Multiculturalism is not a new idea. However, it is now being worn as a crown and presented as a noteworthy character trait. In my opinion America has always been and will always be multicultural. I can see how the idea is one that needs to be opened, refined and reformed. If we reflect on peoples’ multicultural views, it easy to see that we as a culture have come a long way since the civil rights era. However, I can see room for improvement with better ideas of integration especially in the classrooms of America.
When I reflect on my education growing up I can remember that my circle of influence was predominately white. I am sad to say that the small town in which I grew up and many of my immediate family members were prejudice. I can clearly see however in just one generation a new way of thinking has emerged. I personally have always considered myself color-blind and I can say without a doubt that my children do not have racial issues. It is interesting that even though many of those black/white racial barriers have come down, there are still others that resurface and still other areas that need our attention.
The curriculum of our schools should reflect an overall cultural view of critical historical events. I am glad to see that there is a movement to rethink textbooks and how the information is transmitted. I really enjoyed the idea of spreading out multiculturalism throughout the curriculum as Adam Waxler suggested in his web article Multiculturalism in School Curriculum. I have often thought one way to really integrate current history with past history is bringing out current happenings on-going in historical sites from the past. So if you were studying Egypt and the pyramids, you would look it up on a current map and talk about what was going on in Egypt currently. Perhaps have students look up news articles in the last week from Egypt and find cultural influences from early Egypt in today’s Egypt. This makes all the information relevant and also gives perspective to the fact that there is still current Egyptian culture to be valued and respected.
History is not the only subject that can reach across cultural barriers. Various holidays throughout the year can give teachers ample opportunity to draw in other cultures. Knowledge is power and gives us the power to educate one another. If each student studies a different aspect of culture and shares with the rest of the class, then each student learns from another the value of a different culture. Being Americans automatically makes us multicultural whether we respect other cultures or not. We have many different cultures in our backgrounds. A family tree is another way to bring in various cultures and get parents involved in seeing that we truly are all diverse.
I divide from Waxler in that I see the value in having certain historical months where various groups are honored like Black history month or Women’s history month, because it does give us an opportunity to point out that these groups are worthy of recognition in history. However, I do agree with Waxler in that stitching a thread of multiculturalism throughout the curriculum really epitomizes the idea of melting the groups together. I have never liked the fact that the Revolutionary War is seen as great triumph for Americans, but we tend to overlook the fact that Native Americans were overtaken and forced into small plots of land we “gave” them. History always has more than one perspective and we must present it with an unbiased view to the best of our abilities.
According to the textbook there are many charter schools who have redirected their curriculums to be more focused on the culture of their choosing (Webb Metha, & Jordan, 2010, p. 356). I am not sure that is in the best interest of the children, because it is also a slanted view of society. You can try and integrate multiculturalism into the curriculum but the best way to teach it is to expose children to it either in word or by way of presenting diversity face to face. I think most textbook companies are making an honest effort to integrate many cultures into the text teacher are currently using in schools. I can definitely see a broader cultural curriculum than when I was in school.
I certainly think that as Americans we need things that also make us unified, a common ground to which we can all relate. E.D. Hirsch, Jr. points this out in his article Toward a Centrist Curriculum: Two Kinds of Multiculturalism in Elementary School when he said, “[C]hildren need to have basic foundations and share common points of reference that will enable further learning.” The wheels of change turn very slowly, but I have certainly seen a big change in the curriculum, in people, and in American ideals about multiculturalism in my lifetime.
Resources
Hirsch, E.D., Jr. (1992). Toward a Centrist Curriculum: Two Kinds of Multiculturalism in Elementary School. Retrievd from the Core Knowledge Foundations. Retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133313
Waxler, A. (n.d.). Multiculturalism in School Curriculum. Retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133312
Webb, L., Metha, A., Forbis Jordan, K. (2010). Foundations of American Education (6th ed.). New Jersey: Merrill.
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