Towards A Less Normative Future in Library Services to Children & Teens
Angie Manfredi
Symposium on the Future of Libraries�January 22, 2017
What Does That Title Even Mean?
We’re Going to ...
We’re NOT Going to ...
What is a Microaggression?
According to Merriam-Webster (Words We’re Watching)
“A comment or action that is subtly and often unintentionally hostile or demeaning to a member of a minority or marginalized group.”
But I Can Trust Them!
But … wait …
Kirkus says: “Only the free verse’s frequent apostrophes connoting a dropped letter are stereotypical and distancing.”
In VOYA Jennifer Rummel says: “Written as a novel-in-verse and told in the vernacular, this book will resonate with reluctant readers.”
Publisher’s Weekly quotes from the text: “Jive brothers rolled in hard./ They walked intent.... I didn't want nuthin' to do with their truth.”
NO ONE COULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING!
What Could Anyone Have Done?!
ASK YOURSELF
Eh. What CAN Reviews Do Anyway?
PW says: “Grace's stubborn cultural naiveté, while not necessarily unbelievable, grates from the start.”
In SLJ Genevieve Feldman says: “By setting the tale in Korea, Stout has an opportunity to open a window into Korean culture for her readers; sadly, the opportunity is often missed. The book too closely follows Grace's first person cultural ignorance, and an unfortunate a number of stereotypes are perpetuated.”
Kirkus Says …
“Stout's depiction of Korea is often shockingly insensitive and riddled with errors and inconsistencies. Grace thinks crowds of Korean people smell like garlic, is nauseated by Korean food, and obsesses over the horrors of squat toilets. A Korean character incorrectly describes Hangul, Korean writing, as a syllabary rather than an alphabet. In the end, the plot is a variation on the classic "White Savior" story (think Dances with Wolves). It's deeply unfortunate that a novel set in Korea with many characters of color is primarily about its white protagonist's journey of self-discovery. Skip this embarrassing example of clueless cultural appropriation.”
How About A Few More Examples?
In SLJ Sujei Lugo says: “The Spanish words are presented in bold and italics, and the sentence construction follows an unnatural form of code-switching that doesn't speak to the authenticity of bilingual and Spanish-speaking readers.”
Kirkus says: “most of (the rhymes) bog down in gratingly awkward phrasing resulting from the substitution of two-syllable Spanish words for one-syllable English words—without accommodating meter.”
PW describes a character as: “friendless Farshad, deemed “Terror Boy” by a racist joke he can’t shake.” - with no other context or discussion of this or how the text handles it.
In SLJ Sarah Wethern says: “some of the language is troublesome. Cookie is referred to as a "beautiful black pearl" and a "dearest chocolate-skinned empress" by Nick's best friend, Jay. Farshad is nicknamed "Terror Boy" throughout most of the story. Though Ignatow works to unpack the language, and Farshad's nickname in particular, the descriptions of Cookie remain problematic. VERDICT This offering has plenty of reader appeal, with an ending designed to hook kids into the next installment. However, the microaggressions will be an issue for any librarian.”
In SLJ Amy Koester writes: “Harrington's characters are strong and real with one disappointing exception: Rama's mother, identified solely by her extreme fear that Western culture will compromise her daughter's Islamic faith, is a one-dimensional stereotype amid a cast of tenderly nuanced characters.”
What NOT To Do
In VOYA Rachel Axelrod wrote: “The story contains many references to Bo being bisexual and an abundance of bad language, so it is recommended for mature junior and senior high readers.”
In Response …
What Steps Are Being Taken?
At the end of 2015, Kirkus Reviews officially started identifying characters in children’s and teen books by identity and/or race - every time. This was a deliberate attempt to “unmake the White default.”
In summer 2016, School Library Journal created a Diversity and Cultural Literacy course for reviewers with topics including appropriation, unconscious bias, White privilege, and intersectionality.
We must hold EACH OTHER accountable. We must ask for more and better coverage and reviews.
This Will Be A Bumpy Road
Kirkus says: “Stu and Ruby are a lively duo, but despite her multicultural surname (Asante-Blake) and hair, Kaz is culturally monochrome.”
Kirkus says: “Race and culture are implied in naming convention and speech patterns, with characters defaulting to white.”
What Can I Do?
Change Your Library’s Collection
Does Your Library …
Advocate For Change WHERE YOU ARE
Host Events/Programs
Be Deliberate & Specific In Displays
Start Here
We can help change the face of librarianship. We must.
Support ALA’s Spectrum Scholars.
Support the work of groups like REFORMA, Black Caucus, GLBTRT, Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, American Indian Library Association, and Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table.
Look at the work being done by ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services: Intersections
Closing Thoughts