Mirrors & Windows: Why Diversity Must Be Better Represented in Children’s Fiction

Abstract

Children’s literature and film has been unbalanced in terms of its representation of diverse cultures. Fiction geared towards children in the United States should include more protagonists from minority culture backgrounds in order for children to grow into adults who value their own culture as well as the cultures of others. This essay explores how children’s fiction can help combat cultural and racial prejudice in American adults by shaping their worldview as children.