Having grown up in south Nashville, I experienced a wide range of diversity in school. Many of my elementary school classmates were Laotion or of some Asian decent. I can remember them leaving class a couple times a week to go to ESL (English as a Second Language). The ESL teacher was an older Laotion lady and she would get upset when her students would teach their friends some of the words and phrases from their native language. They would always say "make sure Miss 'So and So' doesn't hear you say it in the hallway." I can also remember some of my friends changing their names to more "American" sounding names around 3rd and 4th grade. It was difficult getting accustomed to calling someone a different name from the one you had always referred to them as. Once I entered middle school, I encountered even more cultures and races. There was a very small Hispanic representation, compared to the way it is now in schools I use to attend.
We would have different programs throughout the year where we would learn the customs of the different cultures we had at our school. This was a time when we had the opportunity to see our classmates dressed in their native attire. They would share history, dance, and bring food, in an effort to raise appreciation for their traditions. I believe it worked because children seem to be fascinated by things they do not usually get to experience. Waxler offers a very helpful perspective on teaching multiculturalism in the classroom. He believes that all races can be taught simultaneously while dealing with different eras in history. I also agree that this could be a beneficial technique. Rather than solely focus on one particular race, the children can choose from a number of nationalities, to explore various topics, depending on the time frame being studied.
The "Toward a Centrist Curriculum: Two Kinds of Multiculturalism in Elementary School" article discussed two different types of multiculturalism. One type is referred to as "Cosmopolis" coming from the word Cosmopolitan, which means being a citizen of the world and a member of humanity as a whole. However, ethnic loyalist believe that "each culture has a duty to preserve its own identity against the larger cosmopolis." They fear the thought of losing their individual cultural identity. One argument against them was that teaching culture should not be a priority for a student who is struggling in areas such a math and science. I must agree, as I mentioned in a discussion post for class, academics should come 1st. I feel that more time could placed into teaching other vital subjects. As children develop, they may or may not seek to learn more about their culture, or the cultures around them. It all depends on how important it is to that individual.
References:
Hirsch, E.D. (n.d.). Toward a centrist curriculum: Two kinds of multiculturalism in elementary school. Retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133313
Waxler, A. (n.d.). Multiculturalism in school curriculum. Retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133312
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