An Analysis of Home as Portrayed in Asian/Asian American Children’s Picture Books

Abstract

Scholars have documented that home is a significant theme in children’s literature, serving as a place where protagonists either stay or from which they leave. Children can also learn about home through picture books introduced in their classrooms. However, they may experience discrepancies between their lived home experiences and the representations of home in picture books, as they bring diverse notions of home to school. Despite this, there is a paucity of research examining how home is presented and portrayed, particularly in the context of Asian American children’s lives. This study explores the representation of home in Asian/Asian American children's picture books, focusing on how these books address home within the spectrum of multiplicity and mobility. By analyzing 26 books published in the U.S. between 2000 and 2023 featuring Asian/Asian American child protagonists, the data analyses reveal that the concept of home encompasses both materialized and affective aspects, often intertwined in complex ways. The study also highlights that representations of home tend to be monolithic and intertwined with stereotypes of Asians/Asian Americans. This research encourages early childhood education teachers to critically examine the complexities of home, especially beyond those based on Western middle-class values, and offers implications for authors, illustrators, and researchers.