Understanding Multicultural Literature

Understanding Multicultural Literature. Presented by.

[Audio] Multicultural literature is a very powerful tool for helping students understand their own culture as well as the cultures of others. It includes reading materials of any genre that focus on people of color, regional cultures, regional minorities, the disabled, the elderly, and female perspectives. Multicultural literature includes characters and themes from all over the world. Thus, it explains how different people live in different parts of the world. Diversity, on the other hand, goes beyond ethnicity. It can refer to various aspects of sexuality and gender, as well as cultural and societal groups. Nevertheless, the goal of both diversity and multiculturalism is to identify and expound on our universal humanness, emphasizing similarities while recognizing and respecting differences. This presentation will discuss three multicultural books that still help students to embrace diversity..

[Audio] The three multicultural books that I will analyze in this presentation are Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw, All The Colors of The Earth by Sheila Hamanaka, and Going Home Coming Home by Truong Tran..

[Audio] The story " Same Same but Different" demonstrates how two boys living on opposite sides of the world can be the best of friends through an inviting point of view and colorful, vivid illustrations. Elliot, who is from the United States, and Kailash, who is from India, are the characters in the story. Through imaginative multimedia illustrations drawn in an animated, childlike design, the author conveys a meaningful message of inclusivity. The art is very effective because it adds vibrant color and rich details to the story, giving both cultures plenty of motion and a natural energy that draws the eye in. Kostecki-Shaw makes the differences between the cultures quite compelling. The book is both interesting and imaginative as Kostecki-Shaw writes the story in a very positive tone to introduce the theme of diversity and inclusivity. She demonstrates, through Elliot and Kailash, how much more similar people are than they realize. At the same time, she revels in the differences between the two characters, allowing her readers to compare and contrast the two cultures..

[Audio] Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw visited Nepal and India, where she learned the popular phrase "same, same, but different" used by natives to compare cultures. She organized an art exchange with friends from the United States at Sunshine School in Bhaktapur, Nepal, which sparked the idea for this book. She is a self-taught illustrator who attended the Kansas City Art Institute and the Illustration Academy. Other popular books include " My Travellin' eye" and " Luna & Me"..

[Audio] All the Colors of the Earth is a beautifully illustrated, poetic book that uses engaging text to celebrate the beauty of diversity. The main theme of the story is diversity. Using children as main characters, each scene has illustrations that depict children of various races and genders including special needs kids and compares their skin tone to various shades of nature. Using a positive tone, the author demonstrates that, despite outward differences such as color, race, gender, and/or physical challenges, children all over the world are fundamentally the same and all loveable. The author also writes using rhyme which makes the story flow cohesively..

[Audio] Sheila Hamanaka is a well-known author and illustrator who has been creating books since 1987. Her books on peace and multiculturalism are her most well-known works. Her best-selling book, "All the Colors of the Earth," celebrates the differences between children and parents. Hamanaka's involvement with the Animal Welfare Institute reflects her deep concern for all living things and the world as a whole..

[Audio] In this story, the eight-year-old, American-born Ami Chi travels to her parent's native home in Vietnam to visit her grandmother. Bilingually told using both English and Vietnamese as well as quiet and gentle tone, and illustrated by richly colored paintings, Ami's story has resonance as she struggles to accept her Vietnamese culture. The story, told through Ami Chi's eyes, occasionally lapses into a poetic, adult voice. The impressionistic illustrations, done in acrylic paint on rag paper, cover the entire spread, with the bilingual text alternately on one side and on the other. People in the background frequently lack facial features such as mouths. Unfortunately, the objects in the market and on city streets lack sharp focus, and the art fails to provide an interesting look at the country and its culture. The theme of this story is Ami's realization that her home is much more than a structure she lives in. She is aware that she is an American, and through this story, she discovered how much she adores her Vietnamese heritage. Truong Tran's tender story of leaving and finding places that make us who we are is told in delicate, lyrical prose. Ann Phong's lush paintings, full of vibrant color and loving detail, round out this unforgettable journey..

[Audio] Truong Tran is a Vietnamese-American Poet, visual artist, and teacher. As a visual artist, Truong believes that art, be it poetry, cooking, sculpting and even gardening, are his ways of thinking through the conscious of the times we live in. The story ' Going Home Coming Home' is true because the author is a first-generation American born to immigrant parents who was also nervous about visiting Vietnam for the first time. Research shows that Truong Tran moved to the U.S at the age of 5 and had a hard time accepting his Vietnamese heritage until he was an adult. Thus, this book can be a great example for learners who are born in America or born elsewhere and struggle to accept their heritage..

[Audio] This realistic fiction book would be ideal for reading aloud to children in grades K- 5, as it is sure to spark many interesting discussions about cultural differences and similarities. According to Mendoza & Reese ( 2001), "Using multicultural literature give children the opportunity to develop their understanding of others, while affirming children of diverse backgrounds." Thus, this book would give students an understanding of both American and Indian cultures. This book can be used in a variety of ways in early childhood classrooms. One common application is to use it as an introduction to multiculturalism because according to Souto-Manning ( 2013), "From a young age, children may begin displaying gender and racial preferences (or associations) and may develop prejudices." The story demonstrates to students that, while it may appear that you have nothing in common with someone from a different background than yourself, we are all from the same Earth and most likely share many similarities. Pictures provide a universal language. They speak equally to native English speakers, ELLs, and those who simply struggle with words in any language ( Olshansky, 2008). Thus, I would use a smartboard or projector to present the book by showing enhanced illustrations during the read aloud session. To enhance comprehension of the text, I would use facial expressions, different tone variations and hand gestures as I read the story aloud to students. After reading, I would then move on to a self-portrait exercise in which each student draws his/her face with exact colors to demonstrate differences. Then, I would hang up all of their portraits to demonstrate how unique they are..

[Audio] Multicultural education is based on the ideals of social justice, educational equity, and a commitment to providing educational experiences that enable every child to reach his/her full potential as a learner and as a socially aware and active being ( Souto-Manning, 2013). This book that can be used to explore these ideals of multicultural education as well as diversity and start a conversation with students about how everyone is unique. Children will learn to appreciate and discover people of all races and colors, seeing beauty in each individual. Before, reading the book, I would talk with children in a story circle about how they fell they are alike, and how they are different from their peers as I introduce vocabulary words using picture cards. Pre-teaching vocabulary is always beneficial, especially for ELLs, because it allows them to identify words and then place them in context and remember them ( Graves, August & Mancilla-Martinez, 2013). After reading, I would take children on an outdoor walk to investigate some of the colors of nature. According to Mendoza & Reese ( 2001), "taking reading outdoors helps create a multi-sensory reading experience for students. As they look up and down and describe the colors of the grass, earth, sky, clouds, leaves, and rocks etc., they will also be enhancing their visual discrimination and listening skills as they compare colors to the shades illustrated in the book..

[Audio] One strategy for assisting students in developing a broader understanding of an inclusive society is for them to notice what they may not have noticed previously ( OECD, 2012). This book will be used in my classroom to demonstrate sequencing; students will be able to organize the main events of the story as they learn and experience the Vietnamese culture. In addition, I would use this text to teach students how to differentiate between compare and contrast and cause and effect a it depicts the authors evolving view of her Vietnamese culture. The students can talk about why and how the author's point of view came to be. They can also consider cultural representation in the text by comparing and contrasting their own experiences with elements of the story using drawings or a Venn diagram and guided reflection prompts that encourage them to consider the familiar and unfamiliar from their reading. According to Donohue, a graphic organizer is an effective tool or framework for students to organize, represent, and share their ideas ( 2007). As a result, a Venn diagram would be most effective in this case to assist students in comparing their experiences to the narrators' and sharing their findings with peers..

Conclusion. Using multicultural reading materials to engage early learners helps to stimulate an understanding of diversity in the classroom as well as to build an understanding of and respect for people from other cultures. Other advantages include increased vocabulary, stimulation of imagination, facilitation of empathy, increased knowledge of one's own heritage, and promotion of self-concepts and identity. The books discussed here and others like them help children learn more about their cultural heritage while also instilling pride in their heritage..

Souto-Manning, M. (2013). Multicultural Teaching in the Early Childhood Classroom: Approaches, Strategies, and Tools, Preschool-2nd Grade. Teachers College Press. ISBN: 9780807754054..