Document Type
Poster Session
Department
Geography-Anthropology
Keywords
Social Justice, Children's Literature
Abstract
An increase in refugee children arriving in the United States is driving innovation in elementary education strategies that focus on the role of children’s attitudes and behaviors concerning inclusivity to cultivate warm regard for refugees and immigrants. In 2017, anti-immigrant sentiments rose sharply alongside waves of nationalism reinforcing ethnic divisions across America, negatively impacting children of color who were frequently told, "go back to where you came from," even if they were born in the United States. Multicultural children's literature, in which commonalities between diverse characters are emphasized, is considered an effective way to expose children to other cultures, thereby building acceptance and creating safe spaces where all people belong. My research identifies I'm Your Neighbor Books as a social justice organization that helps locals gain cultural competency about newcomers while also increasing feelings of belonging on the part of newcomers all by reading children's books from cross-cultural perspectives. The research methods used were the following: participant observation in community events based on multicultural immigrant children’s literature, interviews with gatekeepers at I’m Your Neighbor Books, as well as an elementary school librarian who maintains a Welcoming Library collection, and an art educator involved in projects related to the book collection. The United States is often perceived as a nation of immigrants, but the story of Ellis Island and assimilation is limited and dated. We must explicitly teach children contemporary immigration stories and improve cross-cultural understandings so that all children are welcomed and valued. Further work is needed to ensure that multicultural stories reach publication so that children’s literature reflects the diverse makeup of our communities.
Social Justice with Children's Literature
An increase in refugee children arriving in the United States is driving innovation in elementary education strategies that focus on the role of children’s attitudes and behaviors concerning inclusivity to cultivate warm regard for refugees and immigrants. In 2017, anti-immigrant sentiments rose sharply alongside waves of nationalism reinforcing ethnic divisions across America, negatively impacting children of color who were frequently told, "go back to where you came from," even if they were born in the United States. Multicultural children's literature, in which commonalities between diverse characters are emphasized, is considered an effective way to expose children to other cultures, thereby building acceptance and creating safe spaces where all people belong. My research identifies I'm Your Neighbor Books as a social justice organization that helps locals gain cultural competency about newcomers while also increasing feelings of belonging on the part of newcomers all by reading children's books from cross-cultural perspectives. The research methods used were the following: participant observation in community events based on multicultural immigrant children’s literature, interviews with gatekeepers at I’m Your Neighbor Books, as well as an elementary school librarian who maintains a Welcoming Library collection, and an art educator involved in projects related to the book collection. The United States is often perceived as a nation of immigrants, but the story of Ellis Island and assimilation is limited and dated. We must explicitly teach children contemporary immigration stories and improve cross-cultural understandings so that all children are welcomed and valued. Further work is needed to ensure that multicultural stories reach publication so that children’s literature reflects the diverse makeup of our communities.
