I am writing in reference to Anna Githens’ letter of February 16. I am a parent of a student at Westfield High School as well as of a 2009 graduate, and I support the inclusion of Sherman Alexie’s 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian' in the ninth-grade curriculum.
The book’s awards include the National Book Award for the most distinguished work of the year for young people, a New York Times Notable Book, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. The author has had an illustrious career writing fiction and poetry for adults as well.
I have been an editor of books for children and teenagers for many years, and I have spent my career evaluating the literary merits of books and manuscripts. When I read 'The Absolutely True Diary,' I found it to be an exciting and groundbreaking work. It is unusual to find an authentic contemporary story about Native Americans, and a book like this was sorely needed. Everyone in my industry, including librarians, reviewers, and educators, welcomed this unique and powerful book.
'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian' is based upon Mr. Alexie’s own life. Born on the Spokane reservation, he attended an all-white high school off the reservation, like the main character. In writing this story, Mr. Alexie was not attempting to be vulgar or salacious; he was showing what life is like for an American Indian teenager who grows up on a reservation and attends an all-white high school. For that reason, the book explores racism, stereotypes, and violence.
I have published several Native American writers, and one of the biggest issues they encounter when they speak to children and teens is that many young people think Native Americans exist only in the past and are people to be studied only in history class. 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian' is an antidote to that sort of ignorance. The ugliest thing in Sherman Alexie’s book—which I have read twice—is certainly not the few four-letter words or references to sexuality. It’s the poverty in which the main character lives and the racism and violence he faces. It is a grave mistake to take short passages out of context without considering the value of the whole.
As a parent, I understand first-hand how difficult it is to raise good human beings in a world that is often vulgar and negative. However, the answer is not to remove from the curriculum an award-winning, distinguished book that can help our young people to become more empathetic human beings. Students in Westfield live in a sheltered, highly homogeneous society.
Reading 'The Absolutely True Diary' broadens their horizons. That is what school is supposed to do for them. One of the values of studying English is to expose students to all of humanity, in its beauty and in its ugliness. Furthermore, the students reading the book are ninth graders—not little children. Let’s give them credit for being thinking young adults. And let’s give our English teachers credit for knowing how to teach this book.
I am a taxpayer, too, and I don’t want other parents dictating to the school board what my children or other people’s children can or cannot read. If a parent objects to his or her teenager reading this book, the parent should speak to the teacher and find a suitable replacement book. (Although I frankly don’t think there is a good equivalent, as the book is unique and groundbreaking.) Why should we shelter children from the portrayal of a world that is different from their own? Without understanding how others live, our young people cannot become productive citizens.
Respectfully yours,
Rosemary Workman
Tom Smith
7:54 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thank you for your letter, as it helps me understand the educational value of this book. I'm anxious to read it and discuss it with my kids.
aclarke3
8:43 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
"Everyone in my industry, including librarians, reviewers, and educators, welcomed this unique and powerful book..... he attended an all-white high school off the reservation, ...he was showing what life is like for an American Indian teenager who...attends an all-white high school...the book explores racism, stereotypes, and violence.I don’t want other parents dictating to the school board what my children or other people’s children can or cannot read...."
As a parent and taxpayer, I don't want people in your industry telling me what my children should be reading. I am tired of our students being taught that white people are violent, racists and bigots.
Jeff B
10:03 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Many years ago I went to Ellis Island and saw a very interesting exhibit. It was a map of this country showing it totally occupied, before the white man came, by a large number of Native American tribes totaling about 2 million people - something I never learned in school. I wonder what happened to their country at the hands of the peace-loving white people.
Alex Jeffery
9:49 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Though I can see your logic, if you actually believe that that is what students are being taught in schools, you are sadly mistaken. The vast majority of racism that occurred during the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim-Crow Era, was white generated, yes. But, should we not explore racism because it would make whites look like bigots? I certainly hope that that's not what our society has come to. "Truth will out," and, to be truthful, whites were, and still are the perpetrators of the vast majority of racism in the United States, and we do need to learn about it.
Pocahontas
12:35 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
I love white people.
It is apparent that you have been successfully brainwashed. This is exactly the point of this ordeal, you have been told and are telling lies. How exactly have "whites" (a racist comment) been the perpetrators of racism in the U.S.? I'd like to hear the nonsense you are being taught.
Why do you want to perpetuate racism? Racism will cease to exist when we no longer talk about race. We have to stop seeing color with our eyes in order to evoke change in our heart. Speaking and writing about race and pointing out skin color keeps racism alive and thriving. When you don’t feed it, it dies.
Alex Jeffery
4:05 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Hi, and I'm glad that you felt strongly enough to comment on my post, the rudeness in the comment aside.
There are, in fact, countless examples, historically, of whites being the perpetrators of racism. Jim Crow Laws were generated by whites, and if you don't believe those to be racist, than your definition would be appreciated.
Furthermore, that was not the point of my above comment. The point of my comment was to say that we in the school are not being taught that all whites are racists and bigots. As a current student, that has never been the impression that I got.
We cannot just ignore race. Unfortunately, race is, and always will be an issue, because of statements like "I love white people," and other stereotypical comments. Furthermore, racism is, in fact, deeply ingrained in the history of this country, as I'm sure you know. Ignoring an issue does not make it go away, and not talking about a sensitive issue does not educate people about the horrors of what occurred in our country; nor does it allow people to develop an opinion on an issue.
I appreciate your comment, although, in the future, the rudeness is unnecessary and detracts from your otherwise understandable argument. Thank you!
Rita Williams-Garcia
3:45 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
I urge parents to have faith in their adolescent children's abilities to both empathize with people outside of their immediate sphere and to also read critically and ask and answer some pretty tough questions. You would be proud of how well they see past character motives and choices. These astute readers come from all backgrounds and aren't afraid to argue with a book, character or author. If they are intellectually inquisitive and undaunted by expressing their thoughts about their reading without fear, why are you afraid?
Pocahontas
5:54 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
The "white" comment was a joke. Your entire comment was in negative racial tones re: whites. Every race has committed a "crime" against humanity at some point or another. It all depends on your perspective, you can focus on the negative effects an ethnicity or culture has had on society, or the positive effects. You can resent or forgive - it's up to you.
Alex, you need to learn to respect other's opinions and beliefs, and to respect your elders. Try to see into a person's heart instead of their skin color. You are too young to know everything in life, you have so much of life ahead of you. Try to enjoy it.
Alex Jeffery
9:07 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
I'm sorry, I just would like to clarify because I'm confused as to your point. You just said that we should be ignoring race, but now you're telling me to look at its positive affects. Which do you mean? You can't do both. I believe race and ethnicity do have positive effects, but there are also negative ones that should be discussed. Perhaps not focused on, but discussed at the very least. My comment was not anti-White. As a caucasian I like to think of myself as pro-White. Again, being anti or pro anything was not the point of my comment.
Again, I find it extremely strange that you're calling me a racist...that certainly was not the intention of my comment at all, nor do I believe that that was what was conveyed.
I enjoy my life very much, and I enjoy it more when we have open access to all types of information, which is the topic of discussion of this forum.
Furthermore, I am sorry if you feel that my rebutting your points isdisrespectful of your views. I thought healthy debate was the point of this forum, though if I was ever disrespectful, I do apologize.
Alex Jeffery
9:07 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Contd
As for "respecting my elders," I offer everyone here the same respect, regardless of age (I have no idea how old you are). Ido not believe that age should garner respect. I do believe, however, that the cogency of ones argument, and the respect that you display towards others (which, unfortunately, has been lacking in all three of your comments), should garner the respect that you seek.
Again, thank you for responding.
Ed Han
10:37 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
In regards to Pocahontas:
Hello, if I could have a bit of your time, it would be greatly appreciated. Let me first make it clear that in no ways am I trying to personally attack you, for I am speaking merely as a third-party viewer who felt the need to voice his thoughts and to clarify certain things.
In a previous post, you said, "Your entire comment was in negative racial tones re: whites." I would just like to point out that from a third perspective, I could not find evidence supporting the notion that Alex was using the term "white" as a method to offend the caucasian race. If the only problem you have is use of the word "white", let it be known that it is a common term used to represent caucasians, and it is not intended to have any racist connotation.
Secondly, you said, "Every race has committed a "crime" against humanity at some point or another. It all depends on your perspective, you can focus on the negative effects an ethnicity or culture has had on society, or the positive effects. You can resent or forgive." Although I agree with you in that racism occurs throughout the world, let it be known that in Alex's original post, he specifically spoke of "the vast majority of racism that occurred during the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim-Crow Era," thus speaking specifically about the racism in the U.S. (which is only fitting, since this is American literature). Would you not agree that racism, at least in the U.S., was committed by caucasians more than others?
Pocahontas
3:37 pm on Friday, February 24, 2012
No I do not agree that racism in the US was committed by caucasians more that others. (How exactly does one "commit racism" anyway? Do you mean commit racist type crimes?)
Please tell me how caucasians have, in this present day, been so racist? You keep going back to the Civil War and Jim Crow era. Those periods are over and done with. Why don't you read through this document of stats collected from the FBI and Bureau of Justice Statistics to find specific criminal data. And keep in mind, why are we focused on this? What are you trying to prove?
http://www.solargeneral.com/library/color-of-crime.pdf
"Of the approximately 1,700,000 interracial crimes of violence involv-
ing blacks and whites, 90 percent are committed by blacks against whites.
Blacks are therefore up to 250 times more likely to do criminal violence to
whites than the reverse."
"Blacks commit violent crimes at four to eight times the white rate.
Hispanics commit violent crimes at approximately three times the white rate,
and Asians at one half to three quarters the white rate."
The "National Youth Gang Survey Analysis" (2009) state that of gang members, 49% are Hispanic/Latino, 35% are African-American/black, 9% are white, and 7% are other race/ethnicity.
http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Survey-Analysis/Demographics
Pocahontas
10:45 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
I mean, look at the positive effects of different ethnicities, different cultures, ie. Italians make great pizza. Don't focus on the negative aspects or the color of skin.
Your words: "Jim Crow Laws were generated by whites, and if you don't believe those to be racist, than your definition would be appreciated."
---Whites generated Jim Crow Laws, therefore, whites are racist.
"...to be truthful, whites were, and still are the perpetrators of the vast majority of racism in the United States"
--Whites are the perpetrators, therefore, whites are racist.
How are those words not making a blanket assessment of all caucasians? And even if those statements resembled any truth, what do you want to do about it now? By the way, I never called you a racist.
Benji Schwartz
10:56 pm on Friday, February 24, 2012
When I read Alex's posts, I didn't come to those conclusions. It's true that whites were the genesis of much of the racism in the US history, and still play a role in it today, but saying those two facts isn't an accusation that all whites are racists. Nowhere in his post did Alex say "all whites are racist" (the only person to do so has been you)
Your post regarding Ed about crimes between races is a flawed statistic; whites represent more of the population, and the upper-crust of society, so they're less likely to commit crimes. Also, interracial crimes do not necessarily mean hate crimes, it just means a person of one race committed a crime against someone of another race. Your entire argument is that we need to forget about race, and stop seeing the color of peoples' skin, yet you use a statistic that is entirely based on skin color, and no other factors (socio-economic, etc)
I agree with your point that in order to overcome racism, we need to stop viewing each other as of different races, but that doesn't mean breezing over history, even if it is long past and done with. Racism between all races has played a major role in the development of this nation, and being that whites were the group in power it was mainly (not always) from them and to others. This is not to say that if another ethnicity had been in power it would have been different: the racism that some members of past generations have perpetrated isn't indicative of a moral inferiority of a race as a whole.
Ed Han
10:52 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Furthermore, I would like to touch upon the fact that the English department is not trying to force the student body into "resenting" or "forgiving". Wouldn't you agree that it is very important for one to educate themselves in both sides (positive and negative) in order to accurately and maturely form a position (such as but not limited to resenting or forgiving) on the topic? The English Department does this phenomenally; the department shows the student body both sides with great detail. I feel that a few people are missing the point here:
Racism is not something that can simply disappear by ceasing the acknowledgement of it. In fact, I believe that in order to stand against racism (or any problem, for that matter), one must first acknowledge it, address that it exists, and understand it fully. This is method is not perpetuating racism because racism is not something that will simply go away ignoring; that is the last thing we should do. To use a parallel, would you say that bullying is something that can go away if people stop talking about it, stop addressing the fact that it's a problem in society, etc.? As easy and pleasant as that may be, the answer is no. One can certainly say that racism is similar to bullying in that a specific person/group is targeted and such offense is repeated over and over. I look forward to your response, in that I believe that this healthy discussion is exactly what is needed to settle this argument.
Pocahontas
9:40 am on Saturday, February 25, 2012
I doesn't take a detective to figure out that Alex has a problem with "whites." And now this Lobster kid comes along and says-
"It's true that whites were the genesis of much of the racism in the US history, and still play a role in it today," How do they still play a role in it today? How?
No one is suggesting anywhere that all aspects of history should not be taught. This argument is about a 2007 fiction novel that, many feel, is race-bating, anti-white, anti-religious, and sexually provocative, and thus, innappropriate for minors.
Alex Breakstone
12:15 am on Sunday, February 26, 2012
Pocahontas, All of the reasons you provided as to why this book should not be taught to minors, "race-bating, anti-white, anti-religious and sexually provocative" is exactly why it should remain a part of the curriculum. The only way to understand the perspectives of others fully is it either experience things the same way they do, or to read works such Part Time Indian which show how racial tensions and discrimination negatively affect everyone, both those who receive it, and those who contribute it. Another book that is a cornerstone of the freshman english curriculum is "All But My Life" by Gerda Weisseman Klein, which depicts the atrocities a young girl was subjected to during the holocaust. If students are able to handle anecdotes about killing, torture, and dehumanization, then I feel that they will be relatively unaffected by the mentioning of the word d-ck and suggestive themes, which was the primary reason for challenging the book in the first place. There is no reason to shelter minors from prejudice and racism when it is more than likely they will encounter it later in their life. Personally I would rather learn about and discuss the issue rather than be unprepared if the situation presents itself.
Benji Schwartz
5:33 pm on Sunday, February 26, 2012
@Pocahontas: Since when am I a kid? I do not recall (and upon further inspection my memory has been validated) saying my age. You called me a kid in order to demean my arguments, not because you actually know anything about my age. This is not proper decorum. Please refrain from such actions in the future. Actually, yes it does "take a detective to figure out that Alex has a problem with whites." Nothing I have seen so far has even remotely hinted to me that he's some form of anti-white racist. Before you pass me off as hating whites as well, understand this; I am white, or more properly put, caucasian. I respect my race, but it isn't some form of over-zealous admiration like from a two year old to their mother. This is the kind of relationship between two adults: I respect my race, but that doesn't make me blind to its flaws, like the times where whites don't do things right, both past and present. As for where I see white racism in modern day events, I have a fascinating article on the matter, if you have the time to read it:
http://www.amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh.html
Also, no need to repeat the how. I could see it the first time.
These minors are, I believe, 15 years old. If we can't trust them and begin to let them see the world without rose colored lenses then, when can we?
Gary McCready
9:58 am on Saturday, February 25, 2012
Here is the rock and the hard place: after high school, many of the topics that "Pocahontas" mentions would not be taught anywhere, so if someone reads that book, there would be no one to teach them how to evaluate it. The book is simply a tool used to teach about the issues, and although there may be other ways, I trust that the educators find using the book to be effective.
The best thing the book may do is to open up dialog, not just on patch, but between parent and child. Although I would love to "cocoon" my kids and not have them exposed to beliefs that I find distasteful, I would rather discuss the beliefs and point them in the right direction while I still have a chance.
As a go forward, I would love to see curriculum include periodic "discuss this with your kids/parents" communications as a standard part of education in Westfield. Although not all might take advantage of it, I think parents who care would.