Diversity & Multiculturalism (Post #3)

During the earliest years of American Public Schools, there was an objective to "Americanize" students.  People wanted to try and develop an image and lifestyle unique to the new world.  "Americanizing" ones self existed in schools, religion, and cultural hobbies.  By teaching students contributions of other cultures, would be going backwards in the eyes of early educators.  Early settlers wanted to break ties of their old ways of living and start anew.

During the 1960s, America changed its approach toward teaching multicultural history.  However, many people viewed the cultural curriculum as an anti-white message.  I teach high school world geography and I view our curriculum as being very diverse.  Our textbook and curriculum standards take a look at the modern world and make comparisons among cultural differences, as well as teaching historical perspectives of cultural differences and how those influences shape difference societies.

In "Pithissippi Burning," it addresses a disturbing group of individuals that show no respect to all of mankind.  They have hatred towards the government, Jews, African Americans, and Hispanics.  Pithissippi Burning discusses a hate group that fears the end of what is called, "White America."  Our country is comprised of a melting pot of immigrants from around the world.  I understand there will always be hate groups, but it's always unsettling to be reminded that so many people have so much unnecessary hate.  In the article "Why Multiculturalism is Wrong," it addresses a trend in Europe that views multiculturalism as being a bad thing.  Some students are categorized into certain "culture" groups and are labeled as a certain culture, although they have no ties to that culture that the country dubbed them to be.

In the end people will always be unhappy or will find something to complain about.  I feel that we should continue to promote multiculturalism in our country.  A great song that represents our melting pot of a country is "Welcome to the Future" by Brad Paisley.  I highly recommend listening to it.  It will give you goosebumps thinking about how far we've come as a society to dealing with diversity and accepting everyone equally as human beings.