Not Just for Kids: Multicultural Picture Books as Identity Negotiation Vehicles for Immigrant Adults

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Nine
  In Roundtable Session: Identity Development and Formation Experiences in School (Table 14)

Abstract

Multicultural picturebooks greatly influence both children’s and educators’ being and becoming. In this paper, two immigrant researchers engage in autobiographical narrative inquiry, and tell and retell our storied experiences of critically reading four multicultural picturebooks in personal, educational and academic settings. Our experiences are analyzed through the theoretical lenses of transnational identity, immigrant parent knowledge, mirrors and windows, and no single story to reflect how reading, reviewing, teaching and researching multicultural picturebooks have been constructing, mediating, engaging, and exploring our own identities. This paper sheds light on the importance of negotiating one’s transcultural and transnational identity in multicultural picturebooks. By making visible our critical reading experiences, we hope to maximize the outcomes of utilizing children’s literature in teaching and learning.

Authors

• Emma Chen, University of Saskatchewan
  Presenting Author

• Yina Liu, University of Alberta
  Presenting Author