Lessons in Literature: Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors

Positioning certain texts as worthy of study gives these works—traditionally the Western canon—intellectual and social value. The identities and narratives described by the books traditionally included within the Western canon, validate a limited collective understanding of the world we share, despite the world being far more diverse than that implied by that commonly portrayed experience. Recognizing both this diversity and the heterogenous status-quo of classrooms, my project calls for more accurate representations of race, identity, and the experiences and interactions it informs. Reshaping a collective understanding of our shared world requires an expansion of what narratives are valued and studied.
Working from a supplemental approach to curricular expansion, my project reframes YA (Young Adult) novels as literary texts to be studied alongside “the classics” traditionally included in English curricula. My project demonstrates how multicultural young adult novels can develop racial literacy in students from all backgrounds. This project will reposition three multicultural YA novels with diverse approaches to representing Latinxs, a population typically excluded from mainstream academic literature. The science-fiction Ambassador duology by William Alexander, along with the realist novel I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez, and the adaptation Pride by Ibi Zoboi will represent some of the genres within YA with multicultural relevance and academic potential. Modeling academic analysis of these works, this project aims to offer examples of how curricular expansion and innovative interpretive approaches can assist in developing racial literacy in high school students.