Final Post: Reflection on Diverse Literature

After taking this course, I have realized the importance of having diverse literature in the classroom. I have a stronger appreciation for reading diverse literature and I feel that each book we read in class gave me new insight into a different culture and experience. By doing the questioning the text papers, I have learned to think more critically when reading a book and reflect on the different possible meaning that a book may hold. I have found that everyone has their own unique perspective when reading books and people may interpret things differently. Each individual has had different experiences that reflect on the ways that they may perceive things. I appreciated being able to share our different ideas when reading each book and it was really interesting to hear other perspectives that I could learn from. The class was run in a way that made the environment comfortable and open to all ideas and perspectives.

I am more competent in finding books that truly represent the diverse experience that the book is trying to portray. Throughout the semester, we addressed different stereotypes that are often found in diverse literature and this has helped me to be more aware when critically looking at books to use in my own library. This class has also taught me how to create discussions in my own classroom when bringing in diverse literature to my students. I have also become more familiar about where to find these pieces of diverse literature that are often not easy to locate. Many of the books that the teacher brought into class intrigued me to expand my own library with books that address underrepresented populations. These books are so important for children and young adults to see so they can read about characters that they are able to identify with. It is also important for students to read about cultures and experiences that are different than their own so they do not think that everyone lives the way that their own family does.

I really enjoyed having the insider/outsider debate and I still have mixed opinions on this subject. It seems to me that books written by insiders appear to be the most credible. When sharing books with your own students, I have learned that it is important that these stories accurately depict the culture or experience that they are informing about. From talking about the insider/outsider debate, I have learned that when writing any diverse piece of literature, it is extremely important to do research in order to avoid stereotypes that may be even more harmful to the readers.

The blogs are something that I will continue to use and I found them really helpful when sharing my own ideas and interpretations of texts. I also enjoyed reading other people's blogs to expand my thinking on different topics discussed in class. Overall, I really enjoyed this class and I feel that I have a much stronger awareness and appreciation for the importance of diverse literature and its place in the classroom.

Critical Resource Review

Krishnaswami, Uma. Common Errors in American Children's Books with South Asian Characters or Content. 2000. http://www.umakrishnaswami.com/commonerrors.html

This article was written by an Asian Indian author who writes books for children and young adults. When I read the article, it reminded me of the whole "insider/outsider" debate that we talked about towards the beginning of this semester. She states, "in the children's market, we're writing for "readers-in-progress," so to speak, since young readers are still developing their knowledge and sense of the world. Don't we need to make sure we give them material that is accurate?" Krishnaswami has written an article that contains many different errors that she has found when reading literature about the South Asian culture.

Many people seem to clump South Asian people into the same category and don't realize that there are many cultures that comprise of this large area. The author makes the important point that an author should do research before writing about a culture that they are unfamiliar with. Otherwise, errors can result and children are being misinformed. She is not necessarily agreeing that all people should be insiders to write. She is just making the point that resources and people are available to look over the validity of the content written.

When writing a book, Krishnaswami states, "ask yourself if the story is doing justice to the place it purports to represent. If you're not sure, it's not too hard to find an informed reader to offer additional opinions for you to consider." She also talks about her recent experience about writing a book about Sikhism and states, "I was recently sent a review copy of a nonfiction book on Sikhism. I'm not Sikh, so I got a friend who is to read the book and give me his comments. He found a few errors I might have missed, yet confirmed that the author had, all in all, approached the subject with care and respect."

Her quote at the top of the article says it all: "When you're writing of places and people you don't really know, there are times when watching the travel videos just isn't enough!" I agree that it is very important to research what you are writing about because stereotypes and inaccurate information can be avoided by the process doing so.

Asian Indian Text Set

For my text set, I reviewed two chapter books for young adults and two picture books for children. The books are titled: Blue Jasmine, A Group of One, Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights, and Sacred River: The Ganges of India.

The two chapter books I read were very different and each main character had a unique experience and story to tell. The young girl, Tara in A Group of One, lived in Canada and struggled to learn more about where she fit in between two cultures. She had been perfectly happy with the way that she had been living until her grandmother came to visit and was angry that she wasn't Indian enough. The young girl, Seema in Blue Jasmine, told a story about the experiences of coming to the U.S. from India. Both books explored both cultures equally and I felt that the authors portrayed the Indian culture in a positive light. Both of these stories were written by Indian authors, which helped to bring in an accurate representation of the Indian culture to the story. These books had the common theme of fitting in and being trapped between two cultural identities and figuring out where their place in between was. I was able to relate to both of these stories because my mom is from the U.S. and my dad is from India. I would have loved to have seen books like this while growing up to have some sort of comfort knowing that other people struggle with identity and culture as well.

The two pictures books that I read both described some of the traditions and customs from the Indian culture. Sacred River has been one of the best representations of the Indian culture that I have seen yet because the illustrations are so accurate and real-looking. The author went and studied the customs in India in order to get his text and illustrations as accurate as possible. Here Comes Diwali was a well written story that gave the basics behind the Indian holiday, Diwali. This book would not be one that I would choose to put in my classroom text set because I feel that there are better representations in children's literature that portray this holiday better.

Each book seemed to tie in both the American culture with the Indian culture so readers from diverse backgrounds could enjoy reading these texts. It was great to see how many books about Asian Indian literature were at the library because this was not the case when I was younger. Because I have a lot of experience and background knowledge about the Indian culture, I felt that these books seemed to accurately portray the culture without using stereotypical writing.

Blue Jasmine

Sheth, Kashmira. Blue Jasmine. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2004.

Blue Jasmine, is the story of 12-year-old Seema who moves with her parents and younger sister from India to Iowa City. She must leave her grandparents, extended family, and most distressingly, her cousin Raju who has been like a brother to her. In the U.S. Seema makes friends but she struggles not only with American customs and English but also with Carrie, a classmate who mocks her. Seema’s story is filled with details that document an experience of coming to the U.S. and having to adapt to a new culture. Blue Jasmine tells the story of how Seema comes to terms with living in two different cultures and is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of culture.

I really liked the way that Sheth described different events and scenery. The writing is infused with descriptions that paint a strong picture in the reader’s head. For example, Seema states, “the few leaves left clinging to the trees made them look like beggars in ragged clothes.” These are not descriptions that would normally be used and it makes the book much more interesting. This sense of imagery makes the reading very enjoyable and we are able to get a sense of what Seema is thinking and feeling.

The character of Mukta was an interesting addition to this story. This could have easily been a story of leaving friends and family behind and dealing with adapting to a new culture. However, Mukta ties the book together as a whole. It is interesting that Sheth chooses not to discuss the caste system in India, while it is apparent that Mukta is poor and at the lower end of the caste. Sheth seems to feel the need to brush over this particular aspect of Indian living for fear of complicating the book. I like that she keeps the book rather simple because many stories of people coming to the U.S. are usually sad and talk about how hard it is for the main character to adapt. Although Seema faces a lot of struggles, things seem to work out for her and resolutions come to her rather easily. The book as a whole is great for any reader because it talks about both Indian traditions as well as American customs. Seema bridges the gap between the two cultures and brings them together towards the end of the novel.

This website lists some reviews of the books that Sheth has written:

http://kashmirasheth.typepad.com/

Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights

Pandya, Meenal. Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights. Masachussets: MeeRa Publications, 2000.

Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most celebrated ethnic Hindu festivals around the world. In Meenal Pandya’s Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights, young readers can explore the customs and traditions associated with this festival. Through the eyes of a young boy, readers learn about the preparations for and the celebrations of this five-day holiday, beginning when the family cleans the house, up until going to temple. The story briefly gives an introduction to what this holiday means to Hindu people and why it is celebrated.

Although I feel that this book did a great job introducing the different customs and traditions experienced on Diwali, I did not think that the book was very exciting or grabbed the readers attention. The bright and colorful cover of the book is rather misleading, due to the dull illustrations on the interior. The poem on the title page led me to believe that this book would tell an interesting story. I found the plot to be very minimal and it could have been a more exciting book if it wasn’t so factual and to the point. It did not really tell a story, which is usually what a child is looking for when reading a picture book. When the text described the names of the different days of Diwali, it would have been nice to have the pronunciation in parenthesis as well as a description of what the different names meant.

One thing that I really enjoyed about the book was that the family was not always dressed in their traditional Indian clothes. Many of the pictures represented them wearing pants and shirts, which helps children understand that people of other cultures share common interests around the world. It also helps eliminate stereotypes that all Indian people always where sari’s and bright colorful clothing. The picture book also contains easy Indian recipes and fun crafts in the back that are designed for children, which can excite children’s learning about the Indian culture.

I also flipped through some other children’s stories about Diwali while I was at the library and I would recommend reading these books in addition to the one that I reviewed:

Lights for Gita by Rachna Gilmore
Diwali by Chris Deshpande

It was great to see that there were multiple stories about this holiday to choose from!

A Group of One

Gilmore, Rachna. A Group of One. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2001.

A Group of One is a novel about 15-year-old Tara, a Canadian-Indian girl, who struggles to understand her identity and her place in the world. When her grandmother, Naniji, visits from India, Tara is initially resentful because Naniji seems to disapprove of Tara’s mother’s somewhat Western ways. The grandmother is very upset because the kids know nothing about their Indian culture and have not learned about the Independence movement that occurred in India that the grandparents took part in. Tara is asked to do a report in her history class that involves doing some family research. She decides to ask Naniji about the Independence movement and how it affected her growing up. She becomes even more confused about who she is once she learns more about her Indian culture.

Gilmore spends a fair amount of time talking about Tara’s identity struggle, particularly towards the end of the novel when Naniji makes her question her culture. Her teacher, Tolly, assumes that because she has darker skin, she can speak Hindi and is not a “regular Canadian.” This really aggravates Tara because she does not see how she is any different than her other classmates. Tara states, “This is the world I live in. But how do I fit? I’m not one of the true natives, the First Nations, and not one of the whites who marauded the globe colonizing, who tell the history of Canada from when they arrived. I’m too dark for the Samantha’s and the rednecks, but not dark enough for Tolly, or Indian enough for Naniji, too Canadian, too Western. Always too something. Never just right.” I think that this was the most powerful part of the book and Gilmore does a good job of illustrating the ways in which negotiating multiple cultural expectations can be very difficult. There are so many different expectations for Tara to become this person who caters to everyone’s needs, where she begins to question who she is anymore.

When Tara reads her history paper at school about Naniji’s role in the Indian Independence movement, her mother and Naniji are proud of her. That is, until Naniji hears Tara proclaim how she is a "regular" Canadian. At this point Naniji "shutters down" because she cannot countenance the fact that her granddaughter is a proud Canadian - what of the family's heritage, sacrifice and history back in India? What of their allegiance to India? Tara can never win and she always displeases someone.

I really enjoyed reading this book because I felt like I was reading a story about my own life. The main character even shared my first name. It is often difficult to grow up in a multicultural family. It is hard enough growing up as a teenager but when you add culture on top of it, this is even more difficult. This book gave the reader a good insight to the Indian culture and it used traditional words in Hindi, which I thought was important when telling this story.

To view other books written by Rachna Gilmore visit: http://www.rachnagilmore.ca/picture.html
To read an interview with Rachna Gilmore visit:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/specialty_writing/rachna_gilmore.htm

Sacred River: The Ganges of India

Lewin, Ted. Sacred River: The Ganges of India. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin, 2003.

Sacred River: The Ganges of India, is a depiction of the sacred river in India where every year, more than one million Hindu pilgrims journey to the city of Benares to renew themselves in its waters. This picture book explores the traditions and customs of the Hindu people by showing us the boatmen to the bathers seeking religious purification in the holy waters, the religious solitaires meditating on its banks, the cremation grounds and lastly, the final journey of the ashes of the departed.

Although the text is rather simple, it leaves the reader to focus on the richly detailed full-color illustrations to paint a vibrant picture of what actually takes place in India for the reader. The illustrations are breath taking and they accurately depict the different representations of the Hindu culture. While working on Sacred River, which he both wrote and illustrated, Ted traveled to India and observed the Hindus on their pilgrimage to the banks of the Ganges River in Benares. When creating his books, Ted does research in order to truly capture the culture that he is depicting and writing about.

Because my father is from India, I have had the privilege to travel there and experience the culture as well. This picture book has been one of the most accurate portrayals of the Indian culture that I have experienced so far. Lewin paints the traditional clothing right down to every intricate detail and this is a great text for students to learn about the Indian culture. This very fine artwork will give any reader a glimpse of life in India and the process in which the Hindus release the spirit and ashes of their loved one’s into the Ganges river.

Choosing a topic for my final project

I chose to focus on Asian Indian children’s and young adult literature because I feel that this is a population that is often not focused on. In many of my teaching classes, other sub-groups of the Asian population are read about but I have never learned much about Asian Indian literature. I am particularly interested in this topic of literature because I am half Indian. My father is from India and it would have been nice to have had access to books when I was growing up that I could relate to and learn from as well. I was curious to see how many books that focused on this genre were actually available and to my surprise, I was able to locate a lot of books in relation to this topic. I was also curious to read these books from an insider’s perspective to see if it would be easier to find stereotypes written about the culture. I thought that I would enjoy reading books written about Asian Indians because I could relate to some of the stories and be familiar with the traditions and customs as well. Unfortunately, I do not know as much about my culture as I would like and I have viewed this project as a good way to find out more.

Reactions from reading articles about the LGBTQ community

After reading Boy Meets Boy and the articles that went along with it, I found it interesting that gay and lesbian adolescents are “frequently depicted as guilty, ashamed, bitter, desperately unhappy individuals who would give anything to be “normal” (McLean, p. 183). This community of people needs more literature that focuses on positive experiences of coming out that show that it is ok to be who they are rather than be ashamed. After reading this article, I started to think about the different movies and novels that I have read about the LGBTQ population and every one that I could think of portrayed a main character that struggled in some way. As I brought up in class, I also began thinking about how gay people seem to be associated with AIDS, which makes people misunderstand this population even more. It also struck me that these stereotypes are more associated with the gay population and not so much the lesbian population. The article made the connection that the Old Testament injunctions against homosexuality are directed toward males and this may be why so many of the novels written today about gays, ends in some sort of death or tragedy. I thought that Levithan made an important point in his article by stating, “being gay is not an issue, it is an identity. It is not something that you can agree or disagree with. It is a fact, and must be defended and represented as a fact.” People need to recognize this as a valid point and realize that just as people identify with their racial identity as a large part of who they are, being gay is a large part of who a person is. It is not just a label; it is a part of a person’s identity.

Boy Meets Boy

In class on Monday, a lot of people brought up the fact that it seemed unrealistic to have this perfect community where everyone was accepted in the novel, Boy Meets Boy. To some extent, I do agree with this. However, I think that this was one of the most important parts of the book. The point that Levithan is trying to make is that when people are accepting of the gay community, it is much easier for them to function and be themselves. I think that he was trying to show how the world could be if people were just more accepting of others. Although it is very unlikely that a story like this would actually occur, I found myself liking the book more because it didn't focus on the sole fact that Paul was gay. I saw the novel as more of a love story where Paul faced the same issues as any other teenager would. This book was not your typical story about the problems and struggles that a gay teenager faces when coming out. I think that there needs to be more stories written about the gay community that show hope rather than struggle. This is a step in the right direction for diverse literature in the LGBTQ category and I think people who read this story, will not see it as unrealistic, but as hope for the future. We have come a long way in today's society compared to the past and hopefully, with more books like this, things will continue to get better.

Confessions of a Closet Catholic: Summary of Questioning the Text Paper

I really enjoyed reading this book and I feel that it is presented in a way that makes the reader understand how a child or young adult may view religion. It was interesting that Jussy wanted to convert to Catholicism because she associated that religion with the McAllister's and her want for the ideal family. It was not really the religion itself that sparked her attention. It was more seeing how the McAllister's interacted with one another, which was very different from her own family. In my opinion, this story is more about Jussy's confusion with her identity than her religion. She is hoping that converting to Catholicism will help her fit in more and help her overcome her insecurities. She has a misconstrued concept of religion in this sense. For example, religion does not make the McAllister's act the way they do. It is what they are taking from the religion that helps shape who their family is. We hold certain stereotypes of what religion should be like and how it should be practiced. For example, when Jussy goes to visit Rabbi Freeman she states, “That’s exactly it! I’m hoping that he’s finally going to solve the mystery of how I’m supposed to be Jewish but not too Jewish and yet still be true to the things that Bubbe’s family, all those great aunts, uncles, and cousins that I never knew, died for” (p. 179). The Rabbi tells her that there is no cut and dry way to be Jewish. You have to figure out how religion is important to you as an individual. People are taught the how’s but not the why’s when learning about religion and I think that this is why people can often become confused.

The Middle East Book Award

The Middle East Book Award was established in 1999 by the Middle East Outreach Council (MEOC). Its purpose is to recognize books for children and adolescents that contribute to a meaningful understanding of the Middle East.

Books for this award are judged on the authenticity of their protrayal of a Middle Eastern subject, as well as on their characterization, plot, and appeal for the intended audience. Awards are announced in November for books published during the period from January of the previous year through September of the current year. Nominations from teachers and librarians, publishers, and the general public are welcome.

Link to the Middle East Book Award website:http://socialscience.tyler.cc.tx.us/mkho/MEOC/middle_east_book_award.htm

This link containes a list of books receiving the award. The list contains book genre and brief description. Overall the book that we have looked at fit the criteria found on the Award's website. Within our group discussion we noticed that:#1: Award recipients do not have the award seal on the front cover#2: "The Librian of Basra" and "Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq" - are the same story but by different authors; they both received the award. We are wondering why this would happen. Is it because of the different age levels that this books are focused towards? Is it because this is such a prominant topic in this culture?#3: Are any books that receive this award written in Arabic or are they published exclusively in English?

Books that we looked at:Habibi - Naomi Shihab Nye (2000 Winner of Middle East Award)The Librarian of Basra - Jeanette Winter (2005 winner)Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq - Mark Alan Stamaty (2005 Winner)The House of Wisdom - Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland (2000 Winner)

Comment on Habibi

We talked a little bit in class about some different possibilities as to why Poppy made sure that Liyana did not brush her hair in public and also told her that she was not allowed to wear shorts. I think that Poppy was just trying to teach Liyana about the cultural norms that occurred in her new country so she wouldn't be scrutinized by the other people. As an Arab-American and not just an Arab, she stands out a lot more so I think that Poppy doesn't want her to feel like an outsider. I can somewhat relate to this experience because I had a similar situation when I went to India a couple of years ago. My Dad is from India and when I went there with him, he kind of guided me in what was appropriate and what was not. I thought that it was very strange but he did not want my relatives to think that I did not respect the culture. I was told not to talk to the waiters or anyone considered "the help," I had to dress appropriately and wear things that made me look respectable, and I also was not allowed to drink alcohol while we were in front of my elders. This was so strange to me but they have many different rules and cultural norms that I was not used to. Even though I am American, I am also half Indian and it was important that I followed the cultural norms while I was visiting the country.

My feelings about Blogging

I really like that we are using blogging in this class because it forces me to use technology. I absolutely hate technology because I am not comfortable using it. I am probably one of the only people that I know who doesn't have a myspace or facebook page and people think that this is just unheard of. I am not one of those people who can explore how to do things on the computer by myself and I feel that blogging is something that is relatively simple and not that hard to figure out. Blogging has made me more comfortable with using technology and I could see myself creating a blog for my own classroom when I become a teacher. It is a really convenient way to post assignments and communicate and express ideas that you may prefer not to share in class. This also gives everyone a chance to participate and share their thoughts in a way that may not be as intimidating as the classroom setting. I also really like that I can read my classmates blogs and get ideas from them or read up on upcoming events on campus that may pertain to this class. Blogging has put me one step closer to overcoming my fear of using technology and I am glad that I got a chance to learn how to use this system of communication. I also like when the teacher posts questions or asks us to reflect on a certain topic because it forces me to check the page and add new comments to my blog. Otherwise, I often have a tendency to forget to post comments, which is just like me because I am really bad at procrastinating!

Before Readings: Insider/Outsider debate

In order to get an accurate depiction of the culture, race, disability etc., I think that it is important for an insider to write books based on their experiences. Many of the articles last week talked about different stereotypes that were found in books about Native Americans. I feel that these stereotypes could be avoided if people from that cultural background wrote about these books rather than an outsider. This is a very controversial subject and I am wondering if my mind will change at all after I read the articles. I personally trust books more that are written from the insider perspective because these people have actually been exposed to what they are writing about. They have experienced some of the things that they are writing about first hand. It just does not seem as credible if an outsider were to write about a culture that was not apart of them. If an outsider does write a book about another culture other than their own, I think it is important for the author to expose themselves to that culture and use people from that culture as their best resources for writing the book. It seems that an insider would do the best job avoiding stereotypes and these books would not be offensive.

Link to TE 448

http://msute448fs07.blogspot.com/

First Post

My name is Tara Tandon and I am a Post-Bachelor student in the Elementary Education program with a focus on Language Arts. I currently have a Bachelor's degree in Social Work but decided to return to MSU after only a year of being out in the real world. After doing my internship for Social Work, I realized that I loved being surrounded by kids in the classroom setting. Although I was not thrilled about going back to school, I know that teaching is what I am meant to do. I am interested in diverse literature because I love celebrating culture. I am half Indian, (not Native American), and I have always been intrigued by my culture. I think that it is so important for individuals to embrace their differences and teach others about diversity as well. I also find it important for teachers to incorporate diverse literature into the classroom as much as possible. There was very little diverse literature at my Elementary school and this was very disappointing. Some of the questions that I hope to address in this class are how to choose age appropriate books and how to avoid books containing stereotypes when looking at diverse literature. I really enjoyed TE 348 and I hope to further my knowledge about diverse literature throughout this class.