“My books are being challenged, which is the first step toward being banned,” Nhin told The Journal Record, adding she only learned about the situation from educators in Florida who emailed her that they have been told to pull her books from their shelves. Nhin responded with a TikTok post that garnered almost 50,000 views and more than 185 comments in 17 hours.
For background, Nhin has written more than 250 children’s books, the most popular being the Ninja Life Hacks series. Teachers across the nation, including Florida, use her Ninja Life Hacks series for social, emotional learning. The books are designed to help children develop confidence, and they also introduce children to concepts around diversity and inclusion. Nhin also writes a series known as Mini Movers and Shakers, that inspire children through the examples of people like Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, Serena Williams, Bruce Lee and Walt Disney.
One of those books focused on the human rights activist Rosa Parks, who famously challenged racist laws when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man.
The story of Rosa Parks has also sparked controversy in Florida, as the educational publisher Studies Weekly changed the text of its lesson on Rosa Parks to remove any reference to race.
The Florida state government has declared that books or curricula that talk about issues around gender, diversity, race, sexuality and generally inclusivity may be banned if any parents object. In one recent case, a principal was fired because a history class included images of Michelangelo’s statue of David, the world’s most famous example of Renaissance sculpture.
The 2022 law, called the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in K-3 classrooms, and requires such conversations after 3rd grade to be age-appropriate, which the state board of education has yet to define. The measure has been derided by opponents as the Don’t Say Gay law and has been challenged in court.
Campaigns to remove books from public schools and libraries are spreading quickly across the United States. Nhin said she is getting messages about children’s books being challenged and banned in several other states but hasn’t heard that her books are targeted anywhere but Florida so far.
“Educators are scared that they could lose their job or be convicted of a felony,” Nhin told The Journal Record, adding, “I believe my books are being challenged for three reasons.” Nhin believes her books are being challenged because she is an author of color, as an Asian woman; secondly because her characters are diverse and of many ethnicities; and thirdly because some of the books include discussions about race, inclusion and diversity.”
In both Florida and Nhin’s home state of Oklahoma, resources that discuss diversity, equity and inclusion have come under attack for allegedly making white, straight students or parents feel badly about issues like slavery or LGBTQ rights.
The Journal Record points out the situation is similar in Oklahoma, where the state superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, has said, “We will make sure that all our vendors and the schools are focused on education and not diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Nhin says that attitude is raising fears that books like hers will be banned in schools and libraries across the US. “I don’t really understand how books about diversity and inclusion can be prohibited in public schools. These are everyday issues for some Americans,” Nhin said. “Parents have full rights to question or object to content, but politicians doing it, that is a huge uptick from previous book bans. That infringes on our First Amendment rights.”
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is considering a bill that would restrict access to materials in public and school libraries. Senate Bill 397 by state Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, passed the Oklahoma Senate March 7 by a vote of 35 to 10.
“Beginning July 1, 2024, no print or nonprint material or media in a school district library, charter school library or public library shall include content that the average person age 18 or older applying contemporary community standards would find (has) a prominent tendency to appeal to a prurient interest in sex,” the measure says.
The move against Nhin also follows the controversial attacks on the Walt Disney Company by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, after Disney management issued a statement saying it opposes Florida’s Don’t Say Gay law.
The move to ban content in libraries and schools is also raising fears in the entertainment and licensing industries that such moves may result in more widespread restrictions on content generally.
Nhin’s works, for example, have resulted in licensing deals with Insight Editions, Fashion Angels, and the home decor company Fathead, and for emotional education products with Walmart.
For our full analysis on the impacts of First Amendment attacks on licensing, click the link below: