ERIC ED371401: Crossing the Mainstream: Multicultural Perspectives in Teaching Literature.

241 Pages·1994·4.3 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 214 412
ED 371 401
Oliver, Eileen Iscoff
AUTHOR
TITLE
Crossing the Mainstream: Multicultural Perspectives
in Teaching Literature.
National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana,
INSTITUTION
Ill.
REPORT NO
ISBN-0-8141-0972-1
PUB DATE
94
NOTE
241p.
National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 West
AVAILABLE FROM
Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 (Stock No.
09721-3050: $14.95 members, $19.95 nonmembers).
PUB TYPE Non-Classroom Use (055)
Guides
Books (010)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC10 Plus Postage.
Annotated Bibliographies; Censorship; Cultural
DESCRIPTORS
Differences; *Cultural Enrichment; Higher Education;
High Schools; Interdisciplinary Approach;
*Multicultural Education; *North American Literature;
Student Needs; Writing Instruction
Literary Canon; *Multiethnic Literature
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
Intended to help literature teachers examine ways in
which the traditional canon can be expanded to include diversity in
curricular choices, this book invites readers to work together to
find new and better ways to introduce an ever-changing student body
to what has heretofore been either unacknowledged or undervalued. The
book is divided into three sections. Part 1, "Multicultural
Literature for Whom?" develops a rationale for expanding the canon to
include multicultural literature in every student's .experience and
also confronts the issue of censorship. Part 2, "Curricular
Challenges: Beyond Eurocentric Values," begins the task of cataloging
the multitude of literary works that might be included in the new
repertoire and also explores the process of learning a different kind
of critical analysis. This section of the book also provides
',omprehensive bibliographies of African American, Asian American,
Jewish, Latino, Native American, and cross-cultural literatures, as
well as bibliographies of literature addressing emotional/mental and
physical disabilities, homelessness, homosexuality, older adults,
teenage suicide, and Vietnam veterans. Finally, Part 3, "Teaching
Strategies for Multicultural Literature," gives examples of how
multicultural works can be incorporated into literature courses. Also
included are discussions of incorporating multicultural perspectives
within composition classes, assessing student writing, and making
interdisciplinary connections in teaching multicultural literature.
(NKA)
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BEST COPY AVAILABLE
NCTE Editorial Board: Hazel Davis, Keith Gilyard, Ronald Jobe, Joyce Kinkead,
Louise W. Phelps, Charles Suhor, Chair, ex officio, Michael Spooner, ex officio
3
Crossing the Mainstream
Multicultural Perspectives in Teaching
Literature
Eileen Iscoff Oliver
Washington State University
National Council of Teachers of English
1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801-1096
eit
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Arizona English Bulletin for permis-
sion to reprint portions of Eileen Iscoff Oliver's essay "Successful Writing Pro-
grams and Methods of Assessment for Non-mainstream Students" (Spring
1992).
Grateful acknowledgment is also made to Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., for permission
to reprint "Harlem (Dream Deferred)" from The Panther and the Lash by Langston
Hughes. Copyright 1951 by Langston Hughes.
Manuscript Editor: Michael Himick
Staff Editors: Mario Welshons and Michelle Sanden Joh las
Cover Designer: Victoria Martin Pohlmann
Interior Book Designer: Doug Burnett
NCTE Stock Number 09721-3050
© 1994 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
It is the policy of NCTE in its journals and other publications to provide a fo-
rum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching
of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point of
view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of
Directors, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where
such endorsement is clearly specified.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Oliver, Eileen Iscoff.
Crossing the mainstream : multicultural perspectives in teaching
literature / Eileen Iscoff Oliver.
cm.
p.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8141-0972-1 : $19.95
1. American literatureMinority authorsStudy and teaching.
2. Pluralism (Social sciences) in literatureStudy and teaching.
3. Literature and societyUnited StatesStudy and teaching.
4. Ethnic groups in literatureStudy and teaching.
5. Minorities
in literatureStudy and teaching.
6. Culture in literatureStudy
and teaching.
I. Title.
PS153.M56045
1994
807' . 1'273dc20
94-14634
CIP
5
In memory of Ben,
who taught me to love the whole world and everybody in it,
especially the children.
For Reva,
whose gentle strength has guided me, Liane,
and the rest of her children for three generations;
and for Emma and Joe,
for whom all the children of the world are like flowers,
every one different, every one beautiful.
To Bernie,
whose flame blazes through the darkness
so that tomorrow's children will be able to see;
and to Kenny, H., Rachel, and Deborah,
who are constant reminders that learning about our children
is a never-ending labor of love.
6
vii
Contents
ix
Preface
I. Multicultural Literature for Whom?
Literature for Students of Color:
1.
On the Outside Looking In
3
2. The Culturally Deprived American Majority
12
Changing Demographics in America
22
3.
4. Expanding the Canon through Perceptions of
Diversity and the American Dream: An Experiment
31
Censorship in the Classroom: Fighting Back
39
5.
Multiethnic Literature for Mainstream Teachers:
6.
Another Experiment
53
Dealing with Ableism, Ageism, Sexism,
7.
and Homophobia: "Otherness"
63
II. Curricular Challenges: Beyond Eurocentric Values
Brainstorming a Canon
79
8.
Educating the Illiterate Intellectual
9. 121
10. The Right Rules for the Right Game:
Critical Analysis of Multiethnic Literature
134
11. What the Canon Did Not Teach Us about
Learning Styles
165
III. Teaching Strategies for Multicultural Literature
12. Approaches to Teaching Multicultural Literature
177
13. Composition Pedagogy in a Multicultural Setting
194
14. Interdisciplinary Connections in Teaching
Multicultural Literature
209
Thank You, Mrs. Coleman, Wherever You Are
219
7
Contents
221
235
ix
Preface
Unfortunately, some of us continue to teach the same canonical
works we have used for decades, missing out on all of the excel-
lent literature that has been, for one reason or another, excluded
from the traditional canon. In the meantime, our students find less and
less relevance in what they are reading, and those who are marginalized
by current curricula become even more alienated as they continue
through school. My purpose in writing Crossing the Mainstream is to bring
attention to these issues by examining ways in which we can expand
our canon to include diversity in our curricular choices.
This book is separated into three sections. Part I, "Multicultural
Literature for Whom?" attempts to develop a rationale for expanding
the canon to include multicultural literature in everyone's educational
experience. It also confronts the issue of censorship, which many of us
struggle with when introducing new literature into restricted curricula.
Part II, "Curricular Challenges: Beyond Eurocentric Values," begins the
task of cataloging the multitude of literary works that might be included
in the new repertoire. It also explores the complicated process of learn-
ing critical analyses quite e.ifferent from those most of us received in
our own educations. Finally, Part III, "Teaching Strategies for
Multicultural Literature," gives examples of how multicultural works
can be incorporated into literature courses.
Readers should be aware of some semantic problems as they ap-
proach this text. As various terms and phrases come in and out of fash-
ion, some labels enjoy long lives, while others quickly become obsolete.
Thus, although I use labels like mainstream and nonmainstream literature
and multicultural education, the politics of terminology renders these
terms precarious. An issue of propriety, one must be careful when using
references that may not be acceptable to all readers. Nonetheless, I fear
that no matter what terminology I use, someone will find it offensive.
Or perhaps my terms will be obsolete by the time the ink dries on the
page. Recognizing this semantic trap, I offer the following discussions
using what, at this time, seem to be acceptable terms based on my re-
search into the work of many educators and people of letters. Although
terms like mainstream and nonmainstream, multicultural, pluralistic, and
diverse seem appropriate to me today, my apologies to readers who find
them disagreeable now or in the future. I hope the tone of this book
presents my work as a beginning effort in what I expect to be a long,
long task in which many of us will be engaged.
9
Preface
x
And because I venture into areas where my expertise is limited, I
have called upon friends and colleagues to assist me. I would therefore
like to express my special appreciation to Shelli Fowler, Alex Kuo, Rory
Ong, Ricardo Sanchez, and Marian Sciachitano, who prevented me from
going too far astray. Their expertise was invaluable. Also, many thanks
to Jeanne Richeson, whose patience and efficiency facilitated my efforts.
I am certain that this book leaves out a lot. It is, however, only a
110
start. Perhaps it will help stimulate and support an ongoing dialogue
about multicultural literature. Perhaps it will generate ideas and pro-
vide motivation for change where there has been little. It will, I hope,
invite readers to work together to find new and better ways to intro-
duce an ever-changing student body to what has heretofore been either
unacknowledged or undervalued.
1 0