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Professional Learning

Exploring Borders and Belonging in Young Adult Literature

In this webinar, Malaka Gharib and Randy Ribay discussed the complexity of belonging, and the tangible and intangible borders that can shape it.

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English & Language Arts

Culture & Identity

We know that there are many factors that shape a young person's sense of identity and belonging. Dynamics of power, privilege, group membership, and history can all play a part. So, how can literature help them develop their unique voice and find where they "fit in" in the world? And how does reading inspire them to understand and appreciate difference? Presenters Malaka Gharib and Randy Ribay explored these questions.

We discussed:

How young adult readers encounter concepts of identity and belonging in the stories they read and hear;
The power books have to both uphold and break down cultural and social boundaries;
What educators can do to foster students' sense of self and agency through reading;
And, ways we can all seek out more inclusive stories that honor the complexity of identity, culture, history, and tradition.

Malaka Gharib

Journalist, Cartoonist, Graphic Novelist

Malaka Gharib is the author of I Was Their American Dream, winner of the 2020 Arab American Book Award, and It Won't Always Be Like This. By day, she works as an editor at NPR. Her comics and writing have been published in NPR, the Los Angeles Times, Catapult, The Seventh Wave Magazine, The Nib, Saveur Magazine, The Believer Magazine and The New Yorker. She has been profiled in The Washington Post and The New York Times. She lives in Nashville, Tenn.

Randy Ribay

Author

Randy Ribay was born in the Philippines and raised in the Midwest. He's the author of An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes, After the Shot Drops, and Patron Saints of Nothing, a powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin's murder. It was selected as a 2019 Freeman Book Award winner and as a finalist for the National Book Award, LA Times Book Prize, Edgar Award for YA, International Thriller Writers YA Award, Amelia Walden Award, CILIP Carnegie Medal, and 17 state awards. Randy earned his BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Master's Degree in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Please note: The views expressed by guest speakers, both at our events and on external platforms, are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Facing History & Ourselves.

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Exploring Borders and Belonging in Young Adult Literature

About this event:

Speakers

Malaka Gharib

Randy Ribay

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5 Native-Led Podcasts for Media Literacy

5 Reads for Teachers on LGBTQIA+ History

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5 New Books on Native American History, Life, and Resistance

Exploring Multiple Visions for DEI Work: A Reading List

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Donate now and together we'll build a better world

Exploring Borders and Belonging in Young Adult Literature

About this event:

Speakers

Malaka Gharib

Randy Ribay

You might also be interested in…

Today is the #WeNeedBlackTeachers Day of Action

How to Build an Affirming Classroom in the Face of Anti-Trans Legislation

6 Resources for Teaching About 9/11

On Existing: A Personal Reflection

A Brief History of Barbie: From Fashion Model to Ida B. Wells

5 Native-Led Podcasts for Media Literacy

5 Reads for Teachers on LGBTQIA+ History

10 Must Watch Films on LGBTQIA+ History

5 New Books on Native American History, Life, and Resistance

Exploring Multiple Visions for DEI Work: A Reading List

Haiti in Historical Context

Essential Teacher Habits for Driving Educational Equity

Donate now and together we'll build a better world

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