Racism in Literature
I like to read. No, I love to read. And so far, my daughter also loves her books. But I've developed heightened sensitivities to race and comments about race in books. Comments like Chink and Gook written by writers long ago and today. Comments that further stereotypes of certain cultures: like the Chinese don't value human life and just go around killing babies - wholly inaccurate by the way. Even before we became a transracial family, these things would make me squirm when I read them, and I was vocal defender of others when it occurred within earshot.
My bookshelves are overburdened with my collection. But now I wonder what to keep. Do I keep Pat Conroy even though his characters often refer to Asians as "little yellow people"? Do I keep Tom Clancy who perpetuates the stereotype above in one of his novels? There are others, and many of them literary greats. These books have things in them that will cause my children pain.
I cannot shield them from that pain their entire lives or even most of their lives. Likely they will study such writers in high school and college. But what do I do? Tom Clancy is easy to give away - I enjoy his books but they aren't that great. Pat Conroy is the stuff of literature. His father character in The Great Santini is wholly and completely offensive and he meant for him to be. He does not want the reader to like him. Okay, but his references to "nigger" and "chink" are insulting to every thinking person who picks up the book, and they will cause my children pain. The time period the books are written in makes the references accurate, but so hurtful.
I guess I just struggle, and always have, with the idea that it is, or ever was, acceptable to treat other people like they are less than human because of their skin color, the shape of their eyes, their religion, where they were raised, who they love, or a special need they may have. All peoples have compassion, all peoples have wisdom, all peoples have the aptitude for great things. The Chinese invented paper and porcelain, the Muslims invented math, Egyptians figured out how to harness the Nile for agriculture in the desert, and so on. These are facts not stereotypes.
My daughters will feel palpable pain every time they hear remarks like "yellow," "chink," "your mom just threw you away because you're a girl," from a stranger, friends, family, the movies, tv, or read them in books. Why are we so ignorant of the pain we cause others when we make statements that someone is lesser because of their skin color, or where they were raised, or what God they worship, who they choose to love, or what special need they have?
I want to raise compassionate daughters who will transcend race, and I'm certain they will. But it will be a painful climb for them. Is it easier if I scrub the house of all things that contain racism, or if I allow those books to sit on shelves waiting for their innocent eyes to consume them and hope they ask questions. Do I head them off and tell them that the content may be difficult and encourage them to talk with me or someone they trust about it when they encounter said difficult content?
I probably won't scrub the house of books, but I definitely need to put together a plan in my head of how to contend with the ugly when they decide to pick it up and read it. The ugly can often turn beautiful through the right pair of eyes. Maybe my girls will see it too.
This leads me to think about what to do when they encounter racism at school, or out and about. So far, we have not encountered any, but I know that won't last. I've been thinking about since we started the adoption process on November 12, 2005 and still don't have a good answer. I want to respond to it in a way that does not diminish my children, but that puts the commenter in their place. I want to respond with something thoughtful and educational and not rash or out of anger. When the time comes, I will probably blog about it, so stay tuned.
My bookshelves are overburdened with my collection. But now I wonder what to keep. Do I keep Pat Conroy even though his characters often refer to Asians as "little yellow people"? Do I keep Tom Clancy who perpetuates the stereotype above in one of his novels? There are others, and many of them literary greats. These books have things in them that will cause my children pain.
I cannot shield them from that pain their entire lives or even most of their lives. Likely they will study such writers in high school and college. But what do I do? Tom Clancy is easy to give away - I enjoy his books but they aren't that great. Pat Conroy is the stuff of literature. His father character in The Great Santini is wholly and completely offensive and he meant for him to be. He does not want the reader to like him. Okay, but his references to "nigger" and "chink" are insulting to every thinking person who picks up the book, and they will cause my children pain. The time period the books are written in makes the references accurate, but so hurtful.
I guess I just struggle, and always have, with the idea that it is, or ever was, acceptable to treat other people like they are less than human because of their skin color, the shape of their eyes, their religion, where they were raised, who they love, or a special need they may have. All peoples have compassion, all peoples have wisdom, all peoples have the aptitude for great things. The Chinese invented paper and porcelain, the Muslims invented math, Egyptians figured out how to harness the Nile for agriculture in the desert, and so on. These are facts not stereotypes.
My daughters will feel palpable pain every time they hear remarks like "yellow," "chink," "your mom just threw you away because you're a girl," from a stranger, friends, family, the movies, tv, or read them in books. Why are we so ignorant of the pain we cause others when we make statements that someone is lesser because of their skin color, or where they were raised, or what God they worship, who they choose to love, or what special need they have?
I want to raise compassionate daughters who will transcend race, and I'm certain they will. But it will be a painful climb for them. Is it easier if I scrub the house of all things that contain racism, or if I allow those books to sit on shelves waiting for their innocent eyes to consume them and hope they ask questions. Do I head them off and tell them that the content may be difficult and encourage them to talk with me or someone they trust about it when they encounter said difficult content?
I probably won't scrub the house of books, but I definitely need to put together a plan in my head of how to contend with the ugly when they decide to pick it up and read it. The ugly can often turn beautiful through the right pair of eyes. Maybe my girls will see it too.
This leads me to think about what to do when they encounter racism at school, or out and about. So far, we have not encountered any, but I know that won't last. I've been thinking about since we started the adoption process on November 12, 2005 and still don't have a good answer. I want to respond to it in a way that does not diminish my children, but that puts the commenter in their place. I want to respond with something thoughtful and educational and not rash or out of anger. When the time comes, I will probably blog about it, so stay tuned.
Comments
Post a Comment