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Chapter 5 cultural diversity
Multicultural education in schools
Multicultural education in schools
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Recommended: Chapter 5 cultural diversity
I initially decided to refrain from narrating the life of a person mixed with African American and European heritage because I am a product of the two. I then realized that it would be in my best interest to use my own ethnic backgrounds. My mother is of European heritage and my father is African American. My family never discussed issues regarding race, or the color of our skin. It wasn’t until third grade, that I began feeling pressures from people of single races to form an ethnic identity. My third grade teacher, Mr. Ayo was Swahili. He dressed and acted out his cultural background proudly. He taught us how to count in Swahili, and we even participated in Kwanzaa activities. One day, he asked each class member about their ethnic background …show more content…
Jon12213, a blogger/vlogger on YouTube and BlogSpot HumanRagout, demonstrates this perfectly in his video, 6 Rules With Mixed People. In his video Jon references several instances that many mixed race people relate to. He chooses topics that are aimed toward questioning the authenticity of his ethnic background, as well as popularized aesthetic features accompanied with being mixed (i.e. can I touch your hair?). He uses these scenarios to create guidelines when dealing with mixed people in an attempt to express the negative impact some of these perceptions have on mixed race people. Let it be stated that these rules and guidelines, although may serve a functional purpose, generate criticisms as well. Single race people may find “guidelines” unnecessary and give a perception that mixed people hold themselves to a standard requiring special handling. Mixed race people may also criticize these guidelines, arguing that people have questions and it is perfectly acceptable to …show more content…
While many people consider the integration of ethnic backgrounds a positive change in our countries segregated ideologies, there are others who view interracial relations a sin and a decline in hierarchal race lines (Dalmage 94). This notion is particularly discerning for mixed race people. By some, we are evil, or a product of such. I personally have never been told I was an abomination or a product of sin, and feel this thinking is becoming increasingly outdated. I am, however, not ignorant to the fact that this perspective is not
After reading Alsultany’s “Los Intersticios: Recasting Moving Selves,” I realized that there are many misconceptions among those who have single or mixed racial background. For individuals who have more than one races, it may seem that they are at an advantage since they have luxury to take side with which ever race they choose. However, it actually results in a constant aggravation when one is constantly questioned about their race. Alsultany was asked by her classmate about her racial background. It was apparent that her classmate confirmed in her mind that Alsultany was different from her since she didn’t supposedly fit the description of a typical American, despite mentioning that she was born and raised in the U.S. This further strengthened
One of Beverly Tatum's major topics of discussion is racial identity. Racial identity is the meaning each of us has constructed or is constructing about what it means to be a white person or a person of color in a race-conscious society. (Tatum, pp Xvii) She talks about how many parents hesitate to talk to their children about racism because of embarrassment and the awkwardness of the subject. I agree with her when she says that parents don't want to talk about racism when they don't see a problem. They don't want to create fear or racism where none may exist. It is touchy subject because if not gone about right, you can perhaps steer someone the wrong way. Another theory she has on racial identity is that other people are the mirror in which we see ourselves. (tatum pp18) 'The parts of our identity that do capture our attention are those that other people notice, and that reflects back to us.'; (Tatum pp21) What she means by this is that what other people tell us we are like is what we believe. If you are told you are stupid enough you might start to question your intelligence. When people are searching for their identity normally the questions 'who am I now?'; 'Who was I before?'; and 'who will I become'; are the first that come to mind. When a person starts to answer these questions their answers will influence their beliefs, type of work, where they may live, partners, as well as morals. She also mentions an experiment where she asked her students to describe themselves in sixty seconds. Most used descriptive words like friendly, shy, intelligent, but students of color usually state there racial or ethnic group, while white students rarely, if ever mention that they are white. Women usually mention that they are female while males usually don't think to say that they are males. The same situation appeared to take place when the topic of religious beliefs came up. The Jewish students mentioned being Je...
Race and ethnicity is a main factor in the way we identify others and ourselves. The real question here is does race/ethnicity still matter in the U.S.? For some groups race is not a factor that affects them greatly and for others it is a constant occurrence in their mind. But how do people of mix race reacts to this concept, do they feel greatly affected by their race? This is the question we will answer throughout the paper. I will first examine the battle of interracial relationship throughout history and explain how the history greatly explains the importance of being multiracial today. This includes the backlash and cruelty towards interracial couple and their multiracial children. Being part of a multiracial group still contains its impact in today’s society; therefore race still remaining to matter to this group in the U.S. People who place themselves in this category are constantly conflicted with more than one cultural backgrounds and often have difficulty to be accepted.
Living in a world where African Americans are judged because of their skin color, while whites are passed by with no other thought is confusing. What do people think when they see me? I am biracial, and because of this, I’ve faced the struggle of having to explain my races to those who can’t tell, or just make an incorrect assumption. It’s not a bad thing, having two races and two cultures, because I’ve been open to multiple traditions my entire life, but sometimes it’s hard not being considered a whole person because I’m not considered one race or the other. Being biracial has shaped my life experience and the way I see the world in countless ways.
One’s cultural identity consists of their race, gender, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and so on. Being aware of your own cultural identity is just as important as being aware of other’s. People’s cultural identity defines who they are, the privilege (or lack of privilege) they receive, and how society views them. It is important to understand that White individuals have more privileges than individuals of color. White individuals do not experience detriment and difficulties due specifically to their skin color and instead receive advantages. White privilege is defined as benefits that white individuals have that people of color do not (Kendall, 2012). The following walks through my personal cultural background, how it was shaped, defined, and developed, and limitations to my personal competencies.
While I never knew my father, I did grow to know the challenges faced by African Americans. I first began to feel different when I transferred from public to private middle school. People began asking about my ethnicity for the first time in my life. Until this time, it had never seemed important. Although I had never been overly fond of my curly hair, it, along with other traits deemed too 'ethnic' looking, now became a source of shame. I had a few not so affectionate nicknames because of those curls. I was shocked to realize that people considered me different or less desirable because of these physical traits. Being turned away from an open house in my twenties was just as shocking as being ...
I wanted to wear brand clothes/shoes they did, I wanted to do my hair like them, and make good grades like them. I wanted to fit in. My cultural identify took a back seat. But it was not long before I felt black and white did not mix. I must have heard too many comments asking to speak Haitian or I do not look Haitian, but more than that, I am black, so I always had to answer question about my hair or why my nose is big, and that I talked white. This feeling carried on to high school because the questions never went away and the distance between me and them grew larger. There was not much action my family could take for those moments in my life, but shared their encounters or conversations to show me I was not alone in dealing with people of other background. I surrounded myself with less white people and more people of color and today, not much has
Upon entering the class I was anxious, curious, and also oblivious to the ideas I would be encountering. Like other students who had not previously spent time discussing topics of race and ethnicity, I myself had nervous tendencies in assuming that such a class may not strengthen my understanding of ethnic and race relations. I realized I knew little about race or ethnicity, and even the possible similarities or differences. However, I welcomed the opportunity to further discover the possibilities of the class. My understanding of race was concentrated in a definition that could be understood as different skin colors. My limited conception of ethnicity applied to people’s origin or where they lived. It seemed as though my lack of knowledge was contributed by my lack of concern for such to...
Ethnical ambiguity is my specialty. Since I was a child, I have always been mistaken for either being Mexican or Indian. At first I enjoyed the puzzled faces, but experience has taught me the dangers of racial profiling. There is an apparent juxtaposition between my high school and my university. I lived in a predominantly Spanish-speaking area and also attended a diverse high school. This was a privilege and at the time, I did not realize how lucky I was to be learn cultural competency without actively seeking it. In college, I am surrounded by people of similar traditions, upbringings, and mentalities. Transitioning from a suburban, diverse high school to a rural, predominantly white institution generated a culture shock. I was accustomed
Everyone is raised within a culture with a set of customs and morals handed down by those generations before them. Most individual’s view and experience identity in different ways. During history, different ethnic groups have struggled with finding their place within society. In the mid-nineteen hundreds, African Americans faced a great deal of political and social discrimination based on the tone of their skin. After the Civil Rights Movement, many African Americans no longer wanted to be identified by their African American lifestyle, so they began to practice African culture by taking on African hairdos, African-influenced clothing, and adopting African names. By turning away from their roots, many African Americans embraced a culture that was not inherited, thus putting behind the unique and significant characteristics of their own inherited culture. Therefore, in an African American society, a search for self identity is a pervasive theme.
The purpose of this assignment was to interview someone who is more than 30 years of age and who is of a different race than oneself. Research on the person being interviewed ethnic background had to be conduct, in addition to, materials covered in class and previous experiences were compiled into 7-10 open ended questions that were discussed during the interview. Below you would see the seven interview questions that were discussed, the answers given, and a biographical piece that bring everything together.
Growing up my family taught me what my cultural beliefs should be. We did things together and I lived in an area where the majority was of African American descent.
Reflecting directly on the cultural attitudes and sociocultural messages explained throughout this course, it is clear that race, gender, and sexuality are all socially constructed in one way or another. Contrary to popular belief, race is actually almost completely socially constructed, it is not biological. Further, a human’s DNA does not differentiate at all to create any specific race. However, society has categorized certain things, such as skin color, to determine the race of individuals. In simpler terms, there are not specific genes that parents pass on to their offspring that determine their race; society categorizes people into specific races when they are born based on their
African American people have been oppressed for hundreds of years. Slavery was a significant time period when African/African American individuals endured massive oppression, which refers to the feeling of being deprived of their human rights and dignity (Reed, 2016). Knowing that my ancestors had to conceal their feelings along with their cultural values, makes me feel more entitled to express my ethnic identity as an African American woman. My ethnic identity has increase my sense of belongingness because it gives me the ability to share and live amongst individuals with the same physical appearance and in some cases, the same obstacles. Society has placed its’ social norms on modern day women, which allows men to make more for the same labor, or that stop successful women from achieving their goals by installing the glass ceiling. However, there is a higher increase of risk for African American women, such as decrease in the male head of household, along with urbanization. Which caused African American women to work long hours that resulted in a devastating shift in the family structure (Reed, 2016). Past, present and current experiences of African American women is why my ethnic identity is so important to me, because it is used as a constant reminder of the struggles that I have to overcome for my daughter and the generation after
In an article called “Colorblindness the new racism by Afi Scruggs, she talks about a young African American student named Wooten who had to do a project on his heritage. One problem of the biggest problems that Wooten faced was that he was unaware of African heritage. In class, he would mostly learn about European descent and the majority of the students in his class were of African descent. Wooten was confused on what to talk about because he never learned about