For me multicultural literature serves as a powerful tool in enabling students to gain a better

understanding of both their own culture and the cultures of others. Through this deeper knowledge,
relationships can be strengthened, bridging the gap between students from diverse cultural
backgrounds the ability to understand and appreciate the parallels and differences between customs,
values, and beliefs of your culture and a different culture. Sensitively and respectfully communicate with
persons of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Use basic conflict resolution and negotiation skills. Use
effective strategies to address and eliminate discrimination and bias in the workplace. Cultivate cultural
curiosity. If one looks for them, there are multiple opportunities to learn about other cultures at work
and in other environments, such as on holiday. At work, people tend to sit for lunch with people from
their own culture that’s a habit that can easily be broken with forethought. On holiday, we tend to have
very shallow interactions with locals, but taking an interest in their culture is almost always rewarded
with a warm response. If we ask the coachee/ mentee to recommend a few books, which have been
translated from their language into yours and read them with an eye to what you can learn about that
culture.
Practice cultural empathy. This requires moving beyond intellectual curiosity to engaging with and
appreciating the richness of the other culture. Asking oneself the question: “If I had grown up in that
culture, how would I be looking at this issue?” Multicultural education values different student cultures
and prepares students to thrive in a diverse world. At its core, multicultural education fosters equality,
justice, and equity, and it establishes the reality of philosophical ideals in classroom environments.
Think beyond race and ethnicity. A person’s culture is shaped by more than the color of their skin or the
way that they dress. It’s shaped by the person’s life experiences and traditions, which may be seen or
unseen to the naked eye.

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