White Privilege in Children's Literature

Because children’s literature has only come into prominence in the last hundred years or so, it mirrors the world as it was viewed throughout those decades. Diversity and moral integration, though making significant headway in through the twentieth century, had yet to integrate itself into the books we give our children to read. Books touch cords in readers’ lives and therefore develop staying power. These books can’t be removed from society any more than they can be removed from readers’ hearts.

Now that society is becoming more aware of the invasive proliferation of discrimination and prejudice, and its constancy in children’s literature, experts can analyze past books, including the most beloved titles, to determine how they underscore white privilege. In Kay Thompson’s Eloise, for example, Eloise declares that the Plaza Hotel (her home) has “ever a lot of things going on down there… Altogether I have been to 56 affairs including Halloween” (Thompson, 1955). While this may seem like a completely innocuous statement, the accompanying illustration shows several presumably white people (there is not a person of color in the entire book) wearing ethnic garb—turbans, hajibs and saris—as Halloween costumes. This intimates that these ethnicities are nothing more than entertainment or novelties and denies them the respect and dignity they deserve.

Thompson, Kay/ Knight, Hilary (ILT)/ Peters, Bernadette (NRT). (2015). Eloise. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Counting Rhyme: Ten Little Indians, illustrated by T. Isawa and S. Hijikata, is a product of the late 1960s and may well have taken its stereotypical illustrations from the popular Western movies and television shows. All ten Native Americans are wearing buckskin, headdresses, moccasins and feathers. Several teepees are depicted, all place in the desert. One town is mentioned, but from the rhyme, it is evident that it is not the Native American’s home (Tadasu & Hijikata, 1968):

Tadasu, I., & Hijikata, S. (1968). Counting rhyme ; ten little Indians. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.

This is a subtle indicator that Native American living arrangements are sub-par and inferior to standard white society living arrangements.

Although these characters are created to be cute and playful, a careful analysis reveals their facial characteristics to be slightly menacing. Their eyes have an upward slant at the outer corners and their eyebrows furrow inward. This could subversively indicate a stereotypical mindset that Native Americans are savage.

While these images may depict the 1960s perspectives of Native Americans, readers and experts alike can now recognize how minimizing these stereotypes are. Certainly, some Native American tribes wore such clothes and lived in teepees outside of American towns, but many more did not, and continuously do not, fit neatly into these typecasts.

White Privilege Explained

White privilege is being able to purchase bandages that match one’s own skin tone.

White privilege is walking into a grocery store and finding ingredients for a meal from one’s culture outside of the “ethnic foods” aisle.

White privilege is learning the history of one’s own race as “American history”.

White privilege is never having one’s intelligence or position of authority questioned based on the color of their skin.

White privilege is seeing characters predominantly of one’s own race in books, movies, and TV shows.

White privilege is an inherent entitlement to conveniences based on the color of one’s skin.

“[White privilege] is the level of societal advantage that comes with being seen as the norm in America, automatically conferred irrespective of wealth, gender or other factors. It makes life smoother, but it’s something you would barely notice unless it were suddenly taken away — or unless it had never applied to you in the first place” (Emba, 2016). White privilege is an “unearned power conferred systematically” based on the color of one’s skin (McIntosh, 1989). These powers and advantages are granted to white people by society, often unconsciously, because light skin has been perceived as the “norm” for so long. The video above (retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD5f8GuNuGQ) exemplifies just how such advantages affect so many parts of life, every single day. “White skin privilege is not something that white people necessarily do, create or enjoy on purpose...white skin privilege is a transparent preference for whiteness that saturates our society” (Holladay, 2000). Because “white” has been perceived as predominant, even though it is not, and white people have reaped these advantages for many years, many white people have come to accept and expect the advantage of white privilege in everyday life, which has caused many to become blind to the inequities found throughout society. However, as Emba mentions, the inequities are apparent to other races who have watched others reap benefits denied to them for decades.

Image retrieved from:
http://www.gradientlair.com/post/102200016923/white-privilege-cartoon

While the term “white privilege” has been around for several decades, it has just recently entered the mainstream. As more people become familiar with the concept, there is more a push to not only acknowledge its existence, but a movement to eliminate it. In 1989, McIntosh said that “obliviousness about white advantage...is kept strongly inculturated in the United States so as to maintain the myth of meritocracy, the myth that democratic choice is equally available to all” (McIntosh, 1989). The acknowledgment that white privilege exists is the first step in dismantling its unequal benefits within society. However, as Holladay states, “White privilege is a hidden and transparent preference that is often difficult to address. Only on closer inspection do we see how it creates a sense of entitlement, generates perks and advantages for white people and elevates our status in the world” (2000). As DiAngelo describes, white people in America are insulated from race-based stress as if they are “surrounded by protective pillows of resources and/or benefits of the doubt” (2011). This insulation can make it difficult to see that not everyone receives the same treatment or privileges. The recognition of white privilege and the benefits it has afforded white people is the only way to start the process of developing equal opportunity for all races and ethnicities. 

Video retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/HappyEndings/videos/10155421330915288/?autoplay_reason=all_page_organic_allowed&video_container_type=0&video_creator_product_type=2&app_id=2392950137&live_video_guests=0

Diversity in Children's Literature

While awareness of diversity has greatly increased over the last few years, representation of people diversity in and related to children’s literature has minimally  increased,  from 9% to 22% (NPR 2017). The 22% included not only characters, but also authors and illustrators of color. While 38% of the United States’ population are people of diverse backgrounds, children’s literature clearly does not meet the needed and wanted representation of the many children and cultures that make up the United States population (US Census).

Although this number represents a certain level of progress from years gone by, it still falls significantly below the corresponding percentages within the U.S. population as reported by the census (Ting, 2015). A similarly concerning finding by William and Deyoe (2014) outlines that when it comes to representing diversity, a high number of libraries have almost no diversity in their children’s collections while others have a significant collection of diverse materials. What’s perhaps most concerning about this finding however, is that even the libraries that are considered to have a “significant” collection, don’t even come close to representing the diversity in America’s population.

These findings clearly show that there is a serious issue with underrepresentation of diverse cultures in our children’s collections. They also reflect the pressing need for libraries to address the issue of diversity and inclusion in their children’s collections and advocate for the purchasing of children’s books that are truly representative of the diverse populations that they are serving. However, while this may sound good in theory, Ting (2015) points out that this task is a lot easier said than done for librarians because the reality is that it is an uphill battle trying to find suitable books that represent diverse populations. This dilemma may help to shed light on the idea that in order to solve the issue of diversity and inclusion in children’s materials, it will be necessary to gain insights into the potential root causes of this problem.  

In his 2014 National Book Festival speech, Gene Luen Yang, the much-heralded comic book writer, provided eye-opening insight regarding one reason why diversity in children’s literature has not yet become the norm. “We’re afraid of writing characters different from ourselves because we’re afraid of getting it wrong…. This fear can be a good thing if it drives us to do our homework, to be meticulous in our cultural research” (Yang, 2014). Resources abound, from sensitivity readers to diversity-promoting organizations, to help smooth the emotional process of incorporating multiple ethnic groups into literature. It is just one step in the process of creating and distributing diverse books, but allowing writers and illustrators “the freedom to make mistakes, including cultural mistakes, in [their] first drafts” permits risk-taking (Yang, 2014). It permits them to think and consider and learn and rework and develop new perspectives—all of which just happen to be the tenets of developing a society of diversity and inclusion.

Image retrieved from: Amazon

Progress, although slow, is becoming more apparent. Currently, a picture book called  Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts Abrams, featuring a little girl of color, is in the Top Ten Children’s Books of the New York Times Bestsellers list (NY Times, 2017). In a 2016 interview with National Public Radio, a senior editor for Penguin Putnam Young Readers, Stacey Barney stated, “one of the most important things about literature — particularly literature consumed by children and young adults — is that it helps young people learn to look beyond their own personal experiences (NPR, 2017).” Barney sees reading books with children of color and written by authors of color as having two distinct purposes, making diverse children’s literature important for all kids around the world. Without diverse literature, many children will not have the opportunity to see themselves or connect with characters and stories on a personal level. The lack of diverse children’s literature also prevents children learning about people, cultures, and histories that are not their own and developing respect for their differences and sameness.

Diversity in children’s books is more than just seeing pictures of children of color on the cover. To truly give representation to the children and people around the world, diverse children’s books need characters that reflect the variety of details that make up who children are around the world. Librarians and educators are seeing that kids are looking for characters that, not only look like them, but also talk, make choices, and connect to the world like they do (Rich, 2012). Children need books that have characters that speak their language, represent their family history, and address the struggles that are specific to their experience. To have a diverse children’s collection is to have characters for children from different cultures and backgrounds to see themselves in. With a diverse collection that reflect the many children of the world, more kids are likely to pick up a book, maintain interest, and finish reading it (Rich, 2012).  

test

Examples of Diversity in Children's Literature

 Acknowledging Racism and White Privilege

Image from amazon

The Skin I'm In: A First Look at Racism (2003) by author Pat Thomas and illustrator Lesley Harker. This title discusses the difficult topic of racism to younger children with the hopes of helping children of all colors be comfortable in their own skin.

Thomas, P., & Harker, L. (2003). The skin I’m in: a first look at racism. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series.

Image from amazon

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation (2014) by Duncan Tonatiuh. This title tells the story of Sylvia Mendez and her family’s fight against segregated schools in California for the Hispanic community. Their fight against segregated education happened almost ten years before Brown vs. The Board of Education.

Tonatiuh, D. (2014). Separate is never equal: sylvia mendez and her family’s fight for desegregation. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.

Image from amazon

This is Our House (2005) by author Michael Rosen and illustrator Bob Graham. This title shares the story of a child saying he can’t share a cardboard house based on the way the other children look. But after going to the bathroom, he returns to find all kinds of children in the cardboard house, realizing the cardboard house is for every child.

Rosen, M. (2005). This is our house. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Historical Books

Image from barnes & noble

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad (2007) by author Ellen Levine and illustrator Kadir Nelson. This title tells the story of an African American child who grows up as a slave, until he mails himself to freedom.

Levine, E., & Nelson, K. (2007). Henry’s freedom box: a true story from the underground railroad. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Image from amazon

Pink and Say (1994) by Patricia Polacco. This title tells the story of an African American family risking their lives to care for a wounded white boy during the American Civil War.

Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and say. New York, NY:  Philomel Books.

Image from amazon

White Socks Only (1996) by author Evelyn Coleman  and illustrator Tyrone Geter. In this title, a little African American girl thinks she can drink from a “whites only” fountain because she is wearing white socks.

Coleman, E., & Geter, T. (1996). White socks only. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman & Company.

Featuring African American Children

Image from amazon

The Snowy Day (1962) by Ezra Jack Keats. This title features an African American child experiencing the beauty and wonder of a snowfall.

Keats, E. (1962). The snowy day. New York, NY: Viking.

Image from amazon

Peeny Butter Fudge (2009) by authors Toni Morrison and Slade Morrison and illustrator Joe Cepeda. This title tells the story of three African American children spending a wonderful day with their Nana.

Morrison, T., Morrison, S., & Cepeda, J. (2009). Peeny butter fudge. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Image from amazon

The Patchwork Quilt (1985) by author Valerie Flournoy and illustrator Jerry Pinkney.

This title is about young Tanya, who listens to her grandmother explain the family members and events that inspired each patch of the quilt she is making.

Flournoy, V., & Pinkney, J. (1985). The patchwork quilt. New York, NY: Dial Books.

Featuring Native American Children

Image from amazon

Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light (2010) by author Tim Tingle and illustrator Karen Clarkson. This book is about Saltypie explaining his family’s difficult history before and after making the move from Oklahoma to Texas. He explains the many difficulties his Choctaw grandmother faced, including bullying and changing her own name.

Tingle, T. & Clarkson, K. (2010). Saltypie: a choctaw journey from darkness into light. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

Image from amazon

Cradle Me (2012) by author Debby Slier. This book features pictures of real Native American babies doing small actions, like smiling, sleeping, etc. Underneath each picture is the word of the action in English and then a blank space for the parent to fill in that word in their native language.

Siler, D. (2012). Cradle me. Cambridge, MA: Bright Star Books.

Image from little brown books

Thunder Boy Jr. (2016) by author Sherman Alexie and illustrator Yuyi Morales. In this title, Thunder Jr. doesn’t want to be named after his father. He decides he wants his name to celebrate something he has done himself.

Alexie, S. (2016). Thunder boy jr. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Featuring Asian Children

Image from amazon 

The Name Jar (2003) by Yangsook Choi. Unhei, a little girl from Korea wants everyone in her new American school to like her. When she’s teased because of her name, she’s not sure she wants to keep it. Maybe an American name would be better. Ultimately, Unhei learns that her new friends will like her with her name just the way it is.

Choi, Y. (2003). The name jar. New York, NY: Dragonfly Books.

Image from amazon

You Were the First (2003) by author Patricia MacLachlan and illustrator Stephanie Graegin. This title shows an Asian baby going through his first milestones with his parents.  

McLachlan, P. & Graegin, S. (2003). You were the first. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Nim and the War Effort (1997) by author Milly Lee and illustrator Yangsook Choi. This title is about the story of a young Chinese American named Nim, who wants to help with the WWII effort by participating in a paper drive. But when Nim finds out a rival is cheating to beat her in the drive, Nim goes above and beyond to prove she can win honestly.

Lee, M. & Choi, Y. (1997). Nim and the war effort. New York, NY: Square Fish Publishing.

Featuring Latino Children

Image from amazon

Chocolate Milk, Por Favor: Celebrating Diversity with Empathy (2015) by Maria Dismondy and illustrator Donna Farrell.  On his first day at  an American school, Gabe struggles to connect with other students because he cannot speak English. But after he experiences an act of kindness, he knows that kindness is something all kids understand, regardless of language.

Dismondy, M., & Farrell, D. (2015). Chocolate milk, por favor: celebrating diversity with empathy. Lansing, MI: Cardinal Rule Press.

Image from amazon

From North to South: Del Norte al Sure (2013) by author René Laínez and illustrator Joe Cepeda. Young José struggles  after his mother is deported.

Lainez, R. & Cepeda, J. (2013). From north to south: del norte al sure. New York, NY: Children's Book Press.

Image from amazon

The Rainbow Tulip (1999) by author Pat Mora and illustrator Elizabeth Sayles. This title is inspired by a story of the author’s mother's childhood. Stella is proud of her heritage, but becomes concerned when she has to dress up for the school parade since  she won’t look like any of the other girls.

Mora, P. & Sayles, E. (1999). The rainbow tulip. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Featuring Middle Eastern Children

Image from amazon

The Sandwich Shop (2010) by authors Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio, and illustrator Tricia Tusa. This title is about two girls who notice  cultural differences in the types of sandwiches they eat, forcing them to discover that differences bring them closer together, not push them further apart.

Abdullah, R., DiPucchio, K., & Tusa, T. (2010). The sandwich shop. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion.

Image from amazon

Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story (2015) by author Reem Faruqi and illustrator Lea Lyon. Lailah is finally old enough to participate in Ramadan, but she is nervous that her new friends in her new country won’t understand. Lailah asks her teachers and librarian to help  her friends understand what Ramadan is and why it is important to her.

Faruqi, R. & Lyon, L. (2015). Lailah’s lunchbox: a ramadan story. Thomaston, MA: Tilbury House Publishers.

Image from amazon

Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan (2009) by author and illustrator Jeanette Winter. This title is about the true story of Nasreen who struggles to speak after tragically losing both of her parents. Hoping to give Nasreen her voice back, her grandmother secretly enrolls her in school.

Winter, J. (2009). Nasreen’s secret school: a true story from afghanistan. San Diego, CA: Beach Lane Books.

Examples of Diversity in Children's Literature

 Acknowledging Racism and White Privilege

Image from amazon

The Skin I'm In: A First Look at Racism (2003) by author Pat Thomas and illustrator Lesley Harker. This title discusses the difficult topic of racism to younger children with the hopes of helping children of all colors be comfortable in their own skin.

Thomas, P., & Harker, L. (2003). The skin I’m in: a first look at racism. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series.

Image from amazon

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation (2014) by Duncan Tonatiuh. This title tells the story of Sylvia Mendez and her family’s fight against segregated schools in California for the Hispanic community. Their fight against segregated education happened almost ten years before Brown vs. The Board of Education.

Tonatiuh, D. (2014). Separate is never equal: sylvia mendez and her family’s fight for desegregation. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.

Image from amazon

This is Our House (2005) by author Michael Rosen and illustrator Bob Graham. This title shares the story of a child saying he can’t share a cardboard house based on the way the other children look. But after going to the bathroom, he returns to find all kinds of children in the cardboard house, realizing the cardboard house is for every child.

Rosen, M. (2005). This is our house. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Historical Books

Image from barnes & noble

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad (2007) by author Ellen Levine and illustrator Kadir Nelson. This title tells the story of an African American child who grows up as a slave, until he mails himself to freedom.

Levine, E., & Nelson, K. (2007). Henry’s freedom box: a true story from the underground railroad. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Image from amazon

Pink and Say (1994) by Patricia Polacco. This title tells the story of an African American family risking their lives to care for a wounded white boy during the American Civil War.

Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and say. New York, NY:  Philomel Books.

Image from amazon

White Socks Only (1996) by author Evelyn Coleman  and illustrator Tyrone Geter. In this title, a little African American girl thinks she can drink from a “whites only” fountain because she is wearing white socks.

Coleman, E., & Geter, T. (1996). White socks only. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman & Company.

Featuring African American Children

Image from amazon

The Snowy Day (1962) by Ezra Jack Keats. This title features an African American child experiencing the beauty and wonder of a snowfall.

Keats, E. (1962). The snowy day. New York, NY: Viking.

Image from amazon

Peeny Butter Fudge (2009) by authors Toni Morrison and Slade Morrison and illustrator Joe Cepeda. This title tells the story of three African American children spending a wonderful day with their Nana.

Morrison, T., Morrison, S., & Cepeda, J. (2009). Peeny butter fudge. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Image from amazon

The Patchwork Quilt (1985) by author Valerie Flournoy and illustrator Jerry Pinkney.

This title is about young Tanya, who listens to her grandmother explain the family members and events that inspired each patch of the quilt she is making.

Flournoy, V., & Pinkney, J. (1985). The patchwork quilt. New York, NY: Dial Books.

Featuring Native American Children

Image from amazon

Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light (2010) by author Tim Tingle and illustrator Karen Clarkson. This book is about Saltypie explaining his family’s difficult history before and after making the move from Oklahoma to Texas. He explains the many difficulties his Choctaw grandmother faced, including bullying and changing her own name.

Tingle, T. & Clarkson, K. (2010). Saltypie: a choctaw journey from darkness into light. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

Image from amazon

Cradle Me (2012) by author Debby Slier. This book features pictures of real Native American babies doing small actions, like smiling, sleeping, etc. Underneath each picture is the word of the action in English and then a blank space for the parent to fill in that word in their native language.

Siler, D. (2012). Cradle me. Cambridge, MA: Bright Star Books.

Image from little brown books

Thunder Boy Jr. (2016) by author Sherman Alexie and illustrator Yuyi Morales. In this title, Thunder Jr. doesn’t want to be named after his father. He decides he wants his name to celebrate something he has done himself.

Alexie, S. (2016). Thunder boy jr. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Featuring Asian Children

Image from amazon 

The Name Jar (2003) by Yangsook Choi. Unhei, a little girl from Korea Wants everyone in her new American school to like her. When she’s teased because of her name, she’s not sure she wants to keep it. Maybe an American name would be better. Ultimately, Unhei learns that her new friends will like her with her name just the way it is.

Choi, Y. (2003). The name jar. New York, NY: Dragonfly Books.

Image from amazon

You Were the First (2003) by author Patricia MacLachlan and illustrator Stephanie Graegin. This title shows an Asian baby going through his first milestones with his parents.  

McLachlan, P. & Graegin, S. (2003). You were the first. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Nim and the War Effort (1997) by author Milly Lee and illustrator Yangsook Choi. This title is about the story of a young Chinese American named Nim, who wants to help with the WWII effort by participating in a paper drive. But when Nim finds out a rival is cheating to beat her in the drive, Nim goes above and beyond to prove she can win honestly.

Lee, M. & Choi, Y. (1997). Nim and the war effort. New York, NY: Square Fish Publishing.

Featuring Latino Children

Image from amazon

Chocolate Milk, Por Favor: Celebrating Diversity with Empathy (2015) by Maria Dismondy and illustrator Donna Farrell.  On his first day at  an American school, Gabe struggles to connect with other students because he cannot speak English. But after he experiences an act of kindness, he knows that kindness is something all kids understand, regardless of language.

Dismondy, M., & Farrell, D. (2015). Chocolate milk, por favor: celebrating diversity with empathy. Lansing, MI: Cardinal Rule Press.

Image from amazon

From North to South: Del Norte al Sure (2013) by author René Laínez and illustrator Joe Cepeda. Young José struggles  after his mother is deported.

Lainez, R. & Cepeda, J. (2013). From north to south: del norte al sure. New York, NY: Children's Book Press.

Image from amazon

The Rainbow Tulip (1999) by author Pat Mora and illustrator Elizabeth Sayles. This title is inspired by a story of the author’s mother childhood. Stella is proud of her heritage, but becomes concerned when she has to dress up for the school parade since  she won’t look like any of the other girls.

Mora, P. & Sayles, E. (1999). The rainbow tulip. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Featuring Middle Eastern Children

Image from amazon

The Sandwich Shop (2010) by authors Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio, and illustrator Tricia Tusa. This title is about two girls who notice  cultural differences in the types of sandwiches they eat, forcing them to discover that differences bring them closer together, not push them further apart.

Abdullah, R., DiPucchio, K., & Tusa, T. (2010). The sandwich shop. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion.

Image from amazon

Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story (2015) by author Reem Faruqi and illustrator Lea Lyon. Lailah id finally old enough to participate in Ramadan, but she is nervous that her new friends in her new country won’t understand. Lailah asks her teachers and librarian to help  her friends understand what Ramadan is and why it is important to her.

Faruqi, R. & Lyon, L. (2015). Lailah’s lunchbox: a ramadan story. Thomaston, MA: Tilbury House Publishers.

Image from amazon

Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan (2009) by author and illustrator Jeanette Winter. This title is about the true story of Nasreen who struggles to speak after tragically losing both of her parents. Hoping to give Nasreen her voice back, her grandmother secretly enrolls her in school.

Winter, J. (2009). Nasreen’s secret school: a true story from afghanistan. San Diego, CA: Beach Lane Books.