Multicultural and ethnic literature is essential to people of all backgrounds and ages. It enables individuals from minority cultures to "learn, know, celebrate, and promote their own cultures," and it enables people from mainstream cultures to better understand diverse people. Almost one-third of Americans (30.6 percent) were people of color in 2005. Forty-two percent of public school students are also from racial minorities, and this proportion is expected to rise to 45.5 percent by 2014. Over their lifetimes, it is very likely that students from majority cultures who live in homogeneous areas will be interacting with more diverse people. This article briefly describes past and present trends in this field, some predictions for the future, and resources that school librarians and teachers can consult to develop multicultural services, curricula, and collections.