Since I read Camille Picott's children's book Raggedy Chan a while back, I've had questions about multiculturalism in YA books and in books in general rolling around in my head. IMO not only is there not enough multicultural representation happening in books/TV/media in general but when it is done, we tend to Westernise it anyway to make it more palatable. So, when Camille offered to do a guest post on my blog, I jumped at the chance to get her views on the topic!
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I was thrilled
when Lan asked me to write about multiculturalism in YA. It’s a topic that’s
near and dear to me. My personal speciality is speculative fiction with Asian
influence, but I love all multicultural YA.
I’ve seen
multiculturalism explored several ways in YA fiction. Here are some examples
I’ve found:
Direct: The
author reveals the ethnicity of the character and weaves the experiences of
that ethnic identity into the story. The Direct method is generally found in
stories with a contemporary aspect and portray “real” ethnicities. (As opposed
to fictional ethnicities, like elves and orcs.)
A great example
is Rick Riordan’s
Kane Chronicles. The two main characters, Sadie and her
big brother Carter, are half black, half white. Sadie shares the experience of
being raised by her white grandparents and never feeling like she fit in.
It’s been a
while since I’ve read the first book in the series, The Red Pyramid, but I
remember feeling very connected with Sadie’s experience of being mixed. I
appreciate the fact that the author tackled a multicultural subject in
mainstream fiction.
Indirect:
Multiculturalism and ethnic minorities are portrayed in fictional worlds with
fictional races.
The example that
comes to mind here is Uglies by Scott
Westerfeld. Again, it’s been a while since I read
this book, but I do recall that the main character, Tally Youngblood, is not
white. Ethnicities and races as we know them today do not exist in this world;
instead, the world is divided between those who are Ugly, and those who are
Pretty.
I did enjoy the
Ugly versus Pretty divide that Westerfeld explores. In this fictional world,
the fact that Tally isn’t white doesn’t matter to the story at all; the fact
that she is Ugly is what matters.
I enjoy the indirect
approach when it’s done well. With this story, I think many readers can
identify with being Ugly. But if one is looking to connect with a character
because she’s non-white, this isn’t the book for you.
Passing: When
a character has a multicultural or minority background but essentially passes
for being white.
I first learned
about “passing” in college from my roommate. You can read an in-depth article
on it here. In
a nut shell, “passing” is when a person from a minority or mixed heritage
attempts to pass as part of the main “white” majority.
In Marie Lu’s
Legend, the main character Day is primarily of Mongol
descent. But he has blond hair. This rings true to me—in my own family, I have
cousins who are 25% Chinese, yet they have blond hair and blue eyes.
I have to admit,
I was personally disappointed that Day doesn’t “look” Mongolian. For me, it
strips away the coolness of having a minority main character. Even though the
way his looks are portrayed is totally realistic, I would have loved for his
ethnicity to have been more apparent in either his looks, tastes, or actions.
But that’s just my personal preference. This isn’t meant to be an insult to
Lu’s book, which I enjoyed.
What are some
multicultural YA books that you have read? Have you encountered any of
above-mentioned multicultural examples in other YA books?
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Thanks Camille for the great insights. I haven't read the Uglies series but I want to give it a go to see how Westerfeld handles the issue. On my part I think self published authors do a much better job at cross cultural representation than traditionally published authors. Possibly because they're not hindered by publishers who want to whitewash so that books are more marketable.
I come from a non English speaking background and even I seek out books where the characters are essentially Caucasian. It would take a much greater mind than mine to psychoanalyze that but I think part of it has to do with the greater representation of Caucasian characters in books and movies. I've been especially disgusted by Hunger Games Controversy as well as the supposed outcry of the casting of an Asian actor in The Mortal Instruments movie. It's funny because I think most readers would like more diversity in these mediums. It's only the select few who ruin it for everyone (as usual!). Thankfully, with the emerging popularity of ebooks and titles like by Sulan: Episode One: The League Camille and Telesa: The Covenant Keeper and its sequel When Water Burnsby Lani Wendt Young, I think multiculturalism is going to take books by storm very soon!
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Thanks Camille for the great insights. I haven't read the Uglies series but I want to give it a go to see how Westerfeld handles the issue. On my part I think self published authors do a much better job at cross cultural representation than traditionally published authors. Possibly because they're not hindered by publishers who want to whitewash so that books are more marketable.
I come from a non English speaking background and even I seek out books where the characters are essentially Caucasian. It would take a much greater mind than mine to psychoanalyze that but I think part of it has to do with the greater representation of Caucasian characters in books and movies. I've been especially disgusted by Hunger Games Controversy as well as the supposed outcry of the casting of an Asian actor in The Mortal Instruments movie. It's funny because I think most readers would like more diversity in these mediums. It's only the select few who ruin it for everyone (as usual!). Thankfully, with the emerging popularity of ebooks and titles like by Sulan: Episode One: The League Camille and Telesa: The Covenant Keeper and its sequel When Water Burnsby Lani Wendt Young, I think multiculturalism is going to take books by storm very soon!
