Asian-Americans in Children’s Literature
Tracee Jean-Philippe
July 29, 2011
CTGE 5245 - Children's Literature in a Multicultural Society
Genre or Type (Issue)
We are looking at this genre because Asian-Americans are, quite possibly, the most underrepresented and misrepresented ethnic group in children’s literature. According to Yokota (2009), there are three common issues in the representation of Asians American’s in children’s literature: (1) Range of Representation, (2) Authenticity, (3) Balanced Perspective
The text used in this assignment (Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say) won the Caldecott Medal for 1994. It was written and illustrated by the renowned Japanese author Allen Say. Although, it does use the overdone theme of immigration, it explores the concept of having two homelands which is why it was chosen.
Annotated Bibliography
Author(s) and Illustrator: Allen Say
Title: Grandfather’s Journey
Copyright Year: 1993/Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company in Boston, Massachusetts
Format/Genre/Type of Multicultural Literature: Asian-American, Multicultural, Realistic Fiction, Picture Book
Summary:
Allen Say tells the story of his grandfather’s journey from Japan to America and back again from an adult perspective. Using “snapshot” illustrations, Say expresses the same fondness, for both the US and Japan, that his grandfather experienced when traveling back and forth.
Cultural Accuracy, Both of Detail and Larger Issues
The text does represent the values of Japanese culture as both Say’s grandfather and mother went back to the Japan to choose their mates despite the fact that they had already settled here. This was not an unusual practice of the time and even today (Hays 2010). Also, through his account of events, Say simply tells the immigration story of a Japanese family based on his own experiences. Although the story is rich in cultural details, Say does not concentrate on any event/detail at the exclusion of others. Instead, he delves into the broader issues of dual cultural identity making this text truly multicultural.
Rich in Cultural Details
Say simply incorporates these details into the story in an organic and seamless way. For example, we are to assume that his grandfather’s traditional attire was different from the “European” garments he wore to the US as illustrated in the picture. We are told that the family visits the Japan and the differences are depicted each time (e.g., the cold city v.s. the village garden). We are to also assume that the daily life of the Japanese immigrant can become lonely as they yearn to return home.
Authentic Dialogue and Relationships
There are specific experiences that the narrator’s grandfather faces such as the temporary abandonment of traditional Japanese clothing (part of his cultural heritage) in order to assimilate to his new surroundings. The oral tradition of passing on family history from one generation to the other was also authentic to this culture as well.
In-depth Treatment of Cultural Issues
This story is realistic in that it is based on the actual travels of Say’s own grandfather to and from the US and Japan. Allen Say goes on in the story to make connections from his grandfather’s experience to his own. The text tackles the issue of cultural identity that many immigrants face and makes it clear to the reader that it is okay to identify with one culture or place without throwing away the other, as many Asian American still struggle to find their own place or voice in American culture and resist the temptation to sacrifice their identity in order to completely better assimilate (Davis & de Manuel, 2006)
Inclusion of Members of a "Minority" Group for a Purpose
In this story the characters are certainly not just being included to fulfill a “quota”(Yokota, 1993). Allen Say avoids many of the common errors committed in children’s literature regarding Asian representation in that he gives an honest portrayal of what it is like to live between cultures and had a non-traditional grandfather who was willing to embrace the new culture to the generation after him while having pride in the old one. He steps away from the use of folktales to tell a very complicated story where he discusses his family’s sorrows, loves, and their losses (through war).
Conclusions
This book portrays the culture authentically as it is a firsthand account of the immigration of a Japanese American family. I would use the text to teach a social studies unit on immigration along with other multicultural books. As far as changes to the text, I would appreciated the use of actual Japanese terms and the use to the written text (as opposed to the illustrations) to describe cultural nuances.
A Brief History of Asian-Americans in Children’s Literature
} 1928-Indian author Dhan Gopal Mukerji became the first Asian to win Newbery prize for Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon (1927)
} Since then, Asians writers have struggled to make themselves visible in children’s literature (Davis & de Manuel, 2006)
} 1976- Laurence Yeps’ Dragonwings is the “first work to present a significant portrayal of the Asian-American presence dealing with their lives in America” (Davis & de Manuel, 2006)
} 2002-Linda Sue Park’s A Single Shard (set in medieval Korea) wins the Newbery prize
} 2005-Cynthia Kadohata’s, Kira Kira (set in 1950s America) wins the Newbery prize
} The tide is changing and we should expect a greater number of books portraying authentic Asian-American themes
Yokota’s three common shortcomings of the representation of Asian Americans in Children’s Literature
1. Range of Representation
} Varied geographic locations and cultures of Asian countries are taken for granted (e.g., Asia is more than just China, Japan, Korea, and India
} This literature is not always readily available (International Children’s Digital Library)
} Often exists in the shadow of other genres such as African- American, Latino, and Native American texts
2. Authenticity
} Books that portray Asian stereotypes should be done away with from a teacher’s library unless they are being used as negative examples
} There are still books being printed and wildly used that are guilty of using these stereotypes (e.g, The Five Chinese Brothers, and Rikki Tikki Tembo)
} These tales were originally used to teach about the culture but, instead, portrays them as “exotic foreigners”
3. Balanced Perspective
} It may take multiple books to explore the many facets of a culture
} The wider the selection of books, the more diverse and balanced the perspective will be
} We must explore different themes and voices
More on Allen Say
} Immigrated from Japan to the US when he was six years old
} Thinks that one should “write what one knows”
} Does his illustrations first and his writings last
} Admittedly does research for his books
} Advice to young writers: “If you write something and it seems pretty to you, toss it out. Chances are it’s cute and no good. Same thing with paintings.”
References
Davis, R.G. & de Manuel D. (2006). Editor’s Introduction: Critical Perspectives on Asian American
Children’s Literature. The Lion and the Unicorn, 30(2), v-xiii. Retrieved from
http://muse.jhu.edu
Hay, Jeffreys. (2010). Marriage in Japan. Retrieved from
http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=619&catid=18
Say, Allen. (n.d.). Allen Say Interviews Transcript 2. Retrieved from
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1483_type=Contributor_typeId=24
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Say, Allen. (n.d). Allen Say Interview Transcript 1. Retrieved from
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=10779_type=Contributor_typeId=2
465
Yokota, J. (2009). Issues in selecting multicultural children's literature. Teacher Librarian, 36(3),
15-19. Retrieved from ProQuest Research Library database
Yokota, J. (1993). Issues in selecting multicultural children's literature. Language Arts, 70(3), 156-
167. Retrieved from ProQuest Research Library database