Asian-American Children Underrepresented in Children

A graduate of the Taiwan University of Art with a bachelor of arts in media communication and journalism, Lulu Roberts has worked as a news reporter with Taiwan Channel 4 News. Currently a resident of Atherton, California, Lulu Roberts is in the process of creating a non-profit children’s library in Menlo Park. The library will serve the local Chinese-American community, providing free Chinese language books they might not have access to in their homes or schools.

Representation in literature is a critical part of forming an identity, especially for young children. When children see characters that look like them, they develop a sense of belonging within their homes, communities, and the world. Research at the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, found that, among 4,500 children's books published in 1997, only 66 were about Asian-American children living in the United States. While those numbers have increased in the past 20 years, Asian-American children remain underrepresented in children’s literature. The creation of community resources such as free libraries (which prioritize books in languages other than English, as well as books that provide visual representations of Asian children) promotes diversity and inclusion.