San Francisco board members want diversity in reading lists; editors debate its effect on quality

On-line Forty-Niner

March 16,1998

Variety does not equal dilution PRO Reading literature didn't capture my interest until I graduated from high school. Frankly, growing up in a nearly all Mexican-American community in southeastern Los Angeles County, I didn't identify with hardly anything I was assigned to read. I honestly feel that had I been exposed to quality literature written by authors of my own ethnic background, reading wouldn't have seemed like such a drag. I was forced - that's how I thought of it, then - to read the whole gamut of dead, white, male authors, literature that is considered to be among the classics. I don't agree that just because there is a 55 percent Mexican-American student population in a given school district, 55 percent of required literature should be of Mexican-American authors. Such a quota would defeat the purpose of exposing students to a diverse array of authors and limit them to only certain kinds of authors. But a well-rounded, equitable list of authors from all ethnic backgrounds - Asian, African-American, Caucasian, Latin - could have a profound effect on the quality of education in our state. Reading can capture the imagination of any young, bored and apathetic high school student, but the hook needs a tasty piece of bait Opponents of the San Francisco measure worry that literature picked to diversify required reading lists would be done so arbitrarily, disregarding quality. Of course, quality should be the determining factor as to whether or not a book is made required reading. Why should opponents assume that there are no renowned, critically and academically acclaimed authors of races other than Caucasian? Quality has been the consideration in placing white authors' work on a required curriculum . And so quality should be a consideration in determining which ethnic authors should be studied in our schools.   Linda Prendez is the editor in chief of the Daily Forty-Niner.

Quota threatens excellence CON Two San Francisco school board members are advocating ethnic diversity for required literature of high school students. In short, they feel more books by minority authors should be read because only 13 percent of the students in San Francisco are Caucasian. The board members are proposing that four of seven books that must be read annually be written by non-Western authors. Does not the quality of a book determine whether it should be read? Why does even the basic literature of students have to be a racial issue? A mathematical formula to determine what deserves to be read is ridiculous. Also, forcing a student to read a book based simply on the ethnicity of the author serves no one. Quality should be the determining factor when deciding whether or not a book should be encouraged - or required - to be read. Authors such as Shakespeare and Steinbeck might not be on the reading list if the ethnic police fulfills its biased quota. These authors were chosen to be on school reading lists not because they are white, but because their writings are considered outstanding literature. Yes, all ethnic groups deserve attention, and children need role models, but why must race fulfill those needs? Sooner or later, mediocre literature will be placed on must-read lists simply because the author is not white. Can an Asian student not appreciate "Huckleberry Finn" just because Mark Twain was white? Can a white student not appreciate "Roots" because Alex Haley was black? Students should be encouraged to read the best books available regardless of the author's ethnicity. If reflecting diversity is the goal of this proposal, then why stop with race? Women authors, gay authors, and non-Christian authors should also be taken into consideration. Those distinctions divide groups more than skin color.   Christopher A. Hayes is the opinion editor of the Daily Forty-Niner