LITR 4332: American Minority Literature

Tami Gilley

Eternal Flame for Separation

            Americans are contributing to a society that continues to carry a torch for segregation.  Many Americans are turning towards private schools as a solution instead of integrating new ideas.  A study composed back in 2000-2001 shows that, “The percentage of white children enrolled in America's public schools is 7 percentage points less than a decade before, according to the National Center for Education Statistics”(Drew).  This decrease primarily relates to white parents enrolling their children in private institutions or pursuing other educational options that stray away from public schools.  If our society continues to use alternative instructional methods as a solution to segregation, then we may find ourselves going backwards instead of forwards.

            As the American population becomes more and more diverse, we see not only African Americans, but other minority groups affected by this need for separation.  According to a Civil Rights project conducted at Harvard University, “The ethnic makeup of public school classrooms has changed considerably since the 1960s, when 80 percent of students were White.  Whites constitute 58 percent of the public school student body, followed by Hispanics (19 percent), Blacks (17 percent), Asians (4 percent) and American Indians (1 percent)”( Majesky-Pullman). Although the Hispanic population is on the rise, the black segregation issues still manage to stay in the forefront.  According to Majesky-Pullman,

Hispanic segregation, compared to Black segregation, appears to get less attention, perhaps because of public perceptions. Black isolation is seen as a product of racism and discrimination, and hence forced segregation. Hispanic isolation, meanwhile, appears more voluntary, similar to the ethnic neighborhoods of Chinatown or Little Italy.(11)

This dramatic increase in Hispanic enrollment to public schools may soon find the White population becoming the minority in the public school system.

            Another alternative to public schools that is also contributing to an upswing of segregation would be home schooling.  With the breakdown of traditional family values, many parents consider home schooling as a solution to this increasing problem.  In an article written in U.S. News & World Report we see that “about 75 percent of home schoolers are conservative Christians who stress the Bible in their teachings and who lament what they see as a decline in traditional values in public schools”(Toch and Wagner).  Although this type of schooling seems beneficial for family values, it does however pose a threat to integration and the idea of a public classrooms becoming unified.  The reason for this concern derives from the fact that once again it is primarily the White Americans that are involving their children in this type of program.  In a study developed by Brian Ray, president of the Salem, Oregon-based National Home Education Research Institute, he concludes that “home schooling is almost exclusively a white, Christian phenomenon” (qtd. in Kennedy 68).  According to the report, 95 percent of those who participate are white and 90 percent are Christian.

            In our research we can conclude that depending on how our society chooses to educate their children could bring back the debate over segregation.  If the future continues to see a rise in the Hispanic population, a new dimension could be added to resegregation.  Another aspect that could create this rebirth of segregation could also be the implementation of even more alternative education programs.  Some examples could very well derive from distance learning courses as well as hybrid learning.  In this ever changing society we should embrace change, but not sacrifice our goal of becoming a unified nation.

Works Cited

Drew, Kevin. "Today's battle in classrooms: Resegregation." CNN.Com. 18May2004. Law Center. 5 May 2007

<http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/05/15/schools.desegregation/index.html>

Kennedy, John W.. "Home schooling keeps growing.." Christianity Today

Volume41.Issue814Jul1997 68. 05May2007

<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9708304286&site=ehost-live>

Majesky-Pullman, Olivia. "The Re-segregation Trend." Diverse: Issues in Higher Education;  Vol. 23.Issue 2411Jan2007 11. 05may2007

<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=23747730&site=ehost-live>

Toch, T and B Wagner. "Schooling in family values." U.S. News & World Report 09Dec1991 73. 05May2007 .

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9112092197&site=ehost-live