The "insider/outisder" Debate

As we have seen in the articles that we have been reading and some of the children's literature we have been looking at, it is very difficult to tell if the information presented is coming from a reliable source or not. The insider/outsider debate asks the question of whether or not an author of children's literature is a reliable source if they are not a native of the culture that they are writing about. Personally, I feel that author's writing about their native culture are going to present the information in a more accurate and intimate way than an author who might not know as much about the culture that they are writing about. However, I do believe if an author sites reliable sources and conducts appropriate and accurate research on what they are writing about, then they can be as reliable of a source as an author that is a part of that particular culture. It will just take more time and effort from the author who is not from that culture.
I believe strongly in portraying cultures and races in an accurate light, and as long as an author can do this, the background of the author should not matter. In the Bishop article, she states in regards to multicultural literature that, "you have to know a culture intimately if you're going to reflect it accurately in your fiction." I do agree with this statement, but I don't necessarily believe that the author has to be an "insider" of the culture to know a culture intimately. There are many people who grow up as a minority in a culture and are almost as knowledgeable about it as the people who practice the culture themselves. Also like I stated before, with a lot of dedication and research, it is possible to learn about a culture thoroughly, and although there might not be that intimate connection that comes with actually being a part of it, it is still possible to put together a piece of literature about it that is accurate and reliable.