America is definitely the melting pot of the world. In the last few decades there has been more of a focus on multiculturalism and how best to teach all cultures and their part in creating America. It's a difficult task. You want every ethnic group to be proud of their heritage, but also to be proud to be an American. It seems the more focus on multiculturalism that is promoted the more segregated we still become.
When I was in high school we didn't have a lot of focus on multicuralism. We learned about different cultures in social studies and geography, but honestly there were few other ethnicities where I grew up. I learned more from exchange students that I befriended than I did in a classroom. There were about 5% African Americans in my school and they honestly blended in with all the white kids. If there were any issues I was not aware of them, but I was also a little naive. In my system I guess the "white" history was taught and no one questioned that. Perhaps that was a means of social control, but it could have just been the way it had always has been.
Three decades later it is a big deal. In the news we hear lots of debate on immigration especially hispanics crossing the borders of Mexico to America. The country is torn on whether or not we should let illegal immigrants to stay in America, allow them equal rights especially to government aid programs, and eventually become citizens. This definitely carries over into our school systems.
I work in a school that not only has a good sized hispanic group, but a varied ethnic group in general. There are also various economical backgrounds. My school is considered the closest there is to an inner city school in my county system. Several of my teachers do their best to include a study in cultures where it is applicable in their classrooms along the lines of Adam Waxler. My own children, who are younger, also come home and tell me about other cultures they learned about at school. However, I am not sure a specific curriculum goal is in place in my school system. I believe the teachers pull it in as they can like Waxler. I think more curriculum could be put into place to serve all the students better and create a mutal respect for all cultures.
E. D. Hirsch's article "Toward a Centrist Curriculum: Two Kinds of Multiculturalism in School" was extremely enlightening. I had not previouly even thought about what kinds of cultural education was being implemented in our schools much less two different kinds. Both kinds look great on the on-set, but have different outcomes in the end. Cosmopolitanism in Hirsch's mind, and I have to agree, is the better idea as it sets the stage for mutual respect of all ethnic groups. The other type, ethnocentrism, focuses on ethnic loyalty. The result, according to Hirsch, of ethnocentrism is more of a segregation. I can see the latter form readily. Perhaps it has more negative results at times and therefore ends up in the news and articles more often, but it is definitely seems more predominant. Like Hirsch, I would like to see more of a cosmoplotanism taught so our children can be a part of the world respecting all cultures. As a teacher I hope to promote a more balanced view of all cultures and lead my students to respect the varied backgrounds of American and the world.
Hirsch, E.D. (1992). Toward a centrist curriculum: Two kinds of multiculturalism in elementary school. Core Knowledge Foundation
Kyriakou, Niko. (2006). Organizers see 'new civil rights movement' in immigration protests. OneWorld.net
Waxler, Adam. (n/d). Multiculturalism in school curriculum. ESL Teachers Board
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