Diverse Books: Representation Matters

I’ve said this once, and I shall say it again – yes like a broken record, or rather like a nagging wife which is my specialty: REPRESENTATION MATTERS! I want to, and NEED to see myself and my family in mainstream everything. Right now I’m tackling diversity in literature. Because it is important for me to see myself in the diverse books we read. My stories, OUR stories deserve to be told. And heard. Guess what? It’s important for YOU too. You need to see yourself as well. And guess what else? YOU need to see me represented in what you read. Your kids need to see MY kids represented in what you read to them. It matters. Diverse books matter. They really do. When we can all see ourselves reflected in what we read, we can better understand each other. Then we can normalize one another as humans, as equals.

What to Read

I’m creating a list of diverse books where Sikhs are main characters. I tried to focus on literature where the characters are similar to who I am, a Sikh Canadian woman. But to be honest the list is small. It is shouting out at me that there is simply not enough diversity. That my story is untold and the story of so many others is untold. I’ve been looking to read something that shares the story of a really tall, Sikh Canadian woman. One who has been a stay at home mom forever. She is super relatable and hilarious and struggles to keep her grey hair covered. Oh wait – I guess that’s the book I have to write myself.

P.S. I’ve listed all these books and a few other favourites in my Amazon store (affiliate link)

Diverse Books to read with your child (and ahem to donate to their school library):

A Lion’s Mane by Navjot Kaur: One of my all time favourites. Navjot Kaur is a magician with her words. She weaves together the story of a Sikh boy with his long kes (hair), as a lion’s mane and explores the common human qualities we all share.

Dreams of Hope – a Bedtime Lullaby by Navjot Kaur: Remember I said she is a magician? So is the illustrator, who shows a Sikh father and his daughter on these beautiful pages. This was the first time my little girls opened a book and said “Dad, that looks like you and me!”

The Garden of Peace By Navjot Kaur: I shared more about this beautiful book that talks about Vaisakhi in my post here.

Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon By Simran Jeet Singh: The Story of Fauja Singh is a remarkable one, this is a book you just have to read to see what I’m talking about. Fun true story: We were at an event that honoured this amazing man, and he was so humble that he had just said thank you, and that he didn’t know what the big deal was. Just run!

What to get your child to read:

Here’s my disclaimer here. I’ve been looking for books for my kids to read: teens, tweens and kid kids. To pick up a book and see themselves reflected in the words the read. I have not had much luck. I did some research and found these two, but This Mama is honest and I will tell you that we haven’t read them. If you or your child has, please send me a note to tell me!

Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger: This is the story about 17 year old Sam and how she discovers her family roots in the aftermath of 9-11.

Karma Khullar’s Moustache by Kristi Wientge: This is the story of a biracial, half-Sikh tween as she discovers some facial hair.

Diverse Books to read for yourself:

On the Outside Looking Indian: How my Second Childhood Changed my life: By Rupinder Gill – Rupinder writes from her experiences about being raised in Canada by her immigrant parents. I found this funny and quite relatable.

What the Body Remembers By Shauna Singh Baldwin: A historical fiction novel set during the brutal time of Partition in India, the author weaves a tale about two Sikh women who are married to a wealthy Sikh landowner. This book is important because it showcases strong Sikh women as the protagonist in a piece of historical fiction.

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows By Balli Kaur Jaswal: A Fictional novel set in the UK that explores what happens when tradition clashes with feminist ideas.

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sister By Balli Kaur Jaswal: A fictional tale of three Punjabi sisters who embark on personal journeys to go to India to spread their mothers ashes. Three different strong female characters help contribute to widening the representation pool.

Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? Anita Rau Badami: This book stuck with me. It is one of the first pieces of fiction to discuss a tumultuous time in a fragmenting Punjab and how those events affected those in Canada. Told through the lens of strong female characters, both in India and in Canada, it is one of my favourite books.

See No Stranger: A memoir and manifesto of revolutionary love By Valerie Kaur: Years ago, we heard this passionate young lady speak at a film festival where she presented her working documentary about hate crimes against Sikh Americans in the aftermath of 9/11. Now years later, I have had the pleasure of reading her words of hope and faith. Valerie Kaur speaks about our Sikh faith and her American upbringing and her role as a citizen who is advocating for equality and change in this beautifully written memoir.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling: Yes that J.K. Rowling. Clearly she’s not a Sikh woman, but this is one of the very few and first books I read that had a Sikh family as one of the central characters. She didn’t show this family as a stereotype nor does she reduce the characters to the periphery. It may not mean much to most people (it actually is one of my favourite books ever), but the inclusion of a Sikh-British family in this story meant so much to me.

Disclaimer: I do not support or endorse the above author’s recent transphobic comments or work. For now this title will remain on my list because frankly there are very little books to be able to choose from where the Sikh identity is brought in as a mainstream protagonist.