Multiculturalism

The dialogue on multiculturalism neglects one extremely important reason to add multicultural viewpoints and experiences to education: the need to educate members of the white majority about the trials and contributions of ethnic and racial minorities. The rise of racism across the United States in the last few years clearly demonstrates a woeful ignorance and intolerance toward persons of different races. A truly multicultural curriculum would neither shallowly celebrate “others” as heroes or pity them as victims; rather, it would provide historical and literary and political contexts for present-day race relations that could only contribute to tolerance and to a greater understanding of different cultural backgrounds. Multiculturalism, at its best, is an inclusive, not an exclusive, point of view.