The Great Debate: Insiders vs. Outsiders in Multicultural Literature

First of all, I want to say that I find this "debate" quite interesting. The question alone of who should be allowed to author multicultural literature itself provokes more questions--for instance, what is multicultural literature? The whole issue of diverse literature seems to involve more questions than answers. What is it? Who can write it? What does it mean? What does it do?

It almost seems to me that if we raise an issue of insiders vs. outsiders, than it has to span across all literature...who should be able to write about what? And does this thought back up the idea that all literature is diverse literature?

If I have to take a side, then I have to say that yes, insiders should be the ones to author the multicultural books...but what makes someone an insider?

As we saw in class, being part of a group of people or culture does not always make you the most knowledgeable (for instance, the counting book that had illustrations of rabbits as Native Americans that was in fact written by a Native American).

I believe that any author who chooses to write about any subject, idea, culture or otherwise should be a very well-informed person on that subject, idea, etc.

If you don't know, then don't tell is the way I look at it. Don't pretend to be an insider because you know someone who knows someone...or you have done some reading on the subject, etc.

If you have the knowledge and background to truly capture the culture or ideas you are trying to get across, then I guess that's what makes you an insider.