Looking through a Mirror and Out a Window: Dr. Gangi's Lecture and Reflection

September 2nd, 2014

Highlights from Dr. Gangi's Discussion:

Slideshow 1

1. Mirror and window books
1. Window books = white world
2. Mirror books = books reflect the child (child sees self)
2. Authors by race --> of 300 books recommended for summer reading, 5% were works of authors of color.
3. Didaptive books --> books no child would be interested in
4. Many textbooks used are written by white authors/many programs are used that do not reflect a variety of cultures
5. Importance of mirror authors and illustrators
6. Common core --> of 88 books recommended, 69 of authors were white
7. The Unbearable Whiteness of Literacy Instruction

Slideshow 2 -- Problematic Books

1. Issues surrounding representation 
2. "Promblematic" books --> misrepresent the cultures they write about/describe
3. Children's literature = has NEVER been innocent
4. Philosopher: Levinas
5. Judith St. George's and David Small's So You Want to Be an Explorer?
1. Won the Caldecott with So You Want to Be a President?
1. Casts those living in Africa as "cannibals"
6. Some problematic books: The Indian in the Cupboard (target: Native Americans), The Poison Mushroom (setting: Nazi Germany target: Jewish people), Brother Eagle, Sister Sky

Reflection:

Walking into class today, I did not know I would be subjected to the cultural discrimination  of many popular (children's) books.  Whenever I thought of cultural discrimination in terms of literature, I thought of older books, predating the 1960s.  I did not realize that many familiar books, that are still used in classrooms today, have cultural discrimination as well as inaccuracies, simply creating statements and story lines that do not center around facts.  

I am shocked to see that publishers do not have an editor of some sort to check facts and the historical accuracy of the story.  All too often, people take what is printed as fact, myself included.  We simply assume that someone along the line has checked these facts; after all, how could this work get all the way to being published and sitting in bookstores without being correct?!  We must not all be so trusting…

Throughout my education classes and fieldwork experience, I am constantly reminded of just how important it is to have multicultural books in the classroom.  However, often times, we as teachers think we have a well-stocked, well-rounded library because we have books on Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King.  Though these are important people in history, these people may not be easily relatable to many children.  It is important to keep a well stocked library including mirror books to supplement our window books, and to keep in mind that there are many more cultures than African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic.