Diversity in Literature (Part 2)

Welcome back to the second part of my diversity in literature post! I hope you guys have had a good week so far and are keeping safe. I'm finding that I can not wait to get back to my final year of college whatever that will look like.

So here we go continuing with diversity and last week we mentioned the 'single story' and how important it is to see yourself in something that you enjoy. Today I want to talk about the good kind of representation and that doesn't mean in a flattering light but rather positioning human characters in a human light. This might be related to creating three-dimensional characters, and then giving them life but it really is an important aspect especially when you're representing minorities, to do your research and not be susceptible to stereotypes. Another thing to be aware of is the different kinds of representation for different groups. Different groups may face discrimination but it's not all in the same way, whether it's in regards to head coverings, gender, background, or anything else. For example, the way women are portrayed in entertainment. I'm enjoying seeing this explosion of capable, strong women in books and screens the what people would call in the "independent women who don't need no man" because there are women like that in real life. However, this kind of representation of women has been the norm for women of color. We've all seen the firey Latinas, the dragon ladies, and the sassy black women over and over again. So what's wrong with this exactly? Well, women of color are shown to be strong and perseverant, but sometimes that's all their shown to be. They are not machines and should be able to be at the same time portrayed as strong and vulnerable. You can be tough and still love flowers whatever your color. I read a post on Instagram by @writinghaven that said that a black girl being comforted, protected, and considered pretty is more empowering and breaks more stereotypes than being strong all the time or considered unattractive. So research is a big must and keep on telling your stories. Here are some diverse books that I've read and would recommend.

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1. A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahera Mafi

2. Frankly in Love by David Yoon

3. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

4. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

5. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

That's it for today, what books (fiction or non-fiction) would you recommend? I hope you enjoy the rest week and I'll write soon.