07/12/2009 Diversity Research Grant. ALA 09 1

Cultural authenticity portrayed in picture books: A systematic approach toward diversity education for children

Eun-Young Yooeunyoung@nccu.edu

Pauletta Bracypbracy@nccu.edu

North Carolina Central University

07/12/2009 Diversity Research Grant. ALA 09 2

Problem Statement

Examines the issue of cultural authenticity reflected in multicultural picture books in order to provide a new direction for diversity education for children.

Conducts a systematic and empirical analysis of picture books that represent four different ethnic groups including African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic- Americans and Native-Americans.

Proposes cultural authenticity in multicultural picture books as a pedagogical construct.

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Objectives

To what extent do children’s picture books depict cultural authenticity via literary content and illustrations?

What are the differences and similarities of cultural authenticity, non-stereotyping, and cultural accuracy among ethnic groups?

Why does cultural authenticity matter? What are the implications of cultural authenticity analysis for librarians and educators?

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Method

Selection of Books Coders Coding Scheme & Content Analysis

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Selection of Books

15 picture books for each ethnic group African American Asian American Hispanic American Native American

Total: 60 picture books selected All published after 2000 All available from local public or academic libraries

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Selection of Books (cont.)

Selection tools NoveList

An electronic readers’ advisory resource for fiction for children and teens

A division of EBSCO host Search: subject search, limit publication year, sort by

popularity

CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center) Choices, 2000-2008

Understanding diversity through novels and picture books (Knowles & Smith, 2007)

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African-American List

Title Author Year

Dear Mr. Rosenwald Carole Boston Weatherford 2006

Hot city Barbara Joosse 2004

Hot day on Abbott Avenue Karen English 2004

Jackie's bat Marybeth Lorbiecki 2006

Mim's Christmas jam Andrea David Pinkney 2001

Night boat to freedom Margot Theis Raven 2006

One of the problems of Everett Anderson Lucille Clifton 2001

Squashed in the middle Elizabeth Winthrop 2005

Subway Anastasia Suen 2004

The escape of Oney Judge Emily Arnold McCully 2007

The hard-times jar Ethel Footman Smothers 2003

The journey of Oliver K. Woodman Darcy Pattison 2003

Visiting day Jacqueline Woodson 2002

Wind flyers Angela Johnson 2007

Yo, Jo! Rachel Isadora 2007

07/12/2009 Diversity Research Grant. ALA 09 8

Asian-American List Title Author Year

Apple pie 4th of July Janet S. Wong 2002

Bee-bim bop Linda Sue Park 2005

Behind the mask Yangsook Choi 2006

Bringing in the New Year Grace Lin 2008

Cooper's lesson Sun Yung Shin 2004

Every year on your birthday Rose Lewis 2007

Grandfather counts Andrea Cheng 2000

Just add one Chinese sister Patricia MacMahon 2005

Landed Milly Lee 2006

My mei mei Ed Young 2006

Red is a dragon Roseanne Thong 2001

Round is a mooncake Roseanne Thong 2000

Sixteen years in sixteen seconds Paula Yoo 2005

Uncle Peter's amazing Chinese wedding Lenore Look 2004

Yoko writes her name Rosemary Wells 2008

07/12/2009 Diversity Research Grant. ALA 09 9

Hispanic-American List Title Author Year

A box full of kittens Sonia Manzano 2007

Featherless Juan Felipe Herrera 2004

If the shoe fits Gary Soto 2002

Let's eat! Pat Mora 2008

Little mama forgets Robin Cruise 2006

My feet are laughing Lissette Norman 2006

My grandma Ginger Foglesong Guy 2007

My little car Gary Soto 2006

Nana's big surprise Amada Irma Perez 2007

No dogs allowed! Sonia Manzano 2004

Oh, brother! Nikki Grimes 2008

Quinito's neighborhood Ina Cumpiano 2005

Roberto Clemente Jonah Winter 2005

Sparky's bark Mimi Chapra 2006

The bakery lady Pat Mora 2001

07/12/2009 Diversity Research Grant. ALA 09 10

Native-American List Title Author Year

Bad River boys Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve 2005

Coyote Christmas S.D. Nelson 2007

First Salmon Roxane Beauclair Salonen 2005

Jingle dancer Cynthia L. Smith 2000

Kiki's journey Kristy Orona-Ramirez 2006

Malian's song Marge Bruchac 2006

Ribbon rescue Robert Munsch 2002

Sacagawea Lise Erdrich 2003

Sequoyah James Rumford 2004

Sky dancers Connie Ann Kirk 2004

Solomon's tree Andrea Spalding 2002

The frog princess: a Tlingit legend from Alaska Erick A. Kimmel 2006

The rattlesnake who went to school Craig Kee Strete 2004

The song within my heart David Bouchard 2002

Yetsa's sweater Sylvia Olsen 2006

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Coders : Selection Criteria

Two coders per ethnic group— Intercoder reliability

Insiders of the culture — Assessing cultural authenticity

Gender Professions

— Librarians— LIS students/graduates

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Data Collection : Scope of Coding

Major character Name, demographics (gender, age), social roles (occupation,

relationship with other characters) Minor character

Name, demographics (gender, age), social roles (occupation, relationship with other characters)

Setting Context, location, environment, place, etc.

Stereotypical features Whether stereotypical features are depicted in terms of text &

illustration; if yes, to what extent Cultural authenticity

To what extent the book portrays cultural authenticity of the ethnic group in terms of text & illustration

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Definition : Stereotype

A stereotype is a preconceived idea that attributes certain characteristics (in general) to all the members of class or set. The term is often used with a negative connotation when referring to an oversimplified, exaggerated, or demeaning assumption that a particular individual possesses the characteristics associated with the class due to his or her membership in it. Stereotypes can be used to deny individuals respect or legitimacy based on their membership in that group. (Wikipedia)

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Definition : Cultural Authenticity

Cultural authenticity is not just accuracy or the avoidance of stereotypes, but involves cultural values, facts, and attitudes that members of the culture as a whole consider worthy of acceptance and belief (Mo, W.

& Shen, W., 1997)

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Preliminary Findings

Profiles of major characters Settings Cultural authenticity Stereotypes, cultural authenticity & cultural accuracy

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Gender Age Social roles & others

African Americans

Girl (47%),

Boy (33 %)

Mostly school years/ preteens

Some names associated with the

culture Well described social roles

Asian Americans

Girl (47%),

Boy (33 %)

Mostly school years/ preteens

Mostly American names Well described social roles

Hispanic Americans

Girl (53%)

Boy (33%)

Mostly school years/ preteens, some adults

Mostly Hispanic names Countries identified (over 50%)

Native Americans

Girl (47%)

Boy (47%)

Children and adults, half and half

Mostly Native American names Tribes identified (over 50%)

Profiles of Major Characters

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SettingsAfrican Americans

Inner city/ urban (about 50%) Special places: jail, pro baseball locker room, slave

plantation, subway

Asian Americans

Mostly neighborhood (some Asian neighborhood) Special places: Asian grocery/ restaurant Special events: 4th of July, Halloween, Chinese

wedding, Chinese New Year

Hispanic Americans

Inner city/ urban (about 70%) Some in USA and countries of the culture (Country

names identified in some stories) Mostly current

Native Americans

Mostly in isolated places (Native reservation or inter-

tribal places) Names of cities or states identified (about 50%) Historic times/ events (about 50%)

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Cultural Authenticity : African American

Coders agree that most books depict the culture authentically although some are overlapping or conflicting with negative stereotypical features of the culture

Positive aspects: Importance of family & tradition Perseverance/ resilience Appearance in illustrations

Negative aspects: Singe family home “none of my business” mentality

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Cultural Authenticity : Asian American

Coders agree that majority of the books depicted the culture authentically, even though some cultural details (e.g., cooking process and wedding ceremony) lacked authentic descriptions.

Most books tried to portray important parts of Asian Americans’ culture such as inter generation conflicts/gaps, historical/cultural details (i.e, food, Chinese New Year, Chinese wedding), and immigrants’ adaptation process (i.e. languages, food, cultural differences).

Adoption stories (3 out of 15)

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Cultural Authenticity : Hispanic American

Coders agree that majority of the books depicted the culture authentically.

Positive aspects: Correct translation of Spanish words Extended family; Family closeness Hard working Hispanics Family-centered business Use of bright colors in illustrations Diverse Hispanic descents

Negative aspects: Incorrect translation of Spanish words Single parent home

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Cultural Authenticity : Native American

Coders agree that majority of the books depicted the culture authentically, but they also mentioned that stories/illustrations were rather contemporary than traditional in order to avoid stereotypical features of the culture.

Problems: lack of accuracy in some books (e.g., The frog princess, Solomon’s tree).

A few books were too universal, and not depicted Native culture specifically.

One of the coders studied whether authors/illustrators were Natives. If not, how they got to create the work of the culture.

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Stereotypes, Cultural Authenticity and Cultural Accuracy

Cultural authenticity = Non stereotyping (?)Cultural authenticity = Cultural accuracy (?)

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Stereotypes, Cultural Authenticity and Cultural Accuracy

Presence of some types stereotypical features via text and images in books of all groups.

Presence of inaccuracy in some historic stories and cultural issues in Asian Americans and Native Americans.

Need to examine how presence of stereotypical features and inaccuracy affect the overall cultural authenticity of the story.

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Excerpts from coding: Visiting Day (African American)

Stereotypical features: Criminal, Dysfunctional family, Poor “The main character’s father is in prison…”

Cultural authenticity: “Family Loyalty: I do not agree that this is a stereotypical

attribute within African American culture. The significance of family and the unspoken belief that no matter what happens the family must remain together and strong are elements that appear in this story that are authentic to African American culture.”

Additional comments: “Although Visiting Day revolves around a story of a father who is

incarcerated and his daughter and grandma who visit him regularly, I do not feel that the story attempts to portray all African Americans as criminals.”

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Excerpts from coding: Bad River Boys: A Meeting… (Native American)

Stereotypical features: Wearing feathers, headless with arms, etc. Indian style broken English

“The illustrations are historical, depicting the people wearing what is now considered stereotypical clothes and living in tee-pees.”

Cultural authenticity: “The text seems to be based on the journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Though the story is supposed to show the incident through the eyes the Indian boys, the text is a mixture of “Indian talk” (short sentences), contemporary American talk, and facts pulled from the journals of the expedition. There is probably very little, if not nothing, to dispute about the authenticity of this event.” “Illustrations: Again, this is a historical story and portrays this Plains tribe wearing clothing of the era.”

Additional comments: “The author is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and grew up on their

reservation. The illustrator is not Native American but enjoys doing extensive research on his subjects (according to a note on the book jacket).”

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Future Plan

Further analyses on cultural authenticity in multicultural picture books beyond nonstereotypes or cultural accuracy.

Information on to what extent the multicultural picture books that have widely been selected and read by librarians, educators and readers depict cultural authenticity of four different ethnic groups.

Implications for authors, illustrators, librarians, educators, parents, readers and researchers on multicultural picture books as a pedagogical construct for our rapidly changing diverse education.