Last blog, I
commented on the lack of diversity for Young Adult covers. Along with book
covers, there is a lacking of diversity within. Not only are novels continually
putting whites onto covers, they are also continually only putting whites as
characters. However, for this blog, I am focusing on children books because as
children, absorbing everything they see, hear, read, touch etc can have a
lasting effect unconsciously. Children books even as of today are lacking
diversity. Many young minorities have to go without understanding why they are
not “good” enough to be in a novel when mythical creatures such as dragons, and
goblins are.
This exclusion
from novels may seem insignificant to some, but never or only absorbing a glimpse
of who they are can cause many problems later in the future. As Myers states “A
gap in the much-written-about sense of self-love that comes from recognizing
oneself in a text, from the understanding that your life and lives of the
people like you are worthy of being told, thought about, discussed and even
celebrated” (3). Without having that
reassurance of self-worth minority-children will constantly feel lesser,
ashamed of who they are, and will struggle to find their identity.
Percentages of Diversity in Children's Books
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| From the picture below, one can see that only 7.5% of children's books involves coloured children. Showing that the diversity is lacking for all children of colour, not one specific group. |
However, those who
are given that privilege of being written and read about will also have a
confused future. When they “face the realities of our world, our global
economies, our integrations and overlapping, they all do so without a proper
map…They are threatened by the difference and try to wish for a more familiar
form” (Myers 5). Children of colour, however, are force to understand the
boundaries of which the world has created, and therefore “are certain to
imagine themselves well within the borders they are offered, to colour
themselves inside the lines” (Myers 5). Even though the coloured children’s future
will not be as confusing as white children’s, they still will be lost because
they never were written for this world, so how do they write themselves??
Pointing fingers
at who to blame for this lack of diversity will only complicate matters, and
delay the actions that needs to take place. Authors need to work together to
demand diversity, and too constantly keep writing stories which indulges in
diversity. And readers need to read those books to their children and for
themselves. The few books that are published with much diversity needs to heard
about. Such things are hard to accomplish, which is understandable, but isn’t
impossible.
Myers, Christopher. “The Apartheid of
Children’s Literature.” The New York
Times. March 15, 2014. Website. Assessed Nov 18, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/the-apartheid-of-childrens-literature.html?_r=0
Boog Jason. "Artist Illustrates Dramatic Lack of Diversity in Kid's Books." GalleyCat. July 25, 2013. Website. Assessed Nov 18, 2014. http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/illustrated-guide-to-the-diversity-problem-in-kids-books_b74771
