Reflection One for The Five Chinese Brothers

Analysis Summary

According to the answers provided above some reasons why this text can be considered problematic to some is because of the way they portrayed the brothers. In the beginning of the book it says ,” Once upon a time there were five chinese brothers , and they all looked exactly alike”.The book indeed proves a point and states that they all have the same physical features which in most cases is what people who are uncultured and racist would say, that all chinese people look alike.

Impact Assessment

This text might impact my focal student in some areas. It can make them think that it is okay to view them in a way , and focus on their physical features more. This may lead to false assumptions and unintentional stereotypes. Reading this or listening to it might give them the impression that it’s okay to identify Chinese people in a way because they all have similar physical characteristics as well as certain eye shapes.

Alternative Texts

A text that I strongly believe would compliment and give a different perspective on this book would be “My Food, Your Food, Our Food” by Emma Carlson. This book is a great example of presenting a variety of other cultures where students are able to see the beautiful physical features/ customs of some cultures and traditions. This will give them a different perspective from what they read about the Five Chinese Brothers.

Guiding Questions

1. How are the characters presented in My Food, Your Food, Our Food compared to The Five Chinese Brothers?
2. What is presented in the text, and what are some things that we might be able to take away from this reading?
3. How can you picture what is happening to the book?