Immigration
Upon reflecting over the debates concerning the need to incorporate curriculum that is multicultural, the issue has far more implications and adjustments than realized. Though I agree with inclusivity, I’m concerned with the manner of how this should take place. Will learning a foreign language be a part of the requirements to teach in public schools? Will the students of the dominant culture lose or be disconnected from American History (past/present) as we know it for the sake of diversity? How can we protect English only speaking educational leaders from unfair job opportunities and discrimination during this new immigration movement? In my opinion these are valid interests that could shape the very fiber of education and centralized schooling. But in order to abide by the very laws created by the United States in our constitution we must seek to explore ways in which school officials can affectively incorporate what’s fast becoming a new immigration. The dominant culture will always be the determining factor for why ratification and reconstruction of the current educational system is at hand. The possibility of losing one’s ethnic identity or cultural relevance by accommodating other races is highly unlikely. In fact, the room to edify or enhance ones communal ethnos would increase with the implementation of educational materials that teach and welcome multiculturalism. According to the Core Knowledge Foundation such a program is plausible. Classroom learning cannot go forward effectively unless all students in the class share some common points of reference. A consensus is building in the United States that this shared, school-based knowledge should be (especially in the areas of history and literature) far more multicultural than it has been in the past. It is possible, of course, to hold a kind of dual citizenship, to be part of both one's particular ethnos and the larger cosmopolis. The difficulty begins only when one asserts the mutual exclusivity of ethnos and cosmopolis. (Hirsch Jr., 1992) As long as humanity continues to procreate new ethnicities and races are being born. Therefore the call to reform American education is urgent.
Reference
E. D. Hirsch, Jr. (1992). Core Knowledge Foundation. Toward a Centrist Curriculum:
Two Kinds of Multiculturalism in Elementary School. Website retrieved from
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133313
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Blog #3 Multicultralism
A 'multi-cultural society' oppresses migrants. Despite what you have been told at school (and at home), it is simply not necessary to have "culture". Far from being sacred, it is a political choice, a choice advocated by nationalists.(Nation Planet,n.d). This phrase strikes a certain truth if you analyze its content. When the author says there is no need to have culture, my mind see this as an avenue for a nation to welcome the sacredness of one’s culture without mandating laws that impose or force others to embrace its principals. For instance, an English speaking educator should not have to learn to speak Spanish in order to accommodate those few students who speak the language. However; the benefits of being bilingual are far more precedent now with the reward of effective communication and lends a helping hand to an entire community and vice versa. In order for us to live in a world that has become increasingly diverse, we must respect the decision of others not to conform to another’s culture in non discriminatory, abusive ill manners. The writer raised a concern that this could very well be used a political maneuver to re-segregate nations of people keeping them bound by their own cultural contract.
From the history perspective of multiculturalism in American history Samuel Taylor in his article The Challenge of 'Multiculturalism' In How Americans View the Past and the Future had some interesting arguments that are relevant as it pertains to diversity. He said "Multicultural" history was therefore to be a broader, more inclusive history that would give every American his rightful share of America's past. At the same time, "culturally relevant" history would keep blacks and Hispanics in school and stop them from dropping out at ever-increasing rates. (Journal of Historical Review, vol. 12) There were more underlying issues than textbook history that impacted the dropout rate of blacks and Hispanics but for the sake of this blog, his assumption is noted. Why not include histories from different cultures in textbooks as some immigrants and natives would not be here if land had not been taken, generations murdered and human rights destroyed. For K-12 the indoctrination of how they came to become Americans should be important enough to dedicate a couple of chapters to. At the college level institutions ought to offer courses that will allow further study into a specific culture as an enhancer, affirmation of relevance and professional development in order for persons to make successful attributions to our society.
Books like The Brigade and The Turner Diaries have their place on the shelves in the homes and libraries of people who believe that America should continue to be dominated by Euro-centric ideology and all other races and cultures should be destroyed. It’s very books like this that ignite the fire of people born and bred to hate and conquer all other nationalities that don’t look like them. Yes, it is true that Whites are becoming the minority but not because another race is taking control of the world or forcing them into slavery but because the world has become neither black nor white but a mix of colors that could eventually only be defined not by culture, race but simply humanity.
References
Why Multiculturalism is Wrong (n.d.) Nation Planets. Website retrieved from
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133307
Samuel Taylor (n.d.). Institute for Historical Review The Challenge of 'Multiculturalism' In How Americans View the Past and the Future. Source: Reprinted from The Journal of Historical Review, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 159-165. Website retrieved from
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133305
From the history perspective of multiculturalism in American history Samuel Taylor in his article The Challenge of 'Multiculturalism' In How Americans View the Past and the Future had some interesting arguments that are relevant as it pertains to diversity. He said "Multicultural" history was therefore to be a broader, more inclusive history that would give every American his rightful share of America's past. At the same time, "culturally relevant" history would keep blacks and Hispanics in school and stop them from dropping out at ever-increasing rates. (Journal of Historical Review, vol. 12) There were more underlying issues than textbook history that impacted the dropout rate of blacks and Hispanics but for the sake of this blog, his assumption is noted. Why not include histories from different cultures in textbooks as some immigrants and natives would not be here if land had not been taken, generations murdered and human rights destroyed. For K-12 the indoctrination of how they came to become Americans should be important enough to dedicate a couple of chapters to. At the college level institutions ought to offer courses that will allow further study into a specific culture as an enhancer, affirmation of relevance and professional development in order for persons to make successful attributions to our society.
Books like The Brigade and The Turner Diaries have their place on the shelves in the homes and libraries of people who believe that America should continue to be dominated by Euro-centric ideology and all other races and cultures should be destroyed. It’s very books like this that ignite the fire of people born and bred to hate and conquer all other nationalities that don’t look like them. Yes, it is true that Whites are becoming the minority but not because another race is taking control of the world or forcing them into slavery but because the world has become neither black nor white but a mix of colors that could eventually only be defined not by culture, race but simply humanity.
References
Why Multiculturalism is Wrong (n.d.) Nation Planets. Website retrieved from
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133307
Samuel Taylor (n.d.). Institute for Historical Review The Challenge of 'Multiculturalism' In How Americans View the Past and the Future. Source: Reprinted from The Journal of Historical Review, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 159-165. Website retrieved from
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133305
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)