I don't know how to feel about books like these...

I mean books where the main character is POC, but the author is white.

Like if there was this book about a Thai teenage girl living in Bangkok, but the author is a white person living in England.

I have seen many books in my country's bookstores and libraries, where it is about someone living in a whole different country, but it is written by someone who isn't even from that country.

I have even read some books like that when I was younger.

I remember this one book that I read as a teen that took place in Vietnam and the main character was Vietnamese, but it was written by a white German author.

I do remember that I kind of liked that book, and that it taught me some stuff about Vietnam.

But when I remember how that book ended, it bothers me a bit.

But now a days, I feel like that if I wanted to read a book where the main character is Vietnamese, I would rather read a book like that by a Vietnamese author.

There are times though where I don't feel bothered when an author writes about someone with a different nationality or ethnicity.

And authors are also often told to not only write what they know. (but of course they have to do their research before writing about the stuff they don't know about)

I don't know what else to say in this thread, but this thread will probably make me sound sensitive as heck.

But well... it would be hypocritical of me to feel bothered by that stuff, when I write kpop fanfics...

Quote from Lulu_Key

If they did their research well why not?

There are authors who write about being a magician elf who turn into dragon on midnight

You dont necessarily have to have the same experiences as the character you are writing about but you should definitely do alot of research for it

That thing that you're saying reminds me a bit of some trivia I read on IMDb about the 1982 movie adaptation of The Color Purple.

Before production, Steven Spielberg felt very insecure about being director of the film. In fact, his initial response to Quincy Jones' request was no. Spielberg felt that his knowledge of the deep South was inadequate, and that the film should've been directed by someone of color, who could've at least related to the struggles faced by many blacks living in the old south. Jones then argued, "No, I want you to do it, and besides, did you have to be an alien to direct E.T. ?" Spielberg appreciated his friend's logic, and decided to take the role as director of the film.