Blog Entry #3 re: Multiculuralism/Pithissippi

After reading about assimilation, multiculturalism, and cultural pluralism, my head feels like it is spinning. Nevertheless, I will try to organize my thoughts around all of what I have read with emphasis on the web sites given by Dr. Y for this blog entry.

First, with regard to "The Challenge of 'Multiculturalism' In How Americans View the Past and the Future" by Samuel Taylor, I think that Taylor makes a very important point by the end of his paper when he says that many of the youth of the United States know who Harriet Tubman was and what she did when they cannot always tell someone who Winston Churchill was or what he had to do with the U.S. However, the fact remains that Churchill did not live in the U. S., and Harriet Tubman did. Does that mean that Churchill is not important in our country's history? Of course Churchill is important, but how many children know who Louis XVI was?

The name and roman numerals might give away the fact that Louis was a French king, but would students know or remember that without him the American Revolution might not have happened for lack of funding? I highly doubt it. For someone like me who knows that part of my ancestry is French, the fact that a huge part of the debt imposed on the French people of his day was due to his monetary donations to our American revolution is important. Since I know that part of my ancestry is English, the fact that Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of England, our ally in World War II is worth remembering. If my ancestors had been slaves, you can bet I would remember Harriet Tubman's accomplishments far more readily than I would remember George Washington's military prowess. If I were of Japanese American decent, I would never forget reading about Japanese internment camps in this country.

The P. J. Tobia post entitled "Pithissippi Burning: Race, White Nationalism and American Culture," that gives comments regarding the H. A. Covington novel entitled The Brigade and the posts regarding the Tobia post SCARE me. Yes, I meant those capital letters. This makes me even more grateful than I already was for freedom of the press in this country because some of what is written is, again, QUITE SCARY. I'm grateful people are writing their hate before acting on it. At least we can say we have been forewarned and take precautions. When Tobia uses the term "train wreck," it brings tears to my eyes because as Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Jesus Christ said that "No man can serve two masters." I hate to think of the United States of America as a "train wreck" not united "divided against itself." Neither skin color nor ethnic origins have anything to do with being an American in my opinion.

Lastly, I must briefly comment on "Why Multiculturalism is Wrong." Simply put, multiculturalism cannot be wrong, in my opinion. I do agree with the author that we cannot be limited to the definition of culture as only nation states being valid cultures. There are, truly, more cultures in this world than I could possibly count. My immediate family has its own culture that does not blend well with my brother's family for very long, but we are tolerant of each other's views.

Similarly, there are several familial and ethnic cultures in the classes I teach and in the school where I teach. There are prejudices; there is racial hatred; there is hatred of anyone who is not heterosexual by a large part of the student population. I address these issues and advocate tolerance and acceptance of those who are different than ourselves. My friend Maria, whom I call the Harriet Tubman of Cuba, has worked hard to bring many relatives to this country; and to my knowledge, she has been successful in petitioning for at least four of her relatives to come here and obtain freedom. She just called me, always a DELIGHT!

Maria gave me permission to relate this story in this blog. In a few days, 4 more members of her family for whom she has tirelessly filled out paperwork will meet with U.S. government officials in Cuba to try to gain access to these shores. For doing this, the Cuban government, according to Maria, will no longer allow this mother, father, son, and daughter to have gainful employment in Cuba. In addition, the government will confiscate their home; they will be homeless. I have seen my beautiful teacher friend hold her head up high while hearing racial slurs slung at her in the hallways at school by some students who want no culture represented at their school but their own. Yet, she is one of the most American Americans I know, and I am so proud to know her, to call her not just "colleague," but "friend." She is so American, she shames me. And, I have to ask myself if I would be willing to give up gainful employment and shelter for the slim hope of becoming an American . . . Is this family of four hopefuls more American than I am?

This country is a country made up of immigrants from all over the world. Its history belongs to all of them since before we were a country. Its history belongs to Native Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, European Americans, Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, unborn Americans, and Americans yet to come to these shores. Well, you get the idea. Yes, we are all one nation, and we are multicultural. It is important to teach our entire history, not the history of one culture over another. Our country's story has not always been pretty. It has sometimes been a very bloody "train wreck" of a story, but raw and ugly as it sometimes is, it is also the beautiful words on the Statue of Liberty which say, " . . . Send me these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" This is a nation with the history of an open door that no other nation has. We are one nation; we are multicultural! Can I get an AMEN? I hope so!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty#Inscription

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/REV/LOUISXVI.HTM

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1726.html