LITR 4332 American Minority Literature Model Assignments Research Project Submissions 2013 research post 1

 Karen Logan

Importance of Teaching Multicultural Literature in the Classroom

When I was in high school, the population of students were made up of mostly Caucasians. We had only a few Hispanic students and no African American students until I was in my junior year. I remember the day that we got two new students, brother and sister, who were African Americans. The news ran fast and wild through the hallways. Each time the bell rang between classes, we were all looking into the crowded hallways to see if we could see them. Upon spotting “them,” we could not take our eyes off of them because they looked so different from the rest of us, and we knew nothing about people with different colored skin. The same reaction was had when an Asian family moved into our community. The way they dressed, the way they spoke, and their family values were so different than what we knew. For some students, they didn’t want to get to know these people that looked and acted so differently. They would rather point, stare, and make judgment. Then there were those students who were curious but intimidated to approach that which was unfamiliar. In all fairness, this was back quite a few years ago where in some communities integration was just becoming acceptable; however, had we had literature courses that allowed us to read and learn more about people that were different from one another, the integration process could have been smoother.

       Multicultural “relates to communities containing multiple cultures.” It is a society “at ease with the rich tapestry of human life and the desire amongst people to express their own identity in the manner they see fit.”  Although there are many different cultures living in the same community, there is still quite a bit of ignorance we each have for one another. That’s why I feel that it is very important for multicultural literature to be taught in our classrooms as it teaches students about themselves as well as exposes them to other cultures, which opens up conversations about diversity. It allows us to gain a broader understanding about the world and the people that live in it. As a Caucasian, I know I would not want to sit in a class and only read about the history of other Caucasians, especially when I am living among so many different cultures. I am curious about other cultures and their history and what better way to learn about them and who they are or what they have experienced than through literature and history. In my first post, I am going to talk about the importance of teaching multicultural literature in our schools today as I have already touched began to touch on; in my second post, I will talk more about the challenges that educators have teaching it.

In today’s society, multicultural and diversity are a part of our daily society. Our children grow up with diverse norms and individuals and are expected to have an open mind with those individuals. Cultural diversity can have a great impact on one’s learning, social skills, interest, education, and motivation. “Educators need to help students maintain a positive attitude, self-image, self-concept, as well as be self-accepting to others” (Crocket). I can’t help but wonder that if the characters in Toni Morison’s The Bluest Eye had been educated on multiculturalism would their views on others and themselves had been the same? If they had learned that although people may look different or have different religions, everyone experiences problems and has to learn to overcome them. Maybe Pecola would not have thought that having blue eyes like the little white girls had would free her from all of her problems, from all of the teasing that she received. Maybe she would have liked herself for who she was despite her differences and her family problems had she known that the little white girls’ culture, although different from hers, did not exempt them from their own set of problems.

People can often have different perspectives, beliefs, values, behaviors, and issues that can interfere with their learning and their reactions to everyday life. That is why I think it is extremely important for educators to understand the importance of meeting the needs of all students by exposing them to all cultures, religions, ethnicities, and races. Students should be made to feel that they can discuss their individual differences. This can be done by creating a positive environment in the classroom that takes away the stereotypes and discrimination. That’s why I feel that it is important to have a variety of multicultural literature books added to the reading lists of schools today. The benefits of teaching multicultural literature is not just for the student, but it benefits the teacher also because it gives the teacher the opportunity to understand students of different cultures as well.

This all sounds like such an easy process; however, nothing is ever that easy. Bringing multicultural literature into the classroom does create sensitive issues and requires careful planning in how to create a successful learning atmosphere for everyone involved, which is what I will be addressing in my second post.

"Multicultural" Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. 25 March. 2012

Crocket, Jason. "Teaching Multiculturalis: An Important Task." Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning (2008): 16-17. Web.