American Dirt Controversy
“American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins erupted into publishing’s biggest 2020 controversy, exposing issues of cultural appropriation, #OwnVoices gatekeeping, and who gets to tell marginalized stories.
The Backlash
Oprah’s Book Club selected “American Dirt” (Jan 2020), a thriller about a Mexican mother fleeing cartel violence to the U.S. Latino writers immediately criticized Cummins (white, non-Latina) for stereotypical, trauma-porn depictions of Mexican migrants. The book’s $1M+ advance, massive marketing, and barbed wire centerpieces at book parties sparked fury.
Writers Myriam Gurba, David Bowles, and others led the charge, calling it “Gringo fanfiction.” The hashtag #DignidadLiteraria (literary dignity) trended. Cummins’s book tour was canceled due to safety concerns. Flatiron Books apologized for the offensive marketing.
Publishing Reckoning
The controversy forced publishing to examine its overwhelmingly white gatekeepers, advances for white authors writing marginalized stories vs. actual marginalized voices, and the “white savior” narrative trope. It accelerated conversations about sensitivity readers, #OwnVoices, and who gets six-figure advances.
Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/