Christopher Reed in Los Angeles
After an acrimonious debate, the San Francisco school board has become the first in the United States to require students to read books by “authors of colour”.
The measure caused conflict when proposed by two black members, who initially insisted that seven of the 10 required books on high school reading lists should be by non-white authors. The board rejected this as a racial quota, but insisted an unspecified number should be by non- whites.
Keith Jackson, a sponsor of the new requirement, said: “California’s teenagers are tired of the white European establishment.” Supporters of the move say they are not banishing white authors but simply adding other races. Whites are a minority among the city’s students. Blacks come third in the racial make-up yet dominate the literary debate.
The demographic figures for the city are: 30% Chinese American, 19% Hispanic, 16% African American, 12% white, 9% Filipino, and smaller percentages of Korean American, Japanese American, native American and “other”. If non-Chinese east-Asians are included, the oriental total is well over 40%.