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An Introduction to Multicultural Education An Introduction to Multicultural Education From Theory to Practice Chinaka Samuel DomNwachukwu ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC. Lanham • New York • Toronto • Plymouth, UK Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom Copyright © 2010 by Chinaka Samuel DomNwachukwu All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data DomNwachukwu, Chinaka Samuel, 1964– An introduction to multicultural education : from theory to practice / Chinaka Samuel DomNwachukwu. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60709-683-2 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-60709-684-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-60709-685-6 (electronic) 1. Multicultural education—United States. I. Title. LC1099.3.D66 2009 370.1170973—dc22 2009042842 ™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Printed in the United States of America Contents List of Figure and Tables v Preface vii 1 Humans as Cultural Beings: Foundations for Multicultural Education 1 2 Engaging the American Cultural Mosaic 17 3 The Crises of Cross-Cultural Encounters 43 4 Educational Inequalities in American Schools 69 5 Historical Foundations of Multicultural Education in the United States 83 6 Title I Categorical Fund: A Sample Federal Government Attempt at Educational Equity 99 7 American Multilingualism and the Challenge of English Language Learners in the American Educational System 111 8 Religious Diversity and the Public School Systems 131 9 Gender and Women’s Rights in American Educational History 145 10 The Learner and the Educational Process 163 11 Exceptionality and Learner-Centered Pedagogies for the Regular Education Classroom 173 12 Standards-Based Planning and Teaching in a Multicultural Classroom 199 iii iv Contents Glossary 215 Appendix A: Annotated Bibliography of Multicultural Literature for Grades K–12 223 Appendix B: Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, February 7, 2003 229 Appendix C: Archived Information: United States Department of Education 237 Notes 245 Bibliography 263 Index 277 About the Author 289 List of Figures and Tables FIGURES 2.1 Charles Kraft’s Cultural Patterns 23 2.2 American Cultural Patterning 24 2.3 Interactions of Cultural Structures in the American Cultural Systems 30 2.4 Worldview in Cultural Arrangements 33 2.5 Worldview Alterations 39 3.1 Issues in Discrimination 44 3.2 Development of Cross-Cultural Ideas 55 9.1 Wordle Display of Women’s Rights Issues 146 11.1 Cycle of Diagnostic Instruction 193 12.1 Chat 204 TABLES 7.1 Historical Time Line for Second-Language/Bilingual Education in the United States 118 7.2 English Language Development (ELD) Strategies 125 8.1 Time Line of the Battle for Separation of Church and State in the United States 136 v vi List of Figures and Tables 11.1 Learning Disorders and Their Common Characteristics 184 11.2 Levels of Mental Retardation 185 11.3 Categories of Behavioral/Emotional Disorders 187 11.4 Categories of Speech Disorders 188 11.5 Categories of Language Disorders 189 11.6 Vision Impairments 190 11.7 Neurological Disorders 191 11.8 Musculoskeletal Disorders 191 Preface This book is my attempt to meet the needs of graduate students who are taking classes in cultural diversity towards meeting requirements for the California Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development Certifi- cation required of all California teachers. Students often struggle with the textbooks required for the class, either because the writers are too confron- tational or even offensive to differing worldviews or because candidates can’t see the foundational principles within those texts that would prepare them to accept and engage this required course work from a positive mind- set. This volume attempts to provide strong historical and pedagogical principles for multicultural education as foundational resources, as well as present the basic principles of multicultural education in a language that students are able to relate to. The book begins with a call for educators to look within themselves and to explore our collective humanity and our collective journey as cultural be- ings. Personal narratives are used to illustrate the significance of our cultural identities, so as to give educators an opportunity to appreciate the value and significance of their students’ cultural experiences. It is written with the American cultural milieu in mind, so a deliberate attempt was made to ana- lyze and engage the American cultural mosaic, as well as the issues around crises of cross-cultural encounters. In order to lay a firm foundation for the relevance and significance of multicultural education in the American educational context, this book addresses the historical forces that have shaped the American society and that make multicultural education an educational imperative. It discusses the history of prejudice and racism, multilingual and bilingual rights and opportunities, religious rights and liberties, and women’s rights. From vii viii Preface American history we establish an indisputable ground for multicultural education as an essential part of the school curriculum rather than just as part of a politically correct agenda. This book goes beyond theories and principles to provide step-by-step ap- proaches for implementing multicultural education in the K–12 classrooms. Model lessons, support materials, and activities make this book user friendly and further strengthen the practical tips. It is my hope that readers find this book useful and engaging. Writing this book has been a fulfilling experience. Some people may view teaching as a job and others as a vocation. I tend to share the latter perspec- tive, for I see in teaching a divine calling to make a difference in society. Schools are one of the most powerful institutions for social reconstruction, and the role teachers play have great significance in any society. Multicul- tural education may be a newcomer to the educational discourse, but its significance in the twenty-first-century classroom is immeasurable. The world of this century is not like the world of the centuries before it. We live in a globalized world, where we are confronted with an inescapable convergence of human populations, cultures, worldviews, and political and economic structures. To think that we can live and operate in purely homog- enous cultural environments is unrealistic, and the promise of the decades ahead is that of an inescapable mixing of human populations in measures and degrees greater than ever. In light of the present and future realities of our social and cultural con- vergence, the need to prepare students to competently live and function in a multicultural world becomes an essential aspect of the educational cur- riculum at a global level. It will take teachers who are culturally competent to educate and equip diverse populations in our present school systems and to help construct a social arrangement that will make the social realities of the future relevant and in sync with our increasing diverse cultural and worldview trends. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Azusa Pacific University, an evangelical private Christian university, has provided me with a comfortable context for honest discussion of diversity issues for the years I have been here. Like many U.S. universities, this insti- tution is still on a journey toward cultural synergy, but its leadership (presi- Preface ix dent, provost, and the cabinets) has been intentional in making diversity discussions possible in classrooms, cafeterias, and anywhere students and faculty can gather for honest conversation. Dean of the School of Education, Helen Easterling Williams, and my faculty colleagues at the School of Education have been inspirational in their commitment to excellence and the desire to prepare the best equipped teachers for the twenty-first century. The support of my able administra- tive assistant and office manager for our Teacher Education Department, Mona Girgis, and the faculty members in my department were very sup- portive during the writing of this book. Dr. Gail Reeder, my professional colleague, gave her precious time to read through my manuscript and made helpful suggestions. My students in the Cultural Diversity course, who were not willing to settle with a one-sided view of social justice but constantly demanded better ways to see and utilize the principles and strategies of multicultural educa- tion, deserve my thanks. They inspired me to continue to think, work, and attempt new ways to explain things that have already been explained. When finally they saw and heard these issues present in my own words as reflected in this book, they gave their resounding endorsement. It’s my prayer that they reach personal fulfilment as they undertake the task of reconstructing and enhancing the current social arrangements and making it better than what was handed down to us. My children, Osinachi, Chinonso, Naedum, and Nissi, made sacrifices toward the making of this book. Those late nights in the office and times in my study away from them at home were sacrifices for children their age. I owe them my gratitude and hope to find meaningful ways to make it up for them. Finally I must dedicate this book to my wife, Nkechi, who has been my ally and best critic for the past nineteen years. As a science teacher in a low-income school system, her skills and experiences have had significant impact on the way I articulate issues and ideas to students who are preparing to be teachers, and they have indeed influenced the contents of this book in significant ways.
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