Multicultural literature presents a great opportunity for children. Literature in general is a bridge for students to learn and to be enlightened on new experiences. Multicultural literature gives students the chance to explore cultures, and all that they encompass, different from their own. Culture represents, race, gender, language, abilities, religion, food, clothing, education, etc. The best way to eliminate prejudice and misunderstandings is through education. Literature of a multicultural base can be a great tool in helping students gain an understanding and respect for something that is different from what they know. As a teacher I hope to establish a strong community in my classroom where the students respect each other for their differences and similarities, and through this have the students realize that they can learn many things from their classmates.
The United States is so diverse in itself that it would be detrimental to the students' future for them not to learn about all the differences and cultures within their town, state, country and around the world. Each student that comes into the classroom is unique and I hope that I will be able to have a quality piece of literature in my classroom that they can relate to in some way. Creating a quality library of multicultural literature will be a task that will take time and lots of thought, but it is something that I know I will be continually working on and building for my classroom.
