WI School district: Book about Japanese interment camps "too diverse and sad" , all about oppression
District Rejects Book That's Too ‘Diverse' And ‘Sad' For High School English Class
The Muskego-Norway school district in Wisconsin has removed approval for a book about Japanese internment camps that was to be assigned reading for high school sophomores. This is based on the premise that the award-winning novel is "too diverse" and lacked the proper balance.
During a June 13th Educational Services Committee Meeting, parent Anna Zielke took notes and released them for public viewing. She questioned why the committee was rescinding approval for, When the Emperor Was Divine, by Julie Otsuka. This historical fiction novel was released in 2002, has won numerous literary awards, and is based off of her own experiences in a Japanese internment camp during WWII.
One committee member noted that she didn't like the book because the characters were nameless and that the work had many bad reviewscamps, many parents support their children learning about this tragic truth.
. Another committee member defended this position also noting that it was chosen as a "diverse" book but did not meet the educational requirements because it could not be all about "oppression." While the material in question does display a one-sided view of the sensitive history of America's Japanese internment
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/district-rejects-book-that-s-too-diverse-and-sad-for-high-school-english-class/ar-AAYVHPS
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