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How Multicultural a Teacher Are You Prepared to Be?Changes in immigration law, enacted during the Kennedy years, are drasticallyaltering classroom realities across America. The immigrant children flooding intoour schools are no longer principally of European stock. Instead they herald fromevery corner of the world. And both their cultural beliefs and practices offerbewildering and conflicting variety.As prime socializers of the young, teachers are particularly challenged by thisextraordinary growth in the nation's diversity. They wonder how they should dealwith the fact that the very first world society is struggling to be born in theirclassrooms.The problems posed by his unprecedented event are very real. Often, however, allthese blooded frontline warriors are offered in the way of help is warm, fuzzyhumbug from pedagogical staff officers safe in the rear.Those in the trenches agonize over new and challenging realities. What should theydo when Cambodian-American and Vietnamese-American children refuse to sittogether, much less work together? How should they react when kids come to schoolwith parentally shaved heads, the results of attempts to shame the child intosubmission? How should they react when a student tells them she is going to runaway, rather than marry the middle aged man her parents picked for her? Meanwhilerear echelon school commandos crank out propaganda about the school district beinga rainbow where "you can be you and I can be me." Would that it were that easy.Why can't our public schools be one big happy family where everyone just getsalong? Because the various cultural values and behaviors brought into theschoolhouse are often at odds with one another. And because some of these valuesand behaviors are incompatible with basic American values, including the verytolerance that makes multiculturalism possible in the first place.Advocates of multicultural education argue that the United States should no longerbe a melting pot, but a salad bowl. The salad bowl simile has much to commend it.But it is important to remember that one doesn't make a palatable salad by justthrowing whatever is at hand into the bowl willy-nilly. Some flavors and texturesgo well together; others do not. Remember too that the American "salad" is alreadywell along, so we should ask if what is added complements the pre- existingingredients.Some advocates of "multicultural education" do not seem to deeply consider whatimmigrants might bring with them from their native land. That's why they are soenthusiastic about the possibilities of easy tolerance. Consider, for example,that some cultures define themselves in terms of their animosity for othercultures. What happens when these antagonistic cultures collide in the classroom?A teacher just told me of a class where children from two antagonistic culturesrefused to sit together, much less work together. In fact, when she turned herback to write on the board they began hissing one another. Clearly even the mostardent multiculturalist doesn't want the teacher to respond to such behavior bysaying something like, "See how these kids hate one another? They are expressingtheir respective cultures. Isn't that great!" At this point of mutual antagonismrespect for these cultures has to give way to a non-negotiable demand fortolerance. Otherwise, multicultural education will die by its own hand. But howmany advocates of multicultural education have even thought about this sort ofclash?Similarly, many cultures tolerate, even endorse, boys treating girls as inferior
 
beings -- representatives of a subordinate sex. This is part of a broader culturalpattern of regarding women as inferior members of the human race. Should the hard-won rights of U.S. females give way to a desire to accommodate culturaldifference?This is not an argument for Pat Buchanan-style jingoism. Certainly a child'snative language and culture can be a wonderful resource for them as individuals --particularly if they aren't female, homosexual, or handicapped. And selectedaspects of foreign cultures can be of great value for America as a nation. (Wehardly have a corner on wisdom.) Nevertheless, many imported cultural beliefs andpractices must be discouraged if, for example, we value free and unfetteredexpression, think that women's rights should equal those of men, or hold thathomosexuals should at least be left alone.And who says that cultural background is the sine qua non for classifying kids tobegin with? Every one of us has many different characteristics, only some of whichare linked to our culture(s) of origin. Consider a child with the followingcharacteristics:FemaleStudies hardSelf-disciplinedLoves to play the violinWrites wellHates algebraSpeaks limited SpanishHas one parent from MexicoWhy should this young lady's one-sided affiliation with Mexican culture be thecharacteristic educators zero in on? Is that more worthy of consideration oraccommodation than her love for the violin or her talent for writing?Besides, not all students want to be defined by their parents' cultural practicesand affiliations. Some kids long to escape into mainstream America. In support ofmulticulturalism, should educators join forces with their parents to keep them inthe Old World fold? Suppose, for instance, a young lady confides to her teacherthat she is going to run away with the American boyfriend she loves, rather thanmarry the mid- dle-aged man her parents picked for her, as is their culture'scustom. Should the teacher tell the parents? More generally, if old ways start todie in a new land, is it the job of educators to try to keep them alive?The hard core in all this is that multicultural education has limits. And that'sthe point of the table that follows. To help you explore where you would placethose limits. Here is how it works. Rate each of the listed cultural beliefs orpractices in terms of how you think educators should deal with them. Use thelisted choices. If, for example, members of child's native culture eat dogs andcats for food, decide if educators should:celebrate it -- have assemblies praising, provide ceremonial expression for,favorably publicize?
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