school library does not make diverse literature accessible for our

multicultural learners where are they expected to find books that reflect self? According

to the American Association of School Libraries their framework focuses on the domains

inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore and engage. The domain Think (Engage)

states “Domain Think: Engage Learners contribute a balanced perspective when

participating in a learning community by: 3. describing their understanding of cultural

relevancy and placement within the global learning community.” Domain Create also

states “Learners adjust their awareness of the global learning community by: 3.

representing diverse perspectives during learning activities.” How is the framework

achievable if a library does not have a multicultural print rich foundation. The library is

the core collection of literature in a school building. If this sacred location is not the

exemplary example, the expectation of the classroom collections are not going to be as

productive as well.

Although the accessibility of Multicultural text is increasing, teachers and

librarians must be active participants in introducing diverse texts to their students.

Multicultural text increases students' interest in reading and helps them develop a sense

of self and others, as well as a love for reading (Courtney 133). Teachers and librarians

have a tough task ahead of them but finding culturally appropriate text will help set the

students up for success and help them be more attuned with others. Teachers and

librarians must take the time to find new multicultural books that accurately reflect these

diverse cultures and representations. Although there are many book list suggestions

available, teachers and librarians know their student population best. It is important for

school stakeholders to preview these books and make sure it depicts the population in a

positive representation as well as provide accurate information regarding these specific

cultures. Representation is a large category focusing on gender, cultures, family units,

LBGTQ, etc. Although text is limited it is essential to have books that the students can

relate to and see themselves in.

 The lack of representation has created a problem with students accepting and

learning about their own and other cultures. In the Ted Talk, “The Windows and Mirrors

of Your Child’s Bookshelf” Grace Lin shares her childhood experience as an Asian

American who was embarrassed by her culture due to the lack of cultural exposure in

her environment (particularly in books). Grace was the only Chinese girl in her class for

many years causing her to reject her Asian culture and try her best to assimilate to the

norm. It was not until she was an adult, where she realized she needed to know more

about her culture. She was very embarrassed that it took so long for her to realize that

she needed to embrace the culture she tried so hard to avoid. Lin decided to write and

illustrate children’s books focusing on Asian characters and culture. Lin’s books became

so popular that many students of all backgrounds embraced her books and took an

interest in Chinese culture and appreciated the content of the literature as well.

Multicultural books are not only about increasing student reading interest, or

creating stronger readers or encouraging students to read more. It is about creating a

sense of pride for who they are and the culture they are from and giving them a sense

that everyone’s culture is uniquely important. Grace Lin stated, “As much as kids need

books to be mirrors, kids also need books to be windows. Kids who always see

themselves in books need to be able to see things in other viewpoints.”(Lin) For many

children who are of different cultures they see their differences as an embarrassment.

No child should ever feel like their culture is different or embarrassing.

All students need access to multi- culturally rich literacy to connect readers as

well as provide new experiences to all readers.Grace Lin stated, “As much as kids need

books to be mirrors, kids also need books to be windows. Kids who always see
themselves in books need to be able to see things in other viewpoints.”(Lin) Multicultural

books not only provide a sense of self for diverse readers but also provide them with an

understanding of others’ cultures. Multicultural texts can help both in increasing reader

interest as well as provide students with an empathy to other cultures. We live in a

society where ignorance can make being different challenging. For many children who

are of different cultures they see their differences as an embarrassment. No child

should ever feel like their culture is different or embarrassing.Students need access to

books where they can see themselves as well as introduce them to new characters and

experiences. Without these new experiences people create bias or are left uneducated

about many other cultures or left in the dark about many exciting places. Diverse text is

an overall win for everyone.

Literacy is an important staple in education. We use books to provide

background knowledge, introduce knowledge and reflect knowledge. If the books we

are presenting to our students are specifically focusing on one lens, students are going

to have a lack of exposure to worldly content. If studies are showing a deficit of diverse

literacy in children’s books, how will students see themselves in the text as well as make

connections with books they read? This is why school classrooms and libraries need

multicultural books to represent all populations to provide a learning environment

conducive to multicultural representation and experiences.

 Bibliography:

Boyd, Fenice et al. “CULTURALLY DIVERSE LITERATURE: Enriching Variety in

an Era of Common Core State Standards.” The Reading Teacher, vol. 68, no.

5, 2015, pp. 378–387. International Literacy Association, doi:10.1002/trtr.1326.

Dahlen, Sarah Park. "Picture This: Diversity in Children's Books 2018 Infographic."

Reading Spark, 19 June 2019,

readingspark.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/picture-this-diversity-in-childrens-book

s-2018-infographic/. Accessed 15 June 2021.

Hardie, Ann. “Inclusive Primary School Libraries: Stories of Diverse Families.”

New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, vol. 46, no. 2, 2011, pp. 95–102.

Proquest Central,

http://pluma.sjfc.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.pluma.sjfc.edu/schola

rly-journals/inclusive-primary-school-libraries-stories/docview/920893649/se-2?

accountid=277.

Gangi, Jane M. "The unbearable whiteness of literacy instruction: Realizing the

implications of proficient reader research." Multicultural Review, vol. 17, 2008,

pp. 30-35. 1 vols.

 Henderson, Janelle et al. “Take a Close Look: Inventorying Your Classroom

Library for Diverse Books.” The Reading Teacher, vol. 73, no. 6, 2020, pp.

747–55, Wiley Subscription Services. Inc, doi:10.1002/trtr.1886.

Lin, Grace. “The Windows and Mirrors of your Child’s Bookshelf.” YouTube,

uploaded by TedX Talks, 18 March 2016, https://youtu.be/_wQ8wiV3FVo.

Garth-McCullough, Ruanda. "Untapped Cultural Support: The Influence of

Culturally Bound Prior Knowledge on Comprehension Performance." Reading

Horizons, vol. 49, no. 1, Oct.-Nov. 2008, pp. 1-22. Proquest,

www-proquest-com.pluma.sjfc.edu/docview/236495168/fulltextPDF/EB2822A1

482B4535PQ/1?accountid=27700. Accessed 20 June 2021Ga.

Tovar-Hilbert, Jessica. “Mirror, Mirror: Who Are Literature Anthologies Really

Reflecting?” English in Texas, vol. 47, no. 1, 2017, p. 20–24. Texas Council of

Teachers of English Language Arts,

https://sjfc.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01SJFC_INST/1355dqh/cdi_eric_p

rimary_EJ1262871.