Multiculturalism in Children's Books

Is it true the children’s books published in America are heavy with Caucasian main characters and light on multiculturalism?  Do we have a vision problem in America?  Is it true that if you cannot see yourself in a main character that the book is not as interesting, and therefore not compelling ethnic groups to read more?

I have had quite a dialog with some of my friends about this.  Some think it isn’t a problem; that children will role-play with any main character, white or black, and that the multiculturalism craze is just a passing fad.  Others state that they don’t remember any children’s books they read growing up that related to them personally, or that encouraged them to read at all.  In the middle, some say that there were very few books that caught their interest, and those that did were about white main characters.  Although Superman was white, he was an alien from another planet, so does that count?

In the end the debate continues and I’m a little saddened when I hear that children can’t relate to characters they read about.  I love books.  I have been Anne of Green Gables sitting in the flowers and imagining I see fairies.  I have been Alice following a white rabbit down the hole with no idea how to get back up.  I have been sitting on a stool as the cat in the hat strolls up to my house and destroys everything before my mother gets home.  I have even been Jim Hawkins hiding in the apple barrel and overhearing Long John Silver orchestrate a mutiny on the way to Treasure Island (although I admit that didn’t seem strange to me then as it does seem now).

If a child cannot relate to the main or even secondary character and therefore doesn’t learn that books hold the key to life and adventure, then we have a whole group of people who are poorer because of it.  And by extension the whole world will be poorer because of it.  Can this be the reason the literacy rate is so low in this country?  It is certainly more difficult to encourage children to read if they really don’t see a character they can relate to at all. 

I wrote on this issue in length in the article titled, “Multiculturalismin Children’s Books in America.”  I would love your input and comments.  What do you think?  What is the answer?