Multicultural education Essays

Multicultural education Essays Multicultural education Essay Multicultural education Essay At the sound of multicultural education being discussed in the whims and conversational buzzes of educational conferences, it is assumed that it is defined as incorporating various cultures in the curriculum to create a respect and understanding for people of various cultural backgrounds. However, there has been an increase in the diversity of bi-/multiracial individuals such as Black/Caucasians or students who have a German/Chinese/Puerto Rican background. When multicultural education is implemented through a minimum of holidays, and heroes or customs, foods, music, and dance, what does multicultural education mean for bi-/multicultural students? What culture(s) do they embrace? Is it fair for teachers to assume that they would embrace their culture(s)? Not only is there a racial mix between black and white, but between Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, and South Asians. Interracial marriages are accounting for 5% of all marriages (Phinney Alipuria, 1996). There are some issues that may transcend across interracial groups. There is a need to understand how a multiracial individual identifies himself. Does he identify with one race more than the other or both and why? Does he identify with an ethnic group at all? An individuals social environment and physical appearance plays a major role in shaping ones identity. The focus of multicultural research has been mostly on biracials who are part Caucasian and part African-American. It has been perceived as mostly a black-white issue and the experiences of those in between have been greatly ignored. There has been a lack of research on biracial Latinos (ex. Puerto Rican-Chinese) and their experiences with multicultural educational in school. More importantly, what umbrella term do multiracial individuals fall under? Furthermore, there have been national Latino agencies such as the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) that have supported multicultural education but denounced the multiracial movement to include a multiracial category to the Census. NCLR strongly believed that a multiracial category would take away funding and power from the United States Latino population. Currently, the multiracial movement has been able to pressure the Census Bureau to allow the U.S. population to check multiple boxes in the Census 2000. There are multiracial organizations such as webzine Interracial Voice, A Place for Us, Project RACE, Famlee, and the Multiracial Activist, that have actively worked towards the full acknowledgment of Americas multiracial population; in addition to being able to acknowledge their full identity instead of part of their identity. The increase of multiracial activism has coupled with the increase in the diversity of biracial individuals. Not only is there a racial mix between black and white, but between Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, and South Asians. Interracial marriages account for 5% of all marriages (Phinney Alipuria, 1996). There are some issues that may transcend across interracial groups. One important issue is how a multiracial individual identifies himself. Does he identify with one race more than the other or both and why? Does he identify with an ethnic group at all? Phinney and Alipuria (1996) found that the individuals social environment and physical appearance played a major role in shaping ones identity. In addition, they noted that it is important to understand the ethnic makeup of the multiracial individual and assess which ethnic group is more willing to accept a multi-faceted identity. These are crucial points to consider when a teacher is constructing a multicultural curriculum based on mainstream customs, foods, music, and dance. A multicultural student who embraces both or one identity may encounter a problematic experience in going through such a curriculum. For instance, take a student who appears African-American, but is actually half Black and half Puerto Rican. There are no other Latinos in class and few African-American students. In addition, the student would have a non-Latino surname and would completely miss out on learning integral portions of his Latino heritage if a teacher assumes that she has no Latino students in class. Inclusion of multicultural education units based just on class race composition would hinder the students chances on learning about his entire identity. On the other hand, a broadly conceptualized multicultural education program would facilitate and enable the teacher to appropriately address cultural topics in the classroom as they would also be a part of the general educational experience. In accordance with this study and contrary to previous research, Phinney and Alipuria (1996) found that multiracial students were found to be able to take advantage of their ethnic background and engage in intergroup relations (Phinney Alipuria, 1996). Multiracial students were found to be the key people to bridge the gap between ethnic groups who would have never interact socially on their own (Phinney Alipuria, 1996). Furthermore, multiracial students were more ethnically androgynous and less ethnocentric than their monoethnic counterparts (Phinney Alipuria, 1996). Therefore, this trait allowed multiracial students to be open to cultures other than their own. In turn, this facilitates instruction for the teacher as multicultural students may serve to set the example for open-minded, critical learning. For instance, Flores-Gonzalez (1999), found that Latinos who are of mixed national origin were more likely to adopt a panethnic term that would be more inclusive of various Latino identities rather than a monoethnic term that would just claim a single Latin American national origin. Most of this research paints a promising future for multiracial people in society. However, there is a lack of research done on Latino multiracial students and their interaction with multicultural curriculums. Furthermore, higher education deals with issues that are totally on a different level from elementary and high schools. Issues such as affirmative action, special support programs, and scholarships for specific ethnic groups are to name a few. For instance, if a student is biracially black and white and raised in a white suburb, s/he might be less inclined or encouraged to take advantage of black academic support services or black student organizations on campus. This may be problematic when the student may actually need support through his/her academic career; especially if s/he is not embraced by the black population on the campus or does not feel welcome in utilizing black support services. Politically, the multiracial ideology has received various lashes from all sides. Spencer (1993) believes that the multiracial concept is redundant to the various ethnic populations that inhabit America due to various forms of racial mixing that occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century, such as rape. Furthermore, Spencer (1993) believes that if there were a multiracial category, it would be unnecessary for multiracial individuals to also identify themselves with a specific ethnic group(s). On the other hand, Fernandez (1992) believes that Mexican Americans have been able to successfully complete these tasks. Mexicans in the United States are aware of their mestizo heritage, and throughout history accepted racial ambiguity and mixture as normal' (Fernandez, 1992, p.139). Overall, Fernandez (1992) believes that Latinos, particularly Mexican, are key people to increase Americas awareness in regards to multiracial identity and the various facets of this concept. Therefore, Latinos would be more inclusive of the multiracial identity than then general population, due to their mestizaje and their everyday experiences. Whereas, a person, who is part Polish and part Anglo, would cater to their Polish identity on a situational basis that is consistent with the cultural dynamics of their living environment (Waters, 1990). Overall, multiracial individuals are key people to serve in leadership roles because they are more likely to be responsive to a variety of constituents rather than a specific group. Psychologically, multiracial individuals most definitely possess a positive well-being and are more likely to be open-minded. In a society where race is such an important underlying factor among everyday politics and news, I believe it will be refreshing to see a multiracial leader transform oppressing ideologies of race and ethnicity as well as the conservative thought facing multicultural education. The eradication of oppressing ideologies is a difficult challenge but it is one that is welcomed with dignity by the multiracial population.