Teaching Multicultural Literature

In the article, "Bridging the Cultural Gap by Teaching Multicultural Literature", by Yu Ren Dong, Dong discusses the importance of incorporating multicultural literature in the classroom. She makes references to students who have commented on how reading multicultural literature appeals to their emotions more so than any other type of literature such as Shakespeare, classic novels, best selling books, etc. I agree that multicultural literature should be incorporated into every classroom in some form or another, but multicultural literature does not appeal to everyone. That is why the teacher must make it a priority to familiarize themselves with the material and teach it in a way that appeals to the students and gets the point across. Specific groups of students gravitate towards multicultural literature more than others, that is why the teacher has to teach it in a way that appeals to everyone in one way or another so that everyone can relate to the story and draw their own insight from it. It is important that different cultures and ethnical backgrounds are presented to students from every type of ethnical and social background so that they are aware of different types of people and can grow based on the knowledge they gain. Students are constantly surrounded by issues of race and ethnical difference, so by incorporating multicultural literature into the classroom, the teacher is preparing the students to deal with everyday life and to be more tolerant and understanding of those around them regardless of their background or ethnicity. By reading multicultural literature in the classroom, students can analyze text and really take into account the different types of people that make up the area in which they live. Not all areas are the same, so by incorporating multicultural literature into classrooms students can learn about people that they may only have preconceived notions about and actually build and understanding for people who are different than them. I think teaching multicultural literature is a great idea but it has to be done effectively, otherwise it is a waste of time.