Soup or “Salad”?

In recent years, the debate to move from the great American “melting pot” to the “salad bowl” has emerged. The original idea was that immigrants coming to the United States should mix in with the rest of us, blending together into the same substance.  In more sociological terms, this is assimilating or absorbing the traits of a new culture, rather than maintaining your own.  This new idea of the salad is that all the different parts come together to make this item, while each carrot remains a carrot, and so on. This debate underlies such issues as ESL vs. bilingual education and celebrating ethnic holidays.  While some classrooms believe they are teaching how to become a salad, they are actually perpetuating ideas of assimilation.

I came across an article in the BBC News feed that really caught my attention on this.  I had never really thought about other countries having to teach diversity (ignorant, I know) or having educational debates on it like we have.  Now, this isn’t apples-to-apples, but I think there are some things from this move in the UK that we could implement.  Over there, schools are going to start teaching more about British history and identity, studying things like free speech, mutual tolerance, and respect for equal rights.  Education Secretary Alan Johnson believes schools are key places in promoting understanding and combating intolerance.  This is a good environment for children to learn to think critically about racial, ethnic and religious issues with a link to current debates and events. Sir Keith Ajegbo states:

“It is the duty of all schools to address issues of ‘how we live together’ and ‘dealing with difference’, however difficult or controversial they may seem”.

Where else should students be able to address those questions if not at school?  Citizenship is another topic to be expanded upon, emphasizing citizen’s roles as Britons. All of the above mentioned topics are addressed as “Britishness” but,

“Britishness does not need to be dominant and certainly not a domineering identity, but it must be a significant common facet that we all can share.  As such it is a key component in developing greater ties that can bind society together.” -Nick Johnson, Commission for Racial Equality.

Opponents to this approach warn these traits of justice and democracy should not be portrayed as “exclusively British” or to imply that
Britain is superior, but used to create an understanding of citizenship, identity, and the pride that can evoke. As I was reading this article, I was thinking of all the different kinds of complaints I could hear parents and administrators making. But I think it sounds like a wonderful idea! I know this goes against the separation of church and state, but I think religion classes should be taught in public schools.  I do not mean to try to get students to convert, but to allow them to understand other religions and give them insight into how other people view things.  In school, we were constantly told to respect other people’s beliefs and opinions, but we never learned or understood those alternate beliefs.  When doing research papers, we are taught to look at all sides of the issue thoroughly. So why is that not being done when teaching controversial but important diversity topics? Why do we still explore culture and issues like turtles coming out of their shell for a day or a week, but then going back to that same shell as before, ultimately unchanged? 

 

Schools ‘must teach Britishness’

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