Multicultural Curriculum

The United States is the most diverse nation in the world. If one were to look in the Murfreesboro phone directory, he or she would find surnames of various origins. One would surely find the traditional English, Scottish, Irish, and German, Italian, and French surnames that belong to those whose ancestors arrived here from the 1600's all the way up to the 1920's. One would also find surnames of Hispanics and Asians. Hispanics and Asians are no strangers to U.S. History. In 1848, in the Treaty of Guadalupe, the United States obtained a large portion of Mexican territory. This is one of the moments that has and forever will define both United States and Mexican history. It is the moment that the United States achieved its "Manifest Destiny" and Mexico suffered a demoralizing territorial loss. In the middle of this territorial exchange were the many Mexicans that lived in those states. Shortly after the Treaty of Guadalupe, vast amounts of gold were found in California. After this, the first Asians began to come to the United States. The United States government, alarmed by the growing number of Asians, passed acts such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Asian Exclusion Act. After repealing these acts in 1965, the United States saw a spike in Asian immigration once again. Today, immigrants do not go to just California, New York City, and Chicago as in the past. Now, the South is seeing a large wave of immigration. The traditional White and Black mix now has Hispanics and Asians as well. A multicultural society such as this needs multicultural education. The article "New Immigration Stirs the Melting Pot" talks about the large immigration debate in 2006. Unfortunately, Congress could not reach an agreement on the Immigration Reform that this country so desperately needs. However, the Latinos showed their political muscle. In some states, such as Texas and California, at least 25% of the population is Latino. Immigrant rallies and marches demonstrated Latino political might. This issue has somewhat disappeared due to the current recession and the Health Care Reform debate. However, once those issues are resolved, Immigration Reform will surely take center stage once again. I remember these events from 2006 very clearly, and I hope that Congress can come to an agreement and pass a fair, compassionate Immigration Reform bill in 2010.
In the article "Multiculturalism in School Curriculum", the argument is made for a centrist curriculum that includes that of many cultures instead of dividing the cultures up. I strongly agree with the point made by the author. We must move beyond Black America and White America. We must advance towards the United States of America, and unite as one. If not, young Americans of all races will continue to see Black history and White history. I have made this argument in previous blogs. The significant contributions of all races should compose a united American History. The author of this article, Adam Waxler, divides his class up into groups that investigate the perspectives of different ethnic groups and genders in regards to significant events in U.S. History. The events that he mentioned were World War II and the Vietnam War. I believe that this is an effective way of utilizing multicultural education. It emphasizes the different perspectives of major events while teaching that all of the ethnicities and genders comprise one American body. The United States has a unique, diverse history. It is a history of many cultures connected by a nation.
In the article "Towards a Centrist Curriculum", the author suggest that any centralist curriculum must have the following characteristics:
1. It encourages knowledge of and sympathy towards the diverse cultures of the world.
2. It fosters respect for every child's home culture as well as the school's cosmopolitan-based culture.
3. It gives children competence in the current system of language and allusion that is dominant in the nation's economic and intellectual discourse.
The third characteristic basically states that the centralist curriculum not try to change the current, dominant culture in place. The author insists that with these elements in place, a centrist curriculum will evolve. I agree with the author. It is not the responsibility of the school system to drastically change the culture of the United States. However, with those three elements in place, a centrist system with various multicultural elements can flourish. The author also mentions that it does Black children little good to learn about their past if they are not well-educated in math and science. However, I believe that it does help the children to learn about the history of their race along with that of other races. I believe that the author makes good points here and sets some basic guidelines for a centrist education with multicultural elements.
In the classroom and in public schools, I have witnessed growing diversity over the years. I can recall a time when I was young when there were only Whites and Blacks in school. At that time, there were very few Blacks in school. I can recall only one per class (if even that) all the way up until when I was in the 6th grade. Around 1997, when I was in the 6th grade, I began to notice more diversity. I noticed more Blacks, and even a couple of Hispanics and Asians. By the time I graduated from high school in 2004, there was a considerable population of Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians in school. Nashville and the suburbs that surround it are becoming more and more multicultural every year. I did my student teaching at Hunter's Lane, and the majority of the student population there is Black. Hispanics compose 15% of the student population. There are almost as many Hispanics as there are Whites at that school. A diverse student body such as this needs a centrist education with elements from the multiple cultures that make it up. U.S. History does need to include the history of other races besides that of Whites. When I took Social Studies in school, the only contributions that we ever learned about were those of Whites. We did not learn much about the history of Blacks, Native Americans, Mexican-Americans, or Asians. I believe that in today's multicultural society, students must learn about the history of all races when discussing U.S. History.
In the public schools that I have been in in the past, as both a student and a teacher, the schools have strived to respect the cultures of all students. I believe that schools are used to cultivate productive citizens. Students are taught math, science, English, and social studies in order to grow up into productive adults that can contribute something to society. It is in the best interests of the future of the United States that this happen. I do not believe that the curriculum has been as diverse as it should be. In regards to math and science, I don't see how culture can have any effect on the curriculum. However, in literature and social studies, it can have a great effect. The changes do not need to be too drastic. Students should know some of the great works by American authors, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. Students should know all about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, FDR, and JFK. Students should know what have long been considered the pillars of our culture and history. However, all students should also know of works by minorities. They should study them in school in order to gain insight into the historical perspective of minorities. They should know who Benjamin Banneker, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and Cesar Chavez are. They should know who they are and what they meant for the advancement of minorities. I also believe that we also have a rich, interesting Native American culture that students should learn more about in schools. Students should also learn about the various countries and cultures that make up our world. They should be able to point out where Guatemala or Thailand is on a map. They should also be able to tell you a thing or two about those countries and many more. Students should acquire excellent reading, writing, math, and science skills in school. It will make them productive adults that can compete in tomorrow's job market. They should also receive a diverse education in social studies, in which they learn about the contributions of different cultures to U.S. history and the different countries that make up our world.