I chose this topic in class because it is always an issue that has always bothered me. I hate that I had to wait until college, in which I chose a class specifically about world history to learn about anything outside of the US. Even in High school we would get "world history" class and we would learn about world wars and not actually about other countries. We constantly tell students that the more they learn the better they will become but limit them to the history written only in these books. These books however are not accurate and sugar coat the history of this land. These textbooks talk about the natives that helped settlers plant corn and not about the natives that were displaced into reservations. The history books dont mention the Japanese Interment camps, and so much more. Like one of the students in providence said African American history in the US only starts and ends at slavery. Hearing about banning books was really upsetting. This mentality that anything that isn't this "white" america somehow means it is not american? America was to be the place of freedom and has become what it is today because of all the amazing races, ethnicity and cultures that have made this place home.
I've seen a lot of students come from their native countries and come to the US lost and confused. All they see is a language and culture they dont feel connected to at all. Many students say they dont want to learn English because they just want to go back home. However, many students find joy when they see other students from their home, and teachers that speak their language. When they get to show others and teach about their culture they find excitement and pride, but to think people are trying to take that away because "this is america" is just sad.
As someone born in the US I never had a big connection to my parents native land. I love visiting and going to museums while we are there, and I love to see the natives dressed in traditional clothing. In elementary and middle school I enjoyed projects that let me talk about the amazing food from Guatemala and the bird on the flag. However, as I got into my middle school years I found myself wanting to learn more. Not just about Guatemala but I began to want to learn about Asia. Everything about Asia, specifically Japan, was so different than US and Guatemala that it drew my attention. In class all we learned about Japan's role in the war but we didn't learn about the Shogun Era or the Samurai, we didn't learn about their bomb in production or how their Emperor was just a guy that got to dress up and had no real power over the country.
It is important to know our history and see ourselves included in the stories of our history but it is also important to learn about others. By learning about other peoples history, culture, belief and religion we can shape people to be much more open about someone seen as "different" and more accepting to those differences.
Hi Jasmine. This is a great post. We share the same sentiment about how this mentality of "white" America id disregarding the important people, culture, races, etc. that help make this country what it is now. To that effect, we are depriving knowledge for kids and future generations and they grow up only knowing what history that's pertinent to "white" America. I also agree with your last statement about when people know more about other people's story, history, etc., then they could become more open and accepting. In my blog, I said that by being informed and educated, then we get to have more respect and love for other people and not foster hate towards people who are "different" from us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post Jasmine. I really appreciate your final point. It is absolutely non-negotiable, critical that young people see themselves in school (in teachers, texts, histories) and ALSO it is so important to learn about others. Educators sometimes talk about this in terms of mirrors (that reflect back the self) and windows (that open onto the experiences perspectives and histories of others).
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ReplyDeleteHi Jasmine,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the points you made about how world history taught in the US is still ultimately about the US. My blog post have very similar points. In one of the videos we were assigned to watch, I recall an older white male stating that this is America, & if they want to learn about anything else, they should go to back to that place. That is paraphrased but the ideas are the same. Does it fully make sense to only learn about US history because we are in the US? Additionally, who is determining which history constitutes as valuable enough to be taught as the history? Who determines which parts of American history is worth telling & which isn't necessarily required as a prerequisite to walk across the stage to grab our diplomas? US history, the whole & real US history, consists of much immigration, diverse cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, & much more that can't even be listed. How can we sit there & say "if you want to learn about those cultures, go back there, this is America" ??? If you ask me, a born American, those cultures ARE American history. Those hidden, lost, & secret histories of the immigrants, the enslaved, the oppressed, the forgotten, the silenced, are just as important as the history we learn/teach in our general education classes across the nation. Those stories are just as American as the ones we were all taught in high school & they should be told.