Multiculturalism

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Since the term multiculturalism was invented in the 1960's, there has been a subtle push and pull between the demands of cultural accuracy and the demands of story. Today, authors, editors, libraries, and schools are all concerned about cultural authenticity in children's literature. This raises certain questions:
                How important is it for the writer to be of that culture?
                Are these merely stories?
                How important is it to instill validating and positive cultural attitudes?
                What do we do with a book that is a classic yet is racist, colonialist, or sexist?

Culturally Conscious

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Prior to the 1970's, many cultural and ethnic groups were portrayed in unrealistic, racist, and negative stereotypes that supported the dominant group's political, economic, and cultural interests. However, publishers categorize all books with non-white characters as 'multicultural' regardless of positive or negative portrayal. What most schools, libraries, and the public expect are "culturally-conscious" materials, with accurate, non-stereotypical depictions. These books instill pride in children by validating and affirming cultural attributes.