Negotiating Cultural Authenticity in Diasporic Children’s Literature: A Multicultural Analysis of Crouching Tiger and Auntie Yang’s Great Soybean Picnic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32493/efn.v9i2.58128Keywords:
Picture Books, Multicultural Literature, Diaspora, Cultural AuthenticityAbstract
This study aims to examine how the protagonists experience and respond to cultural authenticity in two children’s books, Crouching Tiger by Ying Chang Compestine (2011) and Auntie Yang’s Great Soybean Picnic by Ginnie Lo (2012), from the perspective of multicultural literature. A qualitative approach employing textual and visual analysis is used as the primary method. The analysis focuses on both narrative elements and illustrations to explore how Chinese culture is preserved and adapted within diasporic contexts, drawing on Mingshui Cai’s (2002) theory of multicultural literature. The findings indicate that cultural authenticity is dynamically represented through the protagonists’ encounters with cultural boundaries and the negotiation of ethnic perspectives. Moreover, the protagonists respond to issues of cultural authenticity through cultural immersion and fidelity to cultural realities. The study concludes that cultural authenticity functions as a crucial element in fostering a sense of belonging and enhancing intercultural understanding within children’s literature.
References
Abrams, M. H. (1999). A glossary of literary terms (7th ed.). Heinle & Heinle.
Acevedo, N., & Solórzano, D. (2021). An overview of community cultural wealth: Toward a protective factor against racism. Urban Education, 58(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859211016531
Anggraini, I. D. (2021). Twisted fairy tale: Promoting multiculturalism in young adult postmodern picture book. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Language, Literature, and Culture (Icoflex 2019) (Vol. 512, pp. 167–171). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.201230.032
Bader, B. (1976). American picture books: From Noah’s ark to the beast within. Macmillan.
Banks, J. A. (2008). An introduction to multicultural education (5th ed.). Pearson Education.
Banks, J. A. (2014). Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age. The Journal of Education, 194(3), 1–12. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43823659
Berry, J. W. (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(6), 697–712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2005.07.013
Bishop, R. S. (1997). Selecting literature for a multicultural curriculum. In V. Harris (Ed.), Teaching multicultural literature in grades K–8. Christopher-Gordon.
Cai, M. (2002). Multicultural literature for children and young adults: Reflections on critical issues. Greenwood Press.
Chang, I. (2011). The Chinese in America: A narrative history. Penguin Books.
Chrisdiana, Y. (2018). Conflict and cultural differences in multicultural society in Fira Basuki’s novel Rojak. Proceedings of Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, 1(1).
Counihan, C., & Van Esterik, P. (2013). Food and culture (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE.
Cuddon, J. A. (2013). A dictionary of literary terms and literary theory (5th ed., M. A. R. Habib, Ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Dartey-Baah, K. (2013). The cultural approach to the management of international human resources: An analysis of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. International Journal of Business Administration, 4(1), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijba.v4n2p39
Fitria, S. (2016). Cultural authenticity in Christine Piper’s After Darkness: A perspective of multicultural literature by Mingshui Cai. Proceedings IICLLTLC-2, 227–234.
Gillespie, C. (Director). (2021). Cruella [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Goyal, T. (2022). Review of Clifford Geertz (1973), The interpretation of cultures: Selected essays. Basic Books. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30998.56646
Hall, S. (1990). Cultural identity and diaspora. In J. Rutherford (Ed.), Identity: Community, culture, difference. Lawrence & Wishart.
Kümmerling-Meibauer, B., & Meibauer, J. (2013). Towards a cognitive theory of the picturebook. International Research in Children’s Literature, 6(2), 143–160.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465–491.
Lee, E. (2003). At America’s gates: Chinese immigration during the exclusion era, 1882–1943. University of North Carolina Press.
Liu, K. (1997). Soybeans: Chemistry, technology, and utilization. Springer.
Lu, S., & Fine, G. A. (1995). The presentation of ethnic authenticity. The Sociological Quarterly, 36(3), 535–553. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.1995.tb00452.x
Lukens, R. J. (1999). A critical handbook of children’s literature (6th ed.). Longman.
Lynch-Brown, C. G., Tomlinson, C. M., & Short, K. G. (2014). Essentials of children’s literature (8th ed.). Pearson.
Ma, G. (2015). Food, eating behavior, and culture in Chinese society. Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jef.2015.11.004
Miska, C., Szőcs, I., & Schiffinger, M. (2018). Culture’s effects on corporate sustainability practices: A multi-domain and multi-level view. Journal of World Business, 53(2), 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2017.12.001
Onaiwu, O. F. (2022). Types, characteristics, and importance of illustration. Awka Journal of Fine and Applied Art, 8, 1–11.
Parekh, B. (2008). Rethinking multiculturalism: Cultural diversity and political theory. Palgrave Macmillan.
Priliyanti, S., Taujiri, M. Y., Ihsan, N. N., & Khairunnisa, P. (2024). Interethnic marriage and identity confusion: A phenomenological study. Journal UIN SGD, 7(1), 69–78.
Rogoff, B. (2023). Mutually constituting, fractal: Individual and cultural aspects of holistic process. Review of Research in Education, 47(1), 60–83. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X231224666
Setiawan, K., & Suparman, M. Y. (2020). The Chinese ethnic culture orientation and discrimination experience. Atlantis Press Proceedings, 478, 522–532.
Shih, Y.-H. (2024). Children’s literature: A review. International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science, 7(11), 42–46.
Tam, K.-P. (2015). Understanding intergenerational cultural transmission through the role of perceived norms. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 46(5). https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022115600074
Timotheou, S., Miliou, O., Dimitriadis, Y., Villagrá Sobrino, S., Giannoutsou, N., Cachia, R., Martínez Monés, A., & Ioannou, A. (2023). Impacts of digital technologies on education and factors influencing schools’ digital capacity and transformation: A literature review (Vol. 28). Springer.
Ying, Y. C. C. (2011). Crouching tiger. Candlewick Press.
Yuniarti, E., Natsir, M., & Setyowati, R. (2020). Positive politeness strategies in Catwoman movie. Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni dan Budaya, 4(2), 264–276.
