Novels: Implicit Racism Intertwined within the Novels of YA

Many blacks face implicit racism due to the stereotypes and assumptions that are created from a variety of sources that affects the way whites see them. This implicit racism spreads to novels that are being read by young adults from the characters that they read to the characters that they see on book covers. More whites are seen in novels and made more attractive, likable, and successful, in which authors believe will lead to more, often than not, greater likability and audience retention. However, from knowledge, one understands that the character and/or novel should gain a greater audience based on if the novel’s story and characters are well developed. As well as having a misrepresentation of blacks compared to whites in novels, Schutte discusses how book covers are intended to grab a large young adult audiences’ attention; thus portraying the idealistic white, or occasionally light skinned female character. Since book covers are made to grab a reader’s attention I will discuss the importance of why having only whites on book covers are so important and allow for the discussion of why whites are used more in novels and described as more likable for another post.

Schutte discusses how novel covers are often ‘whitewashed’ to fit the idealistic white female image, and how covers often tries to ignore race completely as to avoid receiving racist accusations; burying the concept a midst ambiguous ethnicity, silhouette figurines or blurred images. As to avoid offending a coloured audience, authors often avoid mentioning race completely, forgetting that white is a race itself and thus, in actuality, bringing race to the reader’s attention if the main character in the novel is not portrayed correctly on the cover.

On the covers to the above the author or publishing company white washed the main character by making the covers of the girl to be white rather than Native American even though her ethnicity is discussed numerous times because it’s detrimental to the plotline of the novels. Even with her ethnicity as an important concept to the plotline, it is still ignored when making the cover of the novels. Without knowing the author’s or publishing company’s reasoning when could suggest it was because they wanted to ignore ethnicity or race, however, if the novel itself is surrounded by the importance of the ethnicity, then displaying the correct ethnicity is essential. Thus making it known that the covers’ portrayals were done to fit the idealistic female image rather than fit the storyline in order to grab a larger audience attention. 

Age Group and Race/Ethnicity vs the Years 

Age group and race/ethnicity	1984	1988	1990	1992	1994	1996	1999	2004	2008	2012
Age 9 White	53	54	54	57	57	54	52	53	48*	53
Black	55*	58	54	55	59*	53	57	51	43	47
Hispanic	51	47	51	51	59	52	56	57	46*	52
Age 13 White	35*	37*	38*	36	37*	32	29	31	28	30
Black	34*	37*	31	36	17	31	33	26	23	23
Hispanic	32*	‡	21	‡	18	29	19	26	19	18
Age 17 White	31*	28*	35*	29*	33*	24	25	25	22	22
Black	31*	35*	20	15	16	21	22	14	19	17
Hispanic	26*	‡	‡	‡	13	20	‡	17	15	15

For better understanding of this chart and more like it you can view it here: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/main2012/pdf/2013456.pdf

However, from the graph below, one can see that in 2012, for age 17, approximately the beginning of the Young Adult group, while whites are said to read more, when compared to the sum of other races it is less. This chart only shows three races, let alone the other minority ethnicity and/or races that were not conducted in this survey. Thus, by pleasing only the white population of young adults, if they are actually pleasing them, the other thirds of the young adult readers are not pleased at all, and thus, the larger audience will discontinue to read the novels that are ignoring the implicit racism, which is the opposite of what the publishing companies were trying to complete. 

Schutte discusses the ambiguity technique that is used through lighting and angle of images on the covers to leave the characters’ race as undisclosed. Specifically on this cover, the character face is hidden from the lighting as well as from the angle from which he is drawn. In this novel, the character is a ‘famous African wizard.’ However, without reading the novel, one would not make that assumption. Even though this technique does leave race as an unimportant factor by making the character’s race ‘general’ on the cover, this technique is generally done only for minority main characters. Race or ethnicity only becomes insignificant if the character isn’t white because then the character is believed to bring in less audiences if the reader realizes from the cover that he or she is of a minority. As shown above, this is not the case. Even though the cover is what draws the reader in, it is the content that makes the audience read the novel, therefore, the cover can only do so much to help the author or publishing company become recognized.

Ambiguity is a technique that works but authors or publishing companies uses silhouettes as well. Novels that portray coloured characters often disguise their races with the usage of silhouettes in order to dismiss race as unimportant. Once again, race only become insignificant when the main character is coloured. Numerous novels to the left are shown with silhouettes of figures rather than a specific race in order for the reader to ignore race when buying the novel. However, this technique is used only if there is a minority main character, thus, the reader will eventually understand what race or ethnicity the main character has. Thus, if the author themselves are not contributing to the ambiguity or silhouette figures within their novel by excluding the race or ethnicity of their main character(s) than the covers should not exclude either. Often than not, the author discusses the race and ethnicity of the main character for a purpose or important reason.

However, Schutte only discusses the implicit racism that surrounds young adult books. Are other novels for different age group presented with this same problem??

For better understanding of this graph and for more like it you can view it here: http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/10/23/part-1-younger-americans-changing-reading-habits/

From the chart above, one can see that the young adult group, between ages 16-25 are using the internet more often than any other age group. Recent developments in media and technology can be seen as contributing to the racism we see on these novel exteriors. Increasingly popular apps are gaining vast social attention, amplifying the opportunities to portray racism in social context. For example, apps such as Photoshop now allow individuals to edit images in magazines/ads to fit their beauty standards. Without even meaning to, absorbing images/messages from social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) can cause one to develop implicitly racist ideologies. In prior generations, these recent developments did not exist. Rather, these racist ideologies stemmed from historical occurrences (slavery). This mind-set then gain a colourblind audience that does not see the novels as implicitly racist because they themselves has become implicitly racist without realizing it. Thus, Schutte targeting the young adult area would have a better impact because that is the group with the most influences on implicit racism which then leads to colourblindness.

As demonstrated in the chart below, young adult readers are being more exposed to these ideas of racist institutions in comparison to their older generational counterparts on the novel covers as well as in the novels from implicit racism. Thus, current day generations are being more exposed to present ideals of racist intention. 

For better understanding of this chart and more like it you can view it here: http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/10/23/part-1-younger-americans-changing-reading-habits/

Responsively, it acknowledged most often from the young adult groups thus young adults have created more room for backlash. It isn't hard to see why young adults are speaking about the racism developed in and on novels more often than any other age group. Many young individuals nowadays are taking offense to this idea of white washing, and lack of coloured characters, and are speaking out against such nonsense. Implicit racism is still prominent a midst novels, despite the efforts of the present day equality movements, however, positive changes are becoming slightly more prominent in these current trends. Many covers for instance, are choosing to depict characters as they truly appear, regardless of race. 

Thus, in conclusion, while implicit racism for Young Adult novels are becoming more prominent the fight aganist it is becoming stronger. More voices are being heard to go against such inequality forcing publishing companies to make the covers accurate according to the novels and making many authors actually try to write about a coloured main character. Just as discussed in class about colourblindness and white-washing, one can see that these issues are even ingrained into daily doings that one does not think twice about such as reading a book for enjoyment. Implicit racism, which was discussed in The New Jim Crow, can have an extreme impact on a group's life such as mass incarceration or small impacts that can eventually gather into something greater such as white-washing for novel covers. 

Biography

Schutte, Annie. It Matters if Your Black or White: The Racism of YA Book Covers. "The Yalsa Hub." Dec 10 2012. Assessed Nov 3 2014.  Website. http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2012/12/10/it-matters-if-youre-black-or-white-the-racism-of-ya-book-covers/

Zickuhr, Kathryn. Younger Americans' Reading and Library Habits. "Pew Internet." Oct 23 2012. Assessed Nov 3 2014. Website. http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/10/23/part-1-younger-americans-changing-reading-habits/

Trends in Academic Progress. NAEP. 2012. Assessed Nov 3 2014. Website. http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/main2012/pdf/2013456.pdf