The Insider/Outsider Debate?

I feel as though this is a touch issue to talk about, but definitely needs to be dress. In the first article by Patrick Shannon, it seemed like he was making excuses for himself or trying to be the victim in the multiculturalism debate. When he described himself as a ," white, heterosexual, able bodied, and able minded male who is a default Protestant and now makes a middle class income," it seemed irrelevant to understanding multiculturalism. Whether you are a minority or Caucasian American multiculturalism should be apart of your life.

For so many years teachers just focus mainly on European American literature and every other culture's voice that is invisible. This is why multicultural literature has a purpose. White Americans are often able to have some to relate in the history books and other forms of literature in the classroom, while other cultures and people with different lifestyles can not. I agree with Rudine Sims Bishop about people emphasizing on race too much. Yes it is very important to bring out the literature of various racial backgrounds because they are often silenced, but multiculturalism is so much more than race. It also includes people of different religions, sexual orientations, and traditions outside of the normal American lifestyle that is portrayed in the media. A number of students fall into these categories and it is important that they are able to have something to relate in the classrooms. Besides making the student more comfortable with their identity, it also makes the student feel more secure in the classroom and more eager to learn.

I do not think it matters if you are an insider or outsider in the world of multiculturalism. In my mind everyone should be an insider. You should not feel as though being a person of color or from a different cultural background qualifies you to be apart of this world and talk about it. In reality multiculturalism affects everyone because it surrounds the world we live in. The best way to tackle the issue is to be open minded about the subject and ask questions. Also become interested in the way other cultures live their lives and what they stand for. It will help you better understand in general and give you a more positive outlook on life because you will except people for their differences instead of ignoring it because you feel you can not relate. Everyone can relate to multiculturalism in their own way no matter what nationality they are.

In class I hope to get a better understanding on where everyone stands on this issue. It will be interesting to see the various views of people from different cultural backgrounds and lifestyles. I also want to know how to introduce this subject (multiculturalism) to my younger students.