(NAME-MCE) Children's book - poll

[Abington-Pitre Aeve]

While working on my dissertation "portrayal of Native Americans in 
Children's literature" many of the media specialist (public and university 
level libraries) gave me the same answer for how they determined ethnicity 
and/or multicultural books held in their collection. Response "whenever a 
book includes at least one character who isn't white or the illustrations 
had differing shades of skintone", regardless of the content of the story or 
the way the characters are portrayed. 

Aeve

-Aeve Abington-Pitre, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor 
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education- MDD 426
P O Box 42051
Lafayette, LA 70504-2051
337.482.1618
337.482.5904 (Fax)

---------- Original Message -----------
From: Andrew Jackson <axj119 at psu.edu>
To: NAME-MCE - National Association for Multicultural Education Email 
Discussion Group <name-mce at nameorg.org>, <debreese at uiuc.edu>, "'NAME-MCE - 
National Association for Multicultural Education EmailDiscussion Group'" 
<name-mce at nameorg.org>
Cc: ddh2 at psu.edu, tdy1 at psu.edu, jmm5 at psu.edu
Sent: Mon, 05 Mar 2007 14:16:20 -0500
Subject: Re: (NAME-MCE) Children's book - poll

> I'll see if my colleagues in Early Childhood agree.
> 
> At 11:26 AM 3/4/2007, Paul C.Gorski wrote:
> 
> >Thanks Debbie.
> >
> >One reason I'm doing these polls is to look closely at what people are
> >recommending. This is exactly the kind of dialogue I was hoping would
> >emerge.
> >
> >And this is particularly an issue with what people call "multicultural
> >children's literature"--a term that seems to be used whenever a book
> >includes at least one character who isn't a white male, regardless of the
> >content of the story or the way the characters are portrayed. And it's 
very
> >difficult to find young children's books that do anything beyond
> >"appreciating difference," often in a stereotypical way.
> >
> >Paul
> >
> >********
> >Paul C. Gorski
> >EdChange: http://www.EdChange.org
> >Multicultural Pavilion: http://www.EdChange.org/multicultural
> >Social Justice Store: http://www.cafepress.com/edchange
> >Multicultural Poster Store: http://www.EdChange.org/posters
> >SoJust Civil Rights History: http://www.SoJust.net
> >Nat. Assn. for Multicultural Education: http://www.nameorg.org
> >Minnesota-NAME: http://www.mn-name.org
> >
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org [mailto:name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org] 
On
> >Behalf Of Debbie Reese
> >Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2007 11:19 AM
> >To: name-mce at nameorg.org
> >Subject: (NAME-MCE) Children's book - poll
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >I don't like Peter Spier's PEOPLE because it exoticizes everyone in the
> >world, especially people of color, while making white America seen quite 
the
> >norm, quite natural.
> >
> >AMAZING GRACE is also problematic, in that it shows a stereotypical 
American
> >Indian (Grace in headdress, arms crossed in stoic Indian theme).
> >
> >KNOTS ON A COUNTING ROPE is messed up in several ways. For example, the 
Hopi
> >Indian people are shown wearing traditional clothing to watch a horse 
race,
> >as though that were everyday wear.
> >
> >I don't know the Douglas Wood book on the list, but Wood's other books on
> >American Indians are not recommended.
> >
> >If you're looking for book about American Indians, please visit my site:
> >http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com
> >where you can see my lists of books, plus links to articles on this topic.
> >
> >Debbie
> >Debbie A. Reese, (Nambé Pueblo)
> >Assistant Professor
> >American Indian Studies
> >University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> >1206 West Nevada
> >Urbana, IL 61801
> >
> >Email: debreese at uiuc.edu
> >
> >Internet Resource & Blog: American Indians in Children's Literature, 
located
> >at http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com
> >
> >UIUC's Native American House http://www.nah.uiuc.edu
> >TEL 217-265-9870
> >FAX 217-265-9880
> >
> >_______________________________________________
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> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >This is a mailing of the National Association for Multicultural 
Education -
> >(NAME) Listserv list - www.nameorg.org. The 
> >materials included reflect diverse perspectives 
> >of NAME Listserv participants and do not 
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> >Association for Multicultural Education. If you 
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> >
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> 
> _______________________________________________
> This is a mailing of the National Association for Multicultural 
> Education -
> (NAME) Listserv list - www.nameorg.org. The materials included 
> reflect diverse perspectives of NAME Listserv participants and do 
> not necessarily reflect a position of the National Association for 
> Multicultural Education. If you would like to subscribe (or 
> unsubscribe)to this listserv go to 
> http://mail.nameorg.org/mailman/listinfo/name-mce_nameorg.org. You 
> can read all past postings in the archives at 
> http://mail.nameorg.org/pipermail/name-mce_nameorg.org/
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