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In the Western world, fictional depictions of intercultural relations are typically limited to interactions between whites and non-whites, or interactions between Westerners and non-Westerners. "Culture shock" stories written by white Westerners often focus on the white hero/heroine entering an 'exotic' locale to display his/her open-mindedness through relationships with non-whites. Similarly, when people of color, whether living in the West or living outside the Western world, create stories about "intercultural exchange", their focus is on dynamics between their ethnic community and the "white" mainstream or exchanges between their countries and Western countries. However, there have been a number of writers, including people of color and whites, Westerners and non-Westerners, who have chosen to take the route less taken, giving depictions of relationships between non-whites a central place in their stories.

Our April issue provides a glimpse at African films portraying interethnic interactions between the diverse peoples of Africa. Similarly, our March 2007 issue takes a look at Asian films portraying international exchanges between the peoples of the Asian continent. In a similar vein, the present issue brings attention to some books that feature people of color interacting across racial lines, both in fiction and non-fiction.

Review: The Years of Rice and Salt

Children's books featuring interethnic relationships between people of color

Stories with interracial couples of color

Literature About the Sojourn or Acculturation of Non-Whites Among Other Non-Whites

Alternate Histories: Reversals of Power in Fantasy Fiction

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