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Re: Multiculturalism and the unending adventure/activism
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From: Diversity in YA <diversityinya_at_gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 21:34:32 -0800
Sarah Hamburg asked what I think is a very important question regarding multicultural literature: "what does/would activism on these issues look like to you?"
I'd like to respond by first saying that I'm not interested in placing blame on any one group; we are all responsible for the media that is produced and consumed in our culture today. Structural racism and other structural inequalities certainly do exist, though, and it's important to be aware of that. We are all affected by this, sometimes in ways that we might not be consciously aware of.
That's why I think it's important for all of us, as individuals, to make the effort to take conscious responsibility for the art that we create and the art that we consume -- as readers, as librarians, as buyers, as publishers, as writers. I think there are definite ways that individuals can act to make literature a more inclusive and diverse art form. For example:
1. If you're a librarian or bookseller, consider how you're presenting multicultural (or, to be blunt, non-white, non-"mainstream" titles) to your readers. I do think there's a tendency to believe that these kinds of books are like eating your vegetables; they're good for you but not very tasty. This kind of presentation needs to change radically. There are so many books about non-white, non-mainstream characters out there that are *fun* to read, absorbing and entertaining. I think there is absolutely a place for serious, dark, difficult literature, but it often seems as though books about people of color are only *ever* serious, dark, and difficult. Not everyone wants to read these kinds of books, and frankly, life as a person of color is not 100% serious, dark, and difficult. We have to make sure that we're pitching these books in an inviting way to all readers, white and non-white.
2. I've seen a lot of interest in "diversity" in the past few years, and I've encountered a fair number of panels at book conferences that are focused on diversity. It deeply troubles me that so many of those panels -- which seek to push this dialogue forward -- are so often made up of white authors, editors, librarians, etc. I think it's really important that people of color be seated at the table in this discussion. It can be more difficult to find POC to be on these diversity panels, but that shouldn't stop those who are organizing them from seeking them out. This is something that is easily changed: If you're organizing one of these panels, think outside the white box.
3. Buy books about people of color *and* written by authors of color. I can't say this enough. In order to have a diversity of stories, there needs to be a diversity of voices telling those stories. While you don't need to be a person of color to write about them, I think it's very important to seek those POC voices out, especially because they (we) have been marginalized or silenced for so long.
These are things that we think about all the time at Diversity in YA: how to present titles attractively; how to make sure our content (blog posts, book lists) and the people who write it are diverse; and how to encourage people to buy these books and support these diverse voices. This is what activism on these issues looks like to me.
Malinda Lo
Co-founder, Diversity in YA
www.diversityinya.com
Diversity in YA - Puttin' a little diversity in ya since 2011.
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 21:34:32 -0800
Sarah Hamburg asked what I think is a very important question regarding multicultural literature: "what does/would activism on these issues look like to you?"
I'd like to respond by first saying that I'm not interested in placing blame on any one group; we are all responsible for the media that is produced and consumed in our culture today. Structural racism and other structural inequalities certainly do exist, though, and it's important to be aware of that. We are all affected by this, sometimes in ways that we might not be consciously aware of.
That's why I think it's important for all of us, as individuals, to make the effort to take conscious responsibility for the art that we create and the art that we consume -- as readers, as librarians, as buyers, as publishers, as writers. I think there are definite ways that individuals can act to make literature a more inclusive and diverse art form. For example:
1. If you're a librarian or bookseller, consider how you're presenting multicultural (or, to be blunt, non-white, non-"mainstream" titles) to your readers. I do think there's a tendency to believe that these kinds of books are like eating your vegetables; they're good for you but not very tasty. This kind of presentation needs to change radically. There are so many books about non-white, non-mainstream characters out there that are *fun* to read, absorbing and entertaining. I think there is absolutely a place for serious, dark, difficult literature, but it often seems as though books about people of color are only *ever* serious, dark, and difficult. Not everyone wants to read these kinds of books, and frankly, life as a person of color is not 100% serious, dark, and difficult. We have to make sure that we're pitching these books in an inviting way to all readers, white and non-white.
2. I've seen a lot of interest in "diversity" in the past few years, and I've encountered a fair number of panels at book conferences that are focused on diversity. It deeply troubles me that so many of those panels -- which seek to push this dialogue forward -- are so often made up of white authors, editors, librarians, etc. I think it's really important that people of color be seated at the table in this discussion. It can be more difficult to find POC to be on these diversity panels, but that shouldn't stop those who are organizing them from seeking them out. This is something that is easily changed: If you're organizing one of these panels, think outside the white box.
3. Buy books about people of color *and* written by authors of color. I can't say this enough. In order to have a diversity of stories, there needs to be a diversity of voices telling those stories. While you don't need to be a person of color to write about them, I think it's very important to seek those POC voices out, especially because they (we) have been marginalized or silenced for so long.
These are things that we think about all the time at Diversity in YA: how to present titles attractively; how to make sure our content (blog posts, book lists) and the people who write it are diverse; and how to encourage people to buy these books and support these diverse voices. This is what activism on these issues looks like to me.
Malinda Lo
Co-founder, Diversity in YA
www.diversityinya.com
Diversity in YA - Puttin' a little diversity in ya since 2011.
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Received on Sun 16 Feb 2014 11:34:55 PM CST
