America is frequently called a melting pot because a wide range of cultures have influenced American society so that there is no specific American identity. This presence of many identities is part of what makes American culture so interesting. These components are now widely studied and analyzed in schools, which is important to our understanding of the American “identity”. However, the effectiveness of these academic disciplines has been questioned by many scholars who believe that educating students on specific cultures harms society. Arthur Schlesinger and James A. Banks both discuss the effects of multicultural education in schools (and its effects on society as a whole), but Banks’ argument is more valid because it effectively shows …show more content…
that these ethnic studies do not harm this country’s educational system and are therefore, not harmful to our sense of “Americanness”. Arthur Schlesinger indicates that multicultural education, which includes African American studies, will ultimately have a negative effect on both education and society. He explains that by teaching different ethnic disciplines, we are effectively separating the races and tarnishing the American identity. For example, he writes, “On every side today ethnicity is the cause of the breaking of nations” (Schlesinger, 212). This supports the idea that educating students on specific ethnic backgrounds will chip away at society because it causes a separation of the races rather than supporting one common American image. In other words, society is essentially segregating itself again. However, Schlesinger’s unwillingness to include all races in the image of the American man can be seen as a weakness in his argument. For example, he encourages the supremacy of a traditional literary canon but he fails to acknowledge that the authors that he considers traditional are not diverse and do not argue important multicultural issues. The lack of diversity here could be a form of oppression in that he is ignorant of the importance of non-European ethnicities. If authors such as Langston Hughes were included in this canon, a more diversified group of authors would be created and new views and experiences would be represented. Another example of Schlesinger’s weakness is his ignorance of oral tradition. Oral tradition, such as stories, folklore, and songs, make up a significant part of our understanding of American history. Schlesinger only accounts for the written histories and therefore leaves out many pertinent components of history. By avoiding the importance of oral history, he essentially implies that any groups of people that do not have a written history inevitably lack a sense of culture. This lack of attention towards oral history coincides with his bias toward Eurocentrism in that European history is mostly written while many other cultures rely on storytelling and folklore to record history. Schlesinger continues to display weaknesses in his argument with bias toward European history. Specifically, he claims that African Americans rarely feel cultural ties to Africa. By saying this, he does not account for the slaves who lived in this country and passed down their cultures over time. He pays no attention to the fact that many slaves who were brought to this country were not brought here willingly and probably had very strong ties to Africa. In other words, these people did not necessarily desire to be assimilated into our society. Instead, they had our society thrust upon them and were told to conform to it. As a result, American culture was made into a mixture of various cultures and multicultural education allows students to understand many facets of American culture. Because of his lack of attention to all of the cultural aspects of society, Schlesinger fails to prove that multicultural education is harmful to America. On the other hand, James A. Banks successfully shows how multicultural education is helpful to our understanding of American society. Oppositely from Schlesinger, James A. Banks believes that multicultural education allows students to have the equal chance to learn and enables all students despite race, social class, or ethnicity. According to him, this is an important step in the preparation of young people to be able to live and work in America’s ever changing society. For example, Banks says that “…transformative scholars view knowledge as related to the cultural experiences of individuals and groups” (Banks, 394). His argument shows that multicultural studies are vital to our educational system because it allows people to break away from the mainstream understanding of history and connect to the parts of history that are typically written off by scholars. This way, students are able to contemplate how various parts of society actually work, rather than rely on the information given to them by Eurocentric voices. This is important because instead of encouraging students to conform, transformative academics urge them to think critically and establish their own understanding of society. Furthermore, non-traditional studies like African American studies are equally important as the commonly accepted and understood Eurocentric studies, even though minority studies are generally ignored or underappreciated. For example, scholars tend to ignore research done in African American colleges, but it is important that studies done in these schools are honored in the same way as research from traditional schools. Transformative studies, such as African American studies, have changed the way scholars think about mainstream studies. This is important because even though many scholars still consider transformative studies inferior, they do consider the disciplines acceptable theories. Perhaps this is taking our society one step closer to realizing that transformative studies are fundamental parts of mainstream society and are equally as important as typically American studies. Although these two works are distinctly different, they both refer to the “other”, or the group of people that are not specifically considered part of the American image.
Both authors agree that minority groups are somewhat ignored by the greater community. The difference lies in the ways the authors discuss the “other” group. Schlesinger agrees that the minority is generally feared, but he does not explain why the minority should not be feared. As a matter of fact, he disregards the minority completely because he advocates the assimilation of all people rather than appreciation of the differences in social groups. He says that the mixing of social groups will have a negative effect on the future of America, but he evidently does not approve of the separation of cultures either. Banks does a better job of showing how the “other” groups are neglected and even mistreated because he discusses subjects like slavery that are ignored by Schlesinger. His specific examples in history such as, “…the forced removal of American Indians from native lands, segregation, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II” (Banks, 395) are representative of parts of history that come from some of the minority groups in America. These references are important because although they are major components of American history, they are also major components of histories from other cultures within our nation. Another difference between the two authors is that Schlesinger wants minority groups to accept their negative pasts, while Banks wants people from those groups to understand why their negative pasts are important today. Schlesinger would rather have people forget the negative parts of history that Banks mentions, but this is not realistic because those parts are still important to the making of today’s culture and
society. Both Schlesinger and Banks explain how they believe multicultural education helps and hurts society, but Schlesinger’s writing does not show how this hurts society as well as Banks shows that it helps society. Multicultural education helps society in that it provides an outlet for people to learn more about the many aspects of America’s “melting pot” culture. Perhaps these academic disciplines will also lead to a greater respect by scholars for the many characteristics of our society, which could lead to a brighter future for America. Most importantly, these studies not only allow students to experience more than just the European features of American culture, but also help students to become more analytical and thoughtful. As Molefi Asante says, “Afrocentrists…tend to have a far broader reading program that allows for more critical leverage to analysis” (Asante, 220). This is perhaps the most important result of the study of multiple cultures in that students are more prepared to face resistance in the future and are more likely to form their own opinions based on their own analysis.
In Joel L. Swerdlow’s 2001 essay, “Changing America,” he writes about the current cultural differences among kids in high school. He goes on to talk about how you can gather a large variety of kids, coming from all over the world, yet they still somehow manage to develop the same “American Teenager” attitude toward life. The essay talks about how people used to view America as a “melting pot” of nations, and how over time that view is starting to change.
In David Brook’s, “One Nation Slightly Divisible” and Jonathan Rauch’s, “In Defense Of Prejudice, both writers make valid points. Both authors also have a common technique; Brook’s and Rauch seem to have biased viewpoints towards the subject matter. But although these two authors share this similarity, one author stands out in how he uses the bias to his advantage or even to the advantage of the audience to better understand and be convinced by his ideology. Although both authors seem to have biased viewpoints, their bias fuels their arguments in efforts to successfully fulfill their purpose. David Brook’s appears to structure his biased viewpoint in a way that exhibits a more pervasive bias than Jonathan Rauch in how he uses the bias to incorporate
The sequence of the argumentative essay “Blaxicans” by Richard Rodriguez states, “ The conversation about race has always been a white and black conversation” (Rodriguez line 29 ). These conversation Rodriguez grew up hearing evoked curiosity and brought a great impact on him. No one cares about minorities is what an individual might perceive that conversation as. Hispanics, Asians, and Middle Easterners etc are considered some minorities because most if not all of these ethnic groups have at one point been a immigrant. When never mentioning individuals that gives off a persona of not caring. Immigrants need to feel cared for and important too because even though they are a minority they are still human they bleed the same blood. Also in the argumentative essay “Blaxicans” by Richard Rodriguez it states “ at my university we even had separated cafeteria tables ” ( Rodriguez line 73 ). Rodriguez grew up around much advertise. By stating this one can infer that the separation of America is a possible outcome of Rodriguez becoming a writer. Individuals have become so accustomed to being around other individuals that look like them or come from the same place. That when an individual is opposite of from the other they are payed no mind because they are out of their comfort zone. Rodriguez influenced America by connecting himself to other ethnic groups. By writing the argumentative essay “Blaxicans” Rodriguez united America as one. Meaning no one is inferrer individuals are all the same. In reality individuals don 't view themselves as equal even though individuals are all
During the time of World War II, there was a dramatic change in the society of America and its way of life. Men were needed at war, and the women were left at home. People were mistrusted and were falsely accused of something they didn’t do. Some people were even pushed away because they were different. These people are the minorities of America.
American minorities made up a significant amount of America’s population in the 1920s and 1930s, estimated to be around 11.9 million people, according to . However, even with all those people, there still was harsh segregation going on. Caucasians made African-Americans work for them as slaves, farmers, babysitters, and many other things in that line. Then when World War II came, “World War II required the reunification and mobilization of Americans as never before” (Module2). They needed to cooperate on many things, even if they didn’t want to. These minorities mainly refer to African, Asian, and Mexican-Americans. They all suffered much pain as they were treated as if they weren’t even human beings. They were separated, looked down upon, and wasn’t given much respect because they had a different culture or their skin color was different. However, the lives of American minorities changed forever as World War 2 impacted them significantly with segregation problems, socially, and in their working lives, both at that time and for generations after.
In today’s society, Cultural diversity in the United States of America can be seen in all aspects of life, such as in the media, workplace, household, and schools. Cultural diversity is defined as the characteristic of diverse cultures, as contradicting to monoculture, as in a homogenization of cultures, affiliated to cultural decay. In this present stage America, most individuals inaccurately use phrases such as “American culture,” or “Western culture,” as if such common and standardized cultures exist. People, in general, neglect to acknowledge the presence of cultural diversity, and cultural differences within the American society.
Throughout our country’s history there have been several groups who have fared less that great. Every minority group was treated unfairly, Indians were uprooted and had no control, I can’t imagine for a second being a soldier in combat, women struggled for basic rights, and many people fell victim to the changing ways of our economy, losing their jobs and fighting to survive. It seems wrong to pick one group over another, as if to say some people who were treated horribly or who faced mounting obstacles didn’t actually have it as bad as another group. But throughout all the years we’ve studied, one group that stood out to me who were dealt a horrible fate were Native Americans living in the west during the 19th century. When Americans began to expand westward, Indians unwillingly had their lives flipped upside down and changed drastically. After years of displacement, they were being forced to live in certain areas and follow certain rules, or risk their lives.
First, I will discuss the influences of different definitions of diversity in cultural unification. The major problem concerning this issue is that many people differ in the real meaning of the concept and how they view their personal involvement. Brook argues that “we do not really care about diversity all that much in America, even though we talk about it a great deal” (306). However, they are the general, erroneous interpretations of diversity that are really creating this wrong image of indifference. According to Kira Hudson Banks in her research entitled “A Qualitative Investigation of Students’ Perceptions of Diversity,” many people defined diversity as race and do not include other types of diversity (153).
...referring to the commentary about American Jews by Dr. Gerhard Falk. Explaining the case in which certain races or ethnic groups dominate within diverse fields is not just an American phenomenon, he cites Professor Walter Williams, who wrote about the privileges of Chinese minority in Malaysia. He also mentions the talk-show host Michael Savage who, after he earned his Ph.D., had trouble finding a job in his chosen field, and was told in so many words that "white men need not apply."
Indeed, in all their schools from elementary to secondary schools, they already adopted curricula that will foster cultural diversity. Through this program, students from different levels had the chance to be exposed to different traditions and customs of various ethnic and racial groups. Even the government sectors in the United States are advocating tolerance for diversity, like how they commemorate Asian American, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander Heritage weeks (Margai, 2010). Even in their postage, they developed stamps highlighting some prominent Americans along with their diverse backgrounds. Despite all these efforts, sometimes the issue concerning multiculturalism causes significant political and societal conflicts. Right now, United States is widely known as the greatest melting pot where people from different countries and with different cultures could be united as one. However, people have divided views with regards to the issue whether the immigrants should adopt America’s culture, or they should be given the freedom to keep their own culture. The majority of the Americans believed that one must learn first how to speak English before permitting to have an American citizenship. In support of the notion of melting pot, many Americans still insist that their Creed should endure, and their nation is destined to be a prime model to
America was widely known as a “melting pot” of sorts for many generations. The country earned its title by accepting immigrants of various cultures and molding, or melting, them into the American lifestyle. However, the “melting pot” idea of America is starting to dissipate. According to a Newsweek Poll on the public, “only 20 percent still think America is a melting pot” (Morganthau and Wolfberg, par.4). As more Americans push away immigrants and create stereotypes against said immigrants, America continues to lose its title as a “melting pot.” There is ethnic friction in America and people have begun to have a hard time assimilating (Morganthau and Wolfberg, par.18). .America is beginning to place a negative outlook on its culture. Authors Jack Shaheen, Richard Rodriguez, Peter Marin and Zora Neale Hurtson all shape American culture in a detrimental way.
In the 20th century, the melting pot is not working, and the whole idea is under attack (Evans 76). The United States has changed from a melting pot to a vast culture with varying backgrounds. In years before, America was a collection of Chinese, Germans, Italians, Scots, Croats, etc., all craving freedom. Today, even the simple concept of an English-speaking nation is fading off the continent. In the old days, immigrants were taught in English in the public schools. (76). In America today, children are taught in German, Italian, Polish, and 108 other languages. Most of these schools are funded by 139 million federal dollars.
Takaki, R. (1999). The myth of the “model minority.” In D. M. Newman (Ed.), Sociology:
The world is made up of many different types of people, each one having his or her cultural background. Over the years, the United States has become increasingly populated with cultural diversity. This influx has prompted school administrators to recognize the need to incorporate multicultural programs into their school environment including classroom settings, school wide activities, and curriculum as it becomes more evident that the benefits of teaching cultural diversity within the school setting will positively influence our communities, and ultimately the entire nation’s future. The purpose of this paper is to share the pros and cons of multicultural education in the classroom. Additionally, I will express my views compared to those in the reading requirements for this assignment, as well as, new knowledge obtained through the research. Finally, I will share situations where I was challenged introducing a multicultural issue during a class.
This quote is symbolic of the expressed opinions and ideology of the founding fathers of America. History, especially the history of the American educational system, paints a contradictory portrait. Idealistic visions of equity and cultural integration are constantly bantered about; however, they are rarely implemented and materialized. All men are indeed created equal, but not all men are treated equally. For years, educators and society as a whole have performed a great disservice to minorities in the public school sector. If each student is of equal value, worth, and merit, then each student should have equal access and exposure to culturally reflective learning opportunities. In the past, minorities have had a muted voice because of the attitude of the majority. Maxine Greene summarizes a scene from E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime, after which she poses questions that many minorities have no doubt asked silently or loud. “Why is he unseen? Why were there no Negroes, no immigrants? More than likely because of the condition of the minds of those in power, minds that bestowed upon many others the same invisibility that Ellison’s narrator encounters” (Greene,1995, p. 159). Multicultural education is needed because it seeks to eradicate “invisibility” and give voice, power, and validation to the contributions and achievements of people with varied hues, backgrounds, and experiences.