Childrens book author Grace Lin told students on Saturday about the difficulties and rewards of breaking new ground in the publishing industry by writing about Asian-American characters.

“To publish a multicultural book is almost impossible,” she said. “(Publishers) felt Taiwanese books were too specific.”

Lin, author and illustrator of the children’s book “The Ugly Vegetables,” was one of the first children’s authors to use Asian-American characters in stories.

Lin, who said her stories are based on her experiences as a minority in upstate New York, described the experience of trying to fit in with her mostly white neighbors.

“I had a mixed identity. I tried to fit in, but I felt kind of alienated,” she said. “I was hungry for books with Asian characters in them.”

Lin set out to create the books she yearned for as a child. After attending the Rhode Island School of Design, she spent three years struggling to publish her first book. She found that the publishing industry generally avoided books that featured minority characters.

She eventually found Charlesbridge Publishing, which published “The Ugly Vegetables.” Now her books are available in many bookstores.

“The Ugly Vegetables” is a story from Lin’s childhood about her mother’s garden. While other families planted flowers, Lin’s family grew Chinese vegetables. The brightly illustrated story involves a girl who wanted to grow flowers until she tasted the food prepared from the “ugly vegetables” that her mother grew.

Lin said she thinks the success of multicultural books is an important indicator of tolerance.

“The success of multicultural books is a reflection of our place in society,” she said. “If my books are successful, it shows we have a place in society.”

Students reacted with enthusiasm to Lin’s 45-minute speech, and most stayed around afterward to speak with her. Several students said her story touched them personal personally.

Taiwanese American Student Club President Doreen Lee said she brought Lin to campus because the author was a family friend and TASC thought her speech would fit well with Asian-American Heritage Month.

“When she says what it was like growing up, it was word-for-word like my experience,” said Lee, a Weinberg junior.

“You hear about her struggles and it’s pretty inspirational,” Lee said. “It shows what is possible.”

Despite her own struggles, Lin sees progress in the publishing industry. The success of children’s books with black characters gives her hope for other cultures.

“For a while there were no African-American books, but now there is a market,” she said. “Still, there are nowhere near the amount of (multicultural) books there should be.”

Students said that the simple children’s books are an important development for minority groups.

“White-people books teach about the world around us, but it’s also good for kids to identify themselves,” said Leon Chang, a McCormick sophomore. “The best is a mix of characters like in (Lin’s) books. It unconsciously shows the cooperation.”

Lin said she still faces difficulties in getting publishing companies to recognize the intricacies of different cultures.

“I was asked to illustrate a book written about Korean characters,” Lin said. “(Publishing companies) don’t realize how different cultures are.”

But Lin said she’s generally pleased with the progress she has made in the industry.

“I think the general public needs changes in small steps,” she said.