Building Bridges of Understanding and Cooperation
Ethnic fests may be fun, appetizing, and entertaining. But sharing ethnic foods, music, dance, and costumes breaks few cross-cultural barriers. It creates few jobs, improves few schools, and evaporates few Read More …
A first suggestion is to switch our terminology from multicultural to cross-cultural. The new adjective must go with an action. This action, I call “bridge-building.” Putting two ethnic groups together, Read More …
Despite our best efforts, including those of us in the progressive 60’s to 70’s, hippies, teachers, preachers, police, and human rights advocate protesters have obviously still a long way to Read More …
New Life News Association of Chinese from Indochina 4707 North Broadway, Third Floor, Chicago, IL 60640. (312) 989-6927 January 1985 Volume 2 Number 1 Why Americans Act & Think Strangely Read More …
How much does racial prejudice affect elementary classrooms in urban schools, especially the early grades? There is much debate among elementary educators on the answer to that troubling question. Some believe young children are still too innocent to be “corrupted” by America’s racial strife so early in life. Others believe that parent and neighborhood prejudice is quickly absorbed by the children and infuses the classroom from the first day of school. Read More …
The South-East Asia Center is very concerned that traditional multicultural education often unwittingly supports the separatists agenda. The Center strongly believes that we should be developing curriculum that counters this agenda by teaching our children to understand others’ perspectives and through historically accurate histories and better cultural understanding learn to appreciate the power that comes from recognizing common goals and harnessing cooperative action. The Center is developing such a curriculum and teaching it in two Chicago Public schools. Read More …
A class of pre-schoolers in Klamath Falls, Oregon wrote with their teacher one of the best anti-violence reading books for K-3 that we have ever found. The Land of Many Colors evolved during the Persian Gulf war because the preschoolers had many questions about war due to family members and friends involvement. Read More …
At first glance SEAC’s model multicultural curriculum targetting children in the multiethnic Uptown-Edgewater’s McCutcheon and Goudy Schools, seems not to be all that out of the ordinary. Curriculum focuses on developing self-esteem, positive social interaction skills and cooperation skills with a goal of ultimately more peaceful, productive classrooms and society. Students examine prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination, victimization, conflict resolution, peer pressure, goal setting, problem solving, parenting, values, teamwork, communication and life skills all geared, of course, to age level. Read More …
Holiday celebration can be fun, multiculturally educational and legal — as far as separation of church and state.
Christmas carols, for instance, can easily be turned into multicultural lessons. Children can feel they are participating in the spirit of the season while teachers can feel they are abiding by the law and teaching lessons with a virtuous, yet non-sectarian theme. Read More …