Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in Young Children

By Fawzia Reza


Children’s literature has great potential for shaping the minds of new generations. Societies where people from diverse cultures interact on a daily basis face the challenges of discrimination and prejudice. When there is a pronounced bias in favor of the dominant majority, minorities may feel marginalized. As citizens of a global society, we must become cognizant of our biases and be more inclusive in our practices. One way to do so is by highlighting diversity in a positive manner using young children’s literature to help young readers develop an appreciation of everyone around them, regardless of their religious or cultural background or the color of their skin.

When I was a young girl growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, I often read books by a British author, Enid Blyton. The main characters were all white and I began to associate white people with the English language. For a long time, I thought that if any book was in English, the characters would be white. During my studies to become an educator, I read about the “doll test” conducted by Clark and Clark.1 In the study, Black children were shown two dolls that were identical, except one doll was black and the other was white. The children were asked questions about what they saw. Most study subjects attributed only positive qualities to the white dolls and only negative qualities to the black doll. I asked myself why the children had such reactions. What made them feel that way? I believe their responses were the result of being marginalized and underrepresented.

Mahzarin Banaji, the co-author of Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People, describes how we unconsciously associate people with certain characteristics.2 These implicit associations can cause us to behave in a biased manner. To combat this tendency, Banaji has set a computer screensaver that cycles through images of diverse individuals to accustom her mind to diversity. Similarly, exposing children to diverse toys and literature that features diverse characters can help them learn to accept and appreciate others who are different from them.

While there has been some progress in representing diverse ethnicities in popular toys, these products are often unavailable in many stores, perhaps because they are not in demand. For example, even though the Barbie doll is available in South Asian or Japanese versions, they are very difficult to find in stores like Target or Walmart. This reinforces perceptions regarding popularity in young children, which then shapes their opinions about who is important and who is not significant. We must continue to advocate for more inclusive practices, so that everyone within our young population feels represented and valued.

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Adults should take proactive steps to teach young children about diversity. If we do not instill an appreciation of diversity and a desire for inclusion, our young children will have a more difficult time accepting others when they meet them in school and later in life. Facilitating inclusion in a thoughtful and sympathetic manner during preschool and actively building acceptance and understanding of the various cultures, religions, and races can create a strong foundation for greater inclusion for all minorities. Diverse literature and innovative props can help children learn concepts regarding inclusive practices.

Even toddlers who cannot sit still for a long period can be introduced to diverse cultures. To provide a tool for doing so, I have written a book, Mary and Her New Friends,3 that introduces South Asian culture through henna art. During a book reading at a local library, many of the youngest members of the audience did not have the focus to sit while I read. Since I had applied henna on my hands, I used it as a prop to capture their attention. The young children were interested in the story and fascinated by the intricate henna pattern on my hands. I also had a few laminated henna patterns with me. One of the patterns included hearts. We started counting them in different languages. One parent could count in Spanish, another in Italian, and so on. Reading this one book provided a unique opportunity to expose young learners to a different cultural tradition while also learning new words in different languages.

As adults, we are in a unique position to introduce our young children to diverse cultures so that when they grow up, they will have learned to appreciate everyone. With care, all students, regardless of their faith, culture, or background, can feel equally valued and represented.

About the Author: Fawzia Reza is an early childhood educator and a diversity and inclusion coordinator at the American College of Education

Notes:
1 Clark, K. B., & Clark, M. P. (1947). Racial identification and preference in Negro children. In T. M. Newcomb & E. L. Hartley (Eds.), Readings in social psychology. Holt.
2 Banaji, M. R., & Greenwald, A. G. (2013). Blind spot: Hidden biases of good people. Random House Digital.
3 Reza, F. (2019). Mary and her new friends. Austin Macauley.