Reading Ethnic American Children’s Literature and the Questions of Cultural Authenticity

Abstract

Children’s literature featuring non-white characters has always been essential to multicultural education provided in American schools. It has been celebrated for offering multiple perspectives and fostering intercultural understanding. However, definitions of multiculturalism are oftentimes far from straightforward. The presence of non-white characters does not always give much authenticity to the represented culture. The author’s perspective, the intended audience as well as the contextual and literary traditions from which the books arise are the actual measures of their legitimacy. Drawing on Rudine Sims’s division of ethnic children’s literature into “socially conscious” books, “melting pot” books and “culturally conscious” books, the paper explores the issue of authenticity by looking at a number of ethnic American children’s picture books. It focuses specifically on African American children’s literature, which has always been in the center of scholarly debates concerning the concept of cultural authenticity.