America’s Diverse Society

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Ethnic, religious, and racial diversity has been the rule and not the exception in
America.
Throughout American history, each religious and ethnic group faced discrimination as they have attempted to assimilate into society.
As teachers we need to understand the nature and reasons for this discrimination and recognize how those patterns persist today so we can demonstrate inclusive attitudes to our students.

 The colonies of New England were settled by staunch Puritans (Calvinists) from England.
 In the middle colonies distinct ethnic communities were a prominent feature of early settlement. These included the Dutch,
Norwegians, Danes, Jews, Irish, Scots Irish, and
Germans in New York and the Quakers,
Scottish, and Scots Irish in Pennsylvania.
 The South had a rich mixture of ethnic people with large settlements of Scots Highlanders and
Scots-Irish as well as more than 300,000 slaves.

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The rich ethnic and religious mixture of the colonies was reflected in their schools.
In New England, schools were established to promote bible reading and Calvinist religious beliefs.
In the middle colonies schools centered on religion and moral education.
In the south private schools and in-home tutoring for wealthy planter children was the norm, but slaves and poor white children, had few educational opportunities.

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During the early 1800s, thousands of immigrants arrived continuing the general settlement pattern established during the colonial period.
From the 1830s through the 1880s, the number of new arrivals increased to more than 9 million people.
The immigrants of this period hailed from countries all over the world.
Immigrants came to the United States for a variety of reasons but generally to escape poverty, oppression, and religious intolerance in their native lands.

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The common school gradually emerged in the United
States during the first half of the 1800s.
The curriculum of the common school was rooted in
Protestantism but as our society became more diverse, this curriculum caused social problems.
The Irish found the common school curriculum offensive to their religious beliefs.
Some immigrants, such as Germans, did not speak
English, and felt excluded in English speaking schools.
As a result, by the end of the 1800s many immigrants established their own private schools.

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From the 1880s to the onset of World War I, settlers from
Southern and Eastern Europe became the new face of migration.
Nearly 35 million immigrants arrived in this country.
As their numbers increased there was a growing resentment against immigrants – resulting in the National
Origins Acts of the 1920s that restricted entry into the
United States.
Because fewer European immigrants were coming to
America, the door of opportunity opened slightly for
African Americans, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans.

 As the nation became more diverse, educators attempted to assimilate new immigrants and promote the idea of America as the cultural melting pot.
 Immigrants received a basic education but many struggled to maintain the language and values of their homeland.
 Today, as new immigrants grapple with similar problems, American teachers try to create classrooms where all children can learn.

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The early 1900s is known as the Great Migration when over a half million African Americans permanently left the
South for the North.
During World War I, there was a severe shortage of workers and African-Americans were recruited for factory jobs in the North.
By 1920 thousands of Blacks had moved to Chicago,
Cleveland, Detroit, and New York.
During the Great Depression their numbers slowed but increased dramatically during World War II.
In recent years there has been a significant “return migration” with thousands of African Americans returning south.

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Due to official policies of segregation, prior to Brown v
Board of Education (1954), African American children often were forbidden by law to attend white schools and were forced into poorly equipped schools.
As a result of the struggle for civil rights and aggressive legislation during the 1960s (including the Civil Rights
Act of 1964), African American children now have access to a first rate education.
By developing policies of inclusion and modeling accepting behavior for our students we create democratic classrooms where all children, regardless of skin color, can learn.

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Mexicans have a long history of settlement in the old southwest and in southern California.
During the 1920s, many Mexican and Puerto Rican people took advantage of America’s new immigration policies and came to this country for jobs and a new life.
There were few official bilingual programs available to these children, rather, the policy of “submersion” –
English only instruction – was common at the time.
Beginning in the 1980s, immigrants from El Salvador,
Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras made their way to this country.
Today, English as a Second Language, Bilingual
Education, and Structured Immersion programs are available to help all Hispanic children learn.

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Thousands of Chinese and Japanese migrated to the
United States and Hawaii during the late 1800s and early
1900s.
Despite their contributions to the economy and culture of the United States, they were not always welcomed.
In 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act closed the door on
Chinese immigration.
During World War II, thousands of Japanese immigrants were sent to relocation camps.
Despite these obstacles, today many have embraced middle class values that have allowed them to participate in the American economy and helped their children to achieve in school.

 By the early 1980s, thousands of Samoans,
Koreans, Taiwanese, Filipinos, Cambodians, and
Vietnamese people immigrated to the U.S.
 South Asians often were middle class when they arrived in this country and their assimilation has been smoother than other groups.
 Their enrollment in primary, secondary, and post secondary educational institutions is among the highest in the country.

 Southeastern Asians such as Cambodians and Vietnamese often suffered psychic trauma because of their exile from repressive and war-torn nations.
 As American teachers we must reach out to children in these situations to understand their cultures, styles of learning, and tap into their persistence and determination so they can succeed.

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In the late 1950s and early 1960s thousands of
Cuban refugees settled in South Miami area, now known as Little Havana.
From the very first, they established their own private elementary and secondary schools under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church.
Classes in these schools are taught in Spanish and the curriculum places special emphasis on their vision of Cuban history.
The majority of Cuban Americans have graduated from high school and one in six have a college degree.

 The Immigration Act of 1965 abandoned the immigration quota system that had been employed since the 1920s (The National
Origins Acts).
 As a result, Hispanics and Asians now form the core of immigrants to this country.
 Along with their important skills and labor they also brought their rich diversity of culture.
 Nevertheless, there has been growing hostility to
America’s newest immigrants.

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While thousands of legal immigrants live and work in the United States today, we do have a problem with illegal immigration.
Some blame the immigrants themselves while others focus on the business community.
Whatever the solution to this problem, children of illegal immigrants are caught in the middle.
By encouraging their attendance in school and modeling accepting behavior, children of illegal immigrants will have a better chance to succeed in the classroom and assimilate into American society.

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Focus on verbal interactions.
Select activities that encourage students to respond verbally such as group discussions, skits, role playing, oral reading, and games.
Use small groups activities and cooperative learning.
Have students work in small groups and use cooperative learning.
Encourage divergent thinking.
Have students brainstorm, and use problem-solving techniques.
Use active learning.
Employ activities that require active involvement of students such as interactive bulletin boards, games, hand motions, clapping, etc.

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Employ activities that focus on experiences.
Include activities in your lessons that children can relate to
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Example: When teaching a unit on fractions, have your students bake a cake (from scratch). By measuring ingredients, students can obtain a real application of the use of fractions.
Encourage your students.
Give positive feedback to your students. Be encouraging; for example, say “good job” or “nice work”.
Celebrate holidays of ethnic, racial, and religious groups represented in your class.
Include holidays, food, music, and art from the cultures in your classroom.
Include literature from diverse cultures.
Select stories and poems from cultures represented in your classroom. Read these selections aloud and discuss them and make these books available to your students.