Student Diversity

It was interesting to hear of the ways in which Americanization was forced on different ethnic groups. I have been reminded over and over again in various settings of the ways in which African Americans were forced as slaves to the Americas, separated from family, culture, and homeland. It never really occurred to me that other groups, such as Asians, have had to endure hardships as residents of the United States.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the mistreatment of Native Americans is the Trail of Tears. I think of the many Native Americans that, similarly to African Americans, were forced to leave their homeland and the tremendous amount that died during the relocation. I never considered that the Trail of Tears was not the end of the story. Prior to reading this chapter, I was ignorant to the fact that Native Americans were forced to attend boarding schools that were established to eliminate the Native American culture.

It is also interesting to read about the experiences of Mexican Americans. I was unaware that Mexican Americans faced segregation. Maybe if I lived in the southwest I would be more aware of the issues they faced. I wonder why teachers may include African American history and the Trail of Tears in the curriculum they teach, but fail to inform students of the treatment of other minority groups. The experiences of the Mexican Americans, as they were described by Spring, seem very similar to those of African Americans.

Teachers cannot ignore student diversity. Rather than focusing on differences, teachers should help students recognize perspectives from different cultures may have in common. The multicultural activities may help students broaden their horizons, if they are designed correctly. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure all students feel welcome and safe at school. In order to accomplish this, teachers should strive to implement effective multicultural activities.

As teachers, we must seek a balance between accepting, respecting, and embracing different cultures while providing a quality education to our students. It is not the job of teachers to Americanize students from other cultures, and I don’t believe it is any teacher’s intention to do so. I hope that I am not guilty of doing this.