Racial prejudice toward Asian Americans in U.S. children's literature.

This study examined racial prejudice in American children's books toward Asian Americans. The sample consisted of contemporary and historical fiction books for children in two age groups: preschool through grade three and grades four through six, which are listed under Asian American fiction category in three multicultural bibliographies. The findings confirmed that U.S. children's books contain racial stereotypes about Asian Americans and portray them as encountering racial prejudice, but overcoming it. However, the study did not show a significant relationship between the need of Asian Americans to be a "model minority" in order to overcome racial prejudice. Verbal expression was found to be more frequently represented as an expression of prejudice that other forms of expression, and nationality was found to be more frequently represented as a subject of prejudice than other subjects. The American characters who exhibited racial prejudice were also portrayed as overcoming it. Historical fiction books were found to contain more racial prejudice incidents than contemporary fiction books. Books for older children also were found to contain more racial prejudice incidents than books for younger children.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Jongsuwanwattana, Pattama.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Fridriksson, Lianne.

• Asian Americans in literature.
• Children's literature, American -- History and criticism.
• Racism in literature.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14171

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14171