The Importance of Multicultural Literature

The article that Yu Ren Dong wrote explained the importance of multicultural literature in the world that we live in today. In United States especially there is a wide blend of cultures that are in constant contact with one another. This article shows that it is important to respect and understand the differences among cultures, and that teachers can instill these values in their adolescents through literature. If students learn to understand the cultural differences of a character in a book then they can start to understand cultural differences that are found in everyday life. When people begin to understand cultural differences they learn to respect others people as unique individuals.

Both of the novels Copper Sun and Esperanza Rising that we read in class would work well as beginner novels for adolescents. These novels could easily be included in the English curriculums of middle schools in order to create and generate multicultural awareness. Neither of the novels is difficult to read or so boring that it could not capture the attention of middle schoolers. At the same time both depict important cultural values, traditions, and history that would help educate students on African American and hispanic cultures.

It is vitally important for the teachers of multicultural literature to know how to teach this type of literature in order to help students get rid of cultural biases. The teacher must be able to effectively generate discussion groups where the students question the differences in cultures and see how a character from a different culture is affected differently than they would be. As Dong's article insinuates it is essential for the students to learn to get past their own cultural experiences and analyze the characters based on the characters' cultures. In doing so and attempting to look at the novel and its circumstances through the characters' eyes and cultures the students are making their first step towards multicultural awareness.

Being aware and respecting other cultures is very important in the diverse would that we live in today. Racism is all to apparent in many parts of our society, and it could be possible to decrease racial tension through better education on multicultural values.