When “Authenticity” is in the Eye of the Beholder, a guest post by José Pablo Iriarte

There is little question that literary diversity has come a long way in the decades since I was a young reader. When I was in school, almost all the books I encountered in the library or the bookstore featured Anglo kids. As I got older and started reading books about grown-up adventures, everything that fell into my hands seemed to be not only about protagonists who were Anglo, but also straight, cisgender, allosexual, abled, and thin. This was so universal, and so unremarked-upon, that when I first started writing my own stories, I found myself writing similar protagonists, protagonists who were not like me, because I had internalized these attributes as simply being the attributes of a protagonist.

When I did occasionally encounter side characters who were Cuban-American, like I am, they were written by Anglo authors, and inaccurate in ways that might have appeared subtle to outsiders, but were jarring to me.

In the eleven years since my first fiction sale, though, I’ve seen lots of industry discussions of own-voices, writing the other, and authenticity. In that time, I’ve also read wonderful books in which I saw different aspects of myself on the page–books like The Red Umbrella, by Christina Díaz González, When the Moon Was Ours, by Anna-Marie McLemore, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, by Pablo Cartaya, Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, by Carlos Hernández, The Liars of Mariposa Island, by Jennifer Matthieu, and, indeed, countless others.

It remains true, however, that most of the industry professionals that stand between a manuscript and its audience are Anglo. After years of discussion, and statistics from groups such as the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, I believe that most of these professionals value diverse stories, authentically told, and are looking for great stories featuring BIPOC characters to bring to young readers of all backgrounds.

How do you recognize authenticity, though?

I think when you’re in a position to influence the books that make their way to young readers, whether as an editor, a reviewer, a librarian, or a teacher, you need to be careful not to let your sense of what is authentic be unconsciously dictated by the media you yourself have consumed, since it is extremely likely that, like me, you have consumed depictions of BIPOC culture that are produced by outsiders and rooted in stereotype and broad strokes.

Most writers from marginalized identities have probably experienced the pressure, when writing about their own backgrounds or experiences, to hew to familiar tropes or depictions–to perform their identity. At its worst, this can turn into pressure to depict our cultures as exclusively experiencing poverty, violence, isolation, and dysfunction.

This was on my mind as I wrote what became my debut novel, because it’s set in my hometown of Miami, Florida, and it features characters who are, like me, Cuban American, with a heavy emphasis on Cuban music and food. All of these elements have been extensively portrayed in popular media, but they’re portrayed in a particular exoticized way. Ricky Ricardo and his Babalú, or worse, Tony Montana and his leetel friend. More subtly, so many depictions of my culture seem to show everybody having the same socio economic background, the same size families, the same level of English acquisition, the same religion.

In my book, I was particularly conscious of showing a Miami that wasn’t all Art Deco and Ocean Drive, but banyan trees and cypress and wetlands. I wanted to portray the things I grew up with in a way that was recognizable to locals, not necessarily in a way that matched what we see on television.

But does my depiction scan as “authentic” to somebody whose main exposure is CSI: Miami?

Authenticity is a moving target, because there are as many authentic Latine stories (for example) as there are Latine people. But here are some final thoughts when it comes to recognizing and promoting authentic depictions:

First, do everything you can to bring more voices to the table. Share the work of reviewers from different backgrounds. Boost the voices calling for more BIPOC editors and publishers. Invite people who might never have considered becoming reviewers to do so.

Second, remember that no culture is a monolith, and resist the temptation to give preferential treatment to narratives that conform to your expectations. When in doubt, seek out opinions from in-group readers.

And finally, chuck the “checkbox”: the sense that one book detailing a lived experience is enough for this season, this year, this publisher. Ultimately, the answer is more. More books, more choices, more different experiences represented, more depictions of what life can be like.

Because there is no single authentic story.

Meet the author

José Pablo Iriarte is a Cuban-American writer, high school math teacher, and parent of two. Their fiction has been finalist for the Nebula, Hugo, Locus and Sturgeon Awards, longlisted for the Otherwise Award, and reprinted in various Year’s Best compilations. Their debut novel, BENNY RAMÍREZ AND THE NEARLY DEPARTED was published in 2024 by Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House. Learn more (but frankly not much more) at www.labyrinthrat.com, or follow José on facebook, twitter, or bluesky @labyrinthrat.

About Benny Ramírez and the Nearly Departed

Benny Ramírez can see dead people . . . Well, one dead person, anyway. A hilarious and heartwarming story about a boy who can suddenly see the ghost of his famous musician grandfather!

After moving cross-country into his late grandfather’s Miami mansion, Benny discovers that the ghost of his famous trumpet-playing abuelo, the great Ignacio Ramírez, is still there . . . and isn’t too thrilled about it. He’s been barred from the afterlife, and no one can see him except his grandson. But Benny’s got problems of his own. He’s enrolled in a performing arts school with his siblings, despite having no obvious talent.

Luckily, Abuelo believes they can help each other. Abuelo has until New Year’s Eve to do some good in the world and thinks that teaching Benny how to play the trumpet and become a school celebrity might be the key to earning his wings. Having no better ideas, Benny finds himself taking Abuelo’s advice—to disastrous and hilarious results.

Benny and Abuelo will find that there’s more than one way to be great in this unforgettable, laugh-out-loud tale of family, music, and self-discovery.

ISBN-13: 9780593703700
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Publication date: 04/30/2024
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Guest Post