Blog 3: Nationalism and Multiculturalism

Nationalism and Multiculturalism

Wow. There are a lot of thoughts running through my head after reading "Pitthissippi Burning", "Why Multiculturalism is Wrong", and "The Challenge of Multiculturalism". Modules 1 and 2 of our course identified the possible purposes of American schools. It seems like American schools has had an underlying goal to create the type of citizens people in power have wanted them to be. Whether it was for religious reasons, discipline reasons, industrial reasons, or for some other reasons it can be argued that American schools have served as a landscape for "people molding".

Lets say the goal of American schools is to assimilate its citizens. This will be accomplished by taking every child that is enrolled in an American public school, regardless of their background, history, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender and teach them the exact same American pride building history. Can this work? Only if the students are not allowed to question why their ancestors are not mentioned in the history. Only if the students unquestionably accept the successes of other races while ignoring the contribution of their own race. But this is America. The country of free speech. Everyone has a voice and everyone has a right to question their place in history.

Multiculturalism, good or bad, is America. We are a nation of many peoples with many cultures and many histories. For a long time those histories were silenced for the sake of the nation. Well, this nation is no longer the fledging country it was in 1776. It is now a bustling country, that is busting with confusion. Too many people want to hold on to the good old white male dominated past and take that same frame of mind into the future. But the domination of white males is probably a thing of the past. We are a multicultural nation. Everyone's history must be recognized and included, no matter whose feelings are hurt are how painful it will be. We learn about the Holocaust don't we (at least I hope we all did)? Its painful, but necessary so past offenses are not repeated. I'm not saying there should be separate history books as was mentioned in "The Challenge of Multiculturalism". Why can't one big all inclusive history book be written that is authored by historical authorities from all races, ethnic groups, religions, genders, or whatever? This is America, surely there is not a shortage of multicultural experts.

America is loosing its identity. I see it in the apathetic eyes of my 7th graders. When this country completely embraces its multicultural identity, the right way, with complete acceptance and inclusion, then the citizens will embrace America.