The United States has been a multicultural society since it was founded; ethnic and linguistic minorities have contributed significantly to its development. Their contribution should be appreciated, regarded as an integral part of American culture, and authentically represented by the literature collections found in your school's library and in your classroom. Multicultural literature opens a window through which readers may explore the richness of diversity in the American society. Not only must you prepare children to become competent citizens, but you must also create an environment that fosters mutual understanding.

Objective

According to Jenkins and Austin (1987), good literature reflects many aspects of a culture: its values, beliefs, ways of life, and patterns of thinking. Good literature can transcend time, space, and language, and help readers to "learn about an individual or a group of people whose stories take place in a specific historical and physical setting."

High-quality literature about a particular ethnic group benefits students who are part of cultural or linguistic minorities, as well. From reading stories about their own culture, students have opportunities to see how others go through experiences similar to theirs, develop strategies to cope with issues in their life, and identify themselves with their inherited culture. Therefore, it is important that you incorporate multicultural literature into the curriculum and make it part of your students' everyday life. This section provides you with guidelines and resources for selecting multicultural literature in the K-6 classroom.