All culturally relevant texts are not equally yoked in their cultural authenticity. A Culturally Authentic Text (CAT) is the preferred type of text for the CLR educator.

CAT is a piece of fiction or nonfiction that illuminates the authentic cultural experiences of a particular cultural group—whether it addresses religion, socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, nationality, orientation , or geographic location. The language, situations, and illustrations must depict culture in an authentic manner as well.