Multicultural Education

J. Napier-Faeih

Multicultural education is an important development for today's world and citizens must implement it now at every level. The world is always changing. Political boundaries are in a constant state of flux and it is so much easier to visit different cultures than ever before. The ethnic groups to which people belong are no longer as isolated as they once were.

Television has given us a much broader view of the world around us. Viewers are able to transport themselves to such places a Borneo, Saudi Arabia, or the Amazon with just a click of a switch. Global communication has become a reality in just a few generations. Immigration is increasing and world citizens are forced to face the plights that people in other nations suffer. The world is indeed, one race - human.

Humanity is recognizing its global nature, and the next step is understanding one another. America is not a melting pot where all people blend in and become a homogeneous mixture of goo. Citizens are much more like a rich fruitcake in which the yellow of the pineapple contrasts with the brightly colored cherries and the rich hues of the raisins. People come together to form one world but they retain their individual flavors. Cultural identity is never lost because all must work and live together. It behooves all to explore and learn each other's beliefs and ways of life. Perhaps by doing so, society can prevent further episodes of human suffering, such as the holocaust and the internments, which are bred of ignorance, fear, and hatred.

The school setting is an excellent facilitator providing the prefect environment for learning from and about one another. Schools, by their very nature, can and often do contain diverse populations of students. Public schools, as well as private, may contain Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and children of other wonderful origins. All children have a voice and a story and teachers must all hear and understand in order to bring harmony into this world. It is in this rich, diverse setting that children will have one of the greatest opportunities to hear and share those voices.

Schools can help students develop good gender, social, racial, and cultural identities. All people have many different roles in life and can learn about the wonderful diversity of life. Children can gain a positive awareness of their membership in many different groups, while maintaining their identity with the larger societal group. It is also hoped that by learning about their own as well as other people's cultural groups, they will gain a new respect and appreciation for the ways in which other cultural groups live. Adults must help children develop a sense of social responsibility so they will be concerned about issues or situations that happen outside their immediate cultural sphere.

Society has no room for continued prejudices as citizens move forward into the twenty-first century. We know we must gain a multi-cultural sensitivity and carry it over into our daily lives. The question then becomes: how can we teach our children, as well as ourselves, to be culturally aware and unafraid of others who are different one way or another. It is imperative that we embrace diversity with respect and a desire to learn more about others.

Multicultural education has been defined in several different ways and there is no simple correct definition. It has been defined as "promoting a more in depth understanding of other cultures that exist with-in our own society." (Pugh, Garcia, and Margalef-Boada, 1994, 62) It has also been defined as making sure that minority children get the same educational opportunities as majority children, and to look for issues that may hinder the process of learning. It is very important for the classroom teacher to foster an awareness of the dynamic interplay and the connection of the many different cultural groups. People are all connected together in that they are all of one-world, and yet, people are separate by our belonging to specific groups.

Multicultural education can be approached in a number of different ways depending on the age or maturity levels of the students. Primary age children enjoy exploring other people through food. They can sample several foods from another culture or country and discuss it. Because of the simplistic nature of this approach it would be best for a pre-kindergarten level classroom and could be used to lay the foundation for multicultural education I the years to come. Another good place to begin would be an all-school festival. This helps to develop student awareness and appreciation of other cultures worldwide. It could also be used to help students learn how the rest of the world celebrates different holidays. It is critical to bear in mind that for multicultural education to become effective, it must be done throughout the year, not just once in awhile. Simply exploring foods of holidays once or twice a year will not suffice.

Trade books can be extremely effective tools for teaching multicultural education. Videos, posters, and the books that are included in classroom libraries can show the consistent commitment to teaching and learning about cultural diversity. Trade books include fiction, biographies, historical accounts, and poetry. Good selections can offer a realistic treatment of the issues they reflect and help put the reader into the shoes of the cultural member about whom they are reading. They may portray minority and/or ethnic groups, interaction between groups, plural membership in groups, cross cultural relations, issues among various groups, and finally, a global perspective.

Good trade books avoid negative stereotypes and give both the positive and negative portrayals of the culture being studied. They will include biographies of famous people are well as lesser-known individuals. Not everyone is famous and by reading about a "regular" person, the student will be able to identify with that person and problem much easier. Trade books may also address issues or themes that involve group interactions, an example of which would be the African-American slaves and the Caucasian slave owners. These books can also help children remember that they belong to the world, not just one culture or nation.

Authors of cultural trade books should be from the culture they are writing about or they should be written in the "voices of the individuals whose experience they seek to address." (Alexander, 1994, p.266) It is important for the tone and setting to be as accurate as possible so the child can have an experience with the book that will be as realistic as possible. Interesting, well-written trade books can help students make a connection between their lives, other's lives, and themes in society. (Alexander, 1994, p.267) Books can allow children to have and identify with experiences in the safety of their own homes or the classroom. A well-written book can provoke deep thought about a certain subject and lead to discussion in class. Discussions themselves can aid students into understanding how different or similar all people are to one another.

Another aspect of multicultural education is more uncomfortable. People must portray history accurately. Stories of intolerance, fear, distrust, and violence must be taught and examined. Children need to know that involuntary immigration and assimilation have occurred. It is hoped by doing so; this will increase tolerance, respect, and cross-cultural understanding. Children need to be allowed to explore these issues in the safe environment of the classroom. They can read stories of people like themselves who have overcome cruelty and injustice and then gone on to take their place in history.

Multicultural education is not without pitfalls. Not much is taught about religion, except, that is, when the religion is Judaism. Judaism has been set in a center state because of the horrors of the holocaust and the formation of the Jewish state, Israel. Nothing has been written about all the Muslims and other non-Jews who were killed along side the Jews during Hitler's reign of terror. The popular press has portrayed Muslims as dangerous people to be feared when in reality, the vast majority of Muslims are quite peaceful. One has only to watch the many movies that portray Muslims as terrorists to see that they are going to be the next victims of worldwide prejudice. Where are the compassion and tolerance for the mainstream Muslims that multicultural education espouses?

A multicultural education curriculum has a long way to go before it is finished. It must be added to a perfected. Perhaps one day, the world will be able to shed it's prejudices and fears and truly accept one another for the beauty and gifts that each has been given.

In today's global community, teaching multiculturalism is an essential duty that must be undertaken by every teacher at every school. Happily, cultural isolation is becoming a thing of the past. In order for children to be able to progress harmoniously through this life, restraints formally tolerated or imposed by societal attitudes must be done away with. Instead of looking the other way when faced with differences, educators must seize the initiative and celebrate cultural diversity.

As Socrates said, "We are all citizens of the world." People share the universe, globe, countries, cities, and schools. By teaching multiculturalism from pre-kindergarten on, the doors open for all of us to benefit from one another, to feel positive about one another and to live in peace. When people learn that members of different groups are just as valid as themselves, perhaps large groups of automatically preconceived losers in the world will vanish. Negative stereotypes such as "all Mexicans are lazy" will not longer exist. Everyone will gain when the lesson learned is not to diminish the value of a person out of hand.

REFERENCES

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Warren, D. (1992, Spring). Teachers for the real world. Education. 112(3), 324-329.

Please email me with your favorite classroom books which promote multiculturalism!