.1 Introduction to Multiculturalism

I have four major themes I want to talk about in terms of multiculturalism.
-the teaching of values
-the increased impact of diverse cultures on the mainstream
-the need to provide support for alternative and emerging lifestyles
-the encouragement of multilingualism and dialects


Changing Perceptions of Multiculturalism

Our current definition of multiculturalism in America has changed greatly from what it was in the past. We used to think of multiculturalism in terms of a melting pot. That worked pretty well when you were stirring people together that all kind of looked alike, but when you started adding different races, it didn't work so well. We are now
recognizing that there are lots of differences that have nothing to do with right and wrong. The ultimate objective of the society isn't necessarily to melt everybody together so that we are alike, but to recognize differences; thus the metaphor of the salad.

Each part of the salad gives its own flavor, but you have to realize that even in a salad there are ingredients that are melted together. In other words, we live in a society where many of the kids are multiracial in their identities. Somehow we have to recognize that the reality of our society is that there is a lot of melting going on as well as salad tossing. It is very important we respect and appreciate both.

Incidentally, it isn't just the white community that has a hard time with multicultural relations. Some of you may befamiliar with the term "high-yellow." This refers to the color of your skin when you are black. If you are high yellow, you are lighter skinned, which is more desirable than being dark skinned. In the prestigious private black colleges a half of a century ago, there was discrimination based on your skin color in terms of who got admitted to those colleges. There is racism and prejudice in all groups of people and it is just as ugly wherever it is. (Theory of the development of race in the human population)

We as teachers have the particularly important job of making every kid feel that they're just fine the way they are; it isn't a handicap to be a mixed race kid. The society may make it difficult for these kids from time to time, but certainly in school we need to create an appreciation of the blended cultures that many of our kids present us with.
Ultimately, that is the strength of the society. We have to realize that in our society the objective is unity in diversity, not sameness.

I had this wonderful student whose whole life was between Virginia Beach and ODU, and only the right parts of town. She came from a professional family and her multiculturalism was as close to zero as you can get. So I said to Debbie, "Why don't you go to Zimbabwe?" She looked at me strangely, so I said "Why not?" I talked her into applying to the University of Zimbabwe as an exchange student. She got accepted, and then just before she left, she chickened out. I was disappointed, but that was her choice. I then went to Botswana and while there wrote Debbie
and invited her to join me. She came, and about four or five days after she arrived she went out with us to the Kalahari Desert. I had this 1968 international four-wheel drive extended cab pick-up truck piled full of about ten people. We drove out to this very remote San village in the center of the desert and stayed out there over night. The
next morning when we woke up, I asked "Debbie, what is your dominant feeling about being out here in the center of the desert?" She said, "I never realized how much I would share in common with these people." Somehow she was able to look with eyes that saw these San people. I was so proud of her because someone else could look at that same scene and notice that a lot of people were dressed in skins and they didn't have any houses to live in, but that is not what she saw. Eventually, Debbie went to UCLA and had a joint masters program in public health and African studies. She married, and now she and her husband live in Cameroon. So going to Botswana transformed her life. These opportunities are there and multiculturalism is something to be admired and sought rather than to be ignored or resented.

I keep coming back to the motto of this class, the difference between "the way" and "a way." "A way" is such a powerful way to live. I would remind you again that there are acceptable limits of behavior, that not all behaviors are ratified by the society, and neither should all behaviors be ratified by you as an individual. Whatever the society accepts, it is your job and my job as teachers to appreciate and to ratify it for our students. Again, equality through sameness is impossible and undesirable, and fairness is the alternative. Realize that this is also my bias.

I would like to end today with a story about scapegoating. It is from my favorite text on multiculturalism, a book by Dr. Seuss called The Sneetches.

Audio link:

There are two kinds of Sneetches that live in Sneetch land; those with stars on their bellies and those without. The stared Sneetches are the prestigious ones who go to the parties and the non-star Sneetches are the ones who are always left out. Along comes the savior of Sneetch society, Sylvester McMonkey McMean. He has a Star machine, and for a fee he prints stars on the bellies of the non-star Sneetches. Sneetch society falls into chaos. Suddenly, nobody can tell who should be invited to the parties anymore. Then Sylvester McMonkey McMean whispers to the old star Sneetches that his machine runs backwards and for a fee, he can take offtheir stars, since they are no longer in style... The next thing you know, the whole society is lined up to go through the machine: star on, star off, star on, star off.

The only one having fun was Sylvester. Suddenly all the Sneetches realized that the whole thing was a crock, so they all decided to ignore their bellies and all lived happily ever after, with or without stars.

As far as I am concerned, this story is a beautiful parable for the issue that we face. We can either spend all of our time trying to create or ignore status, or trying to imitate what we think is status, or we can decide to just relax and be who we are. The final solution is simple: live how you would like, but have an appreciation for everybody else's lifestyle at the same time.

What must we identify as the objective of our society? What must we exclude in this objective?
Mrs. Harris teaches in a high school whose population ratio is 30% African-American, 65% white, and 5% Hispanic. If racial issues should occur within her classroom, how should she handle them, and, ultimately, avoid them in the future?