Multiculturalism

In the “Pithissippi Burning” blog entry, it was very disturbing and scary, as always, to read about individuals so filled with hate that they are willing to do harm to others simply because of their race and/or beliefs. The author states, “In the next 50 years, white culture (such as it is) will cease to be the dominating force in the American landscape.” The author then ponders, “…how to move forward with this kind of social and cultural integration.”¹ I believe that the answer would be to incorporate a multicultural education within our classrooms; to teach tolerance, encourage diversity, and respect for all.

In the article, “Why Multiculturalism is Wrong,” I feel like I view the term “multiculturalism” differently than the author. I was at first confused by the statement, “[Multiculturalism] limits freedom, it limits possibility, and it limits possible futures.”² In our continuously shrinking world, I see opportunities and broken down barriers that didn’t always exist. After reading more of this article, I will take away [whether it was the intention of the author or not] the dangers of assumptions. It is dangerous to assume the culture of a student just because the student is from a specific state, country, or race. As a teacher, knowing and understanding our students can help in knowing how the students learn best. Family, gender, religion, society roles, etc are emphasized differently around the world. Various cultures value education differently.

I believe that we should teach our students to be open-minded and aware of the world around them. I believe that in order for our students to succeed in our global economy/society, students must be sensitive to the fact that every culture is different. Multicultural activities should not just take place in the classroom during holidays or during Black History month. Multicultural resources, lessons, and activities should be used on a consistent basis in order to establish a classroom multicultural philosophy.

I do not agree with the author, Samuel Taylor, when he states that a multicultural education in American History classes would lead students to believe “…that nothing is certain, that their nation’s past is all paradoxes and unsolved problems.”³ Multicultural education instills empathy, respect, and an understanding of others. It helps students to know what it would feel like to walk in another’s shoes. Through multicultural education, students will be able to find similarities and differences between their culture and their classmates’ culture. They will be able to determine their own view point of history.

I recently read the book, The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, by young adult librarian, Margaret A. Edwards. In this book she explained her purpose as a librarian. I hope that one day I can say that I helped a student to view the world the way that Mrs. Edwards wanted her young adults to view the world: as members of one race -the human race- and citizens of one planet –earth.<sup>4


1</sup>Tobia, P. J. (2009, February 23). Pithissippi Burning: Race, White Nationalism and American Culture. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/pitw/2009/02/pithissippi_burning_an_essay_o.php.

²Treanor, P. (n.d.). Why multiculturalism is wrong. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from http://web.inter.nl.net/users/Paul.Treanor/multicult.html.

³Taylor, S. (n.d.). The challenge of ‘multiculturalism’ in how Americans view the past and the future. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v12/v12p159_Taylor.html.

⁴Edwards, M. (2002). The fair garden and the swarm of beasts. Chicago: American Library Association.