Alternate Value Stances

Sometimes with multicultural literature, as the article points out, it is difficult for students to understand actions and viewpoints of the main characters due to differences in culture, race, gender, economic, or social factors. While this can present a challenge, I do not think that it is cause for too much concern when considering the students ability to understand themes in multicultural books. Things such as character development, plot, literary techniques, symbolism, and other underlying messages are still able to be detected.
This problem with understanding of different cultures can be seen from a few of the books we have read in class already. In Copper Sun students may have trouble understanding why Amari and her tribe do some of the things that they do. For example, students may nit understand the custom of welcoming any and all visitors with a great feast and celebration. In Esperanza Rising the theme of family is clearly evident. Students may find it strange that the grandmother lives with the rest of the family, or that the two families live together once they move to America. These two examples are situations that, because of cultural and social differences, some students may find hard to understand in multicultural reading.
Students who have not been exposed to other cultures may need to have some background information presented to them before reading these type of books so that they are not hindered in understanding the context. Classroom and group discussion may also be a valuable tool to use so that students are able to learn from each other on these type of issues.