Think back to the last four books you read. How many protagonists were non-white, non-straight, non-mainstream characters? If you are like me, the answer probably is close to zero. Sure some books have an African American best friend and that is great, believe me. But, the sad reality is most published books from the big 5 houses are written by white people for white people. And that isn't right.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love white people. I'm a white person (though my strongest heritage is Middle Eastern). However, there is something so limiting about exclusively reading books about people who look like me. I want to explore new cultures and see new places; it's part of why I read. I do seek out diversity in books and feel like a more well-rounded person because of it. However, I read mostly Young Adult books. And the sad fact of the matter is most, if not all of the heroines and heroes I have read lately in Young Adult are white. They are straight. They are as main stream as apple pie. And that has to change.
This month authors are banding together to ask for more diversity in books. Today I join the movement wholeheartedly. If you want to join with me, please check out We Need Diverse Books to learn about their campaign. The campaign goes like this: May 1: Tweet about it, May 2: Chat about it, May 3: Buy books. And tweet using the hash tag #WeNeedDiverseBooks. Stars like Veronica Roth and Marie Lu are already on board and more are jumping on everyday. Come along to support diverse books.
(On a side note, my book, Eyes Ever to the Sky, has a Bolivian American main character. You can find out more here.)
Now, don't get me wrong. I love white people. I'm a white person (though my strongest heritage is Middle Eastern). However, there is something so limiting about exclusively reading books about people who look like me. I want to explore new cultures and see new places; it's part of why I read. I do seek out diversity in books and feel like a more well-rounded person because of it. However, I read mostly Young Adult books. And the sad fact of the matter is most, if not all of the heroines and heroes I have read lately in Young Adult are white. They are straight. They are as main stream as apple pie. And that has to change.
This month authors are banding together to ask for more diversity in books. Today I join the movement wholeheartedly. If you want to join with me, please check out We Need Diverse Books to learn about their campaign. The campaign goes like this: May 1: Tweet about it, May 2: Chat about it, May 3: Buy books. And tweet using the hash tag #WeNeedDiverseBooks. Stars like Veronica Roth and Marie Lu are already on board and more are jumping on everyday. Come along to support diverse books.
(On a side note, my book, Eyes Ever to the Sky, has a Bolivian American main character. You can find out more here.)
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