Entry 3 Reflections on Multiculturalism in the Classroom

My initial thoughts on teaching multiculturalism and diversity in the classroom are very simple. I can't imagine not addressing the contributions different groups have made to our country and our world.  I also can't imagine how anyone can challenge teaching students to understand and respect the similarities and differences that different groups share.

I teach in a school that does have limited diversity in the student population.  There is less than 10%  of any group other than white represented.  I think it is very important for all of our students to be aware of the different cultural representations and contributions made by different groups  in our society.

I do have different impressions of each of the three articles.

Pitthissippi Burning - I agree with PJ Tobias' concern with the amount of hate literature and hate groups that is surfacing.  Although he seems to be somewhat obsessed with hate groups, I do think it is good for individuals to research and analyze these writings. There has been an increase in hate and nationalist groups in our country and I do feel that these groups pose a threat to our security.

Why Multiculturalism is Wrong
I do agree that one of the hazards of addressing multiculturalism is that individuals who may wish to not be identified by their different cultural or racial backgrounds could be stereotyped due to so much emphasis on being aware of differences, but I don't think the argument is not strong enough for us to ignore and not teach about our different ethnic backgrounds.  I also  don't think teaching about multiculturalism will weaken the pride we most of us have as Americans. Having a unified pride in our country is extremely important, and I feel that most individuals who choose to live here have tremendous pride in being part of this country.


The Challenge of Multiculturalism In How Americans View the Past and the Present
We use the textbooks Mr. Taylor refers to in our school, and I have been impressed with the attempts the publishers have made to include a multicultural perspective into the social studies books.  I think they are much improved over past textbooks.  I do agree with him that there is no way to make every group happy when writing a textbook on history.  Each group will naturally fight for more representation and will make criticism's regarding exclusion of certain events.  I also agree that we may not emphasize some key points in American history due to the addition of multicultural material.  Mr. Taylor justifies his stand with the statement:  For many non-whites, multiculturalism is merely a step on the way to an explicitly racial, Afrocentric or Hispanic history.  Their goal is separation rather than inclusive.  I disagree with his use of many.  I am sure there are some non-whites who feel this way just as there are some whites who would like for the history instruction to continue to be focused exclusively on white accomplishments.

I do think we need to keep a healthy balance as we teach the importance of being individuals who are proud of our heritage, Americans who are proud of our country, and as human beings who are part of the world.