Introduction

The term multicultural literature is used to represent literature of many cultures, races, religions, genders, disabilities, sex preferences and so forth. It seems we can look around and find a good amount of multicultural literature, but are these texts GOOD representations of that culture? We need to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of this text? Is it sending a positive or negative message about the group it is representing? The representation of Asian Americans in literature, or literature written by Asian Americans, is vastly underrepresented in the multicultural literature that is being published. This means that the voice of a group that for so long has been struggling to be heard, is still going unheard, or all to often, is being misrepresented in other texts. We need to hear the stories and knowledge only an insider can provide us with. The three books I chose for my project provide that insider's look into a culture so many know very little about. "A Step from Heaven" by An Na, "Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata", and "Hiroshima Dreams" by Kelly Easton are all extremely touching, and eye opening books about Asians and/or Asian Americans struggling to find their place in the American culture. By reading these books, one has the opportunity to feel what it is like to be an outsider, to go unheard, and to go unwanted, in a land that has been known as the land of opportunity. These books all give readers the amazing opportunity to experience the pain, the suffering, and hopefully, the triumph of being Asian or Asian American- an experience many readers have failed to be exposed to due to the lack of good Asian American literature being published. The article, "Editors’ Introduction: Critical Perspectives on Asian American Children’s Literature" by de Manuel and Rocio G. Davis further pushes the need for more Asian American literature in our society. This need, these books, will finally let us hear the voice of Asian Americans, and the amazing insights their stories can provide us with.