Multiculturalism

A snippet from a book that I am reading (Nieto):

One of the early theories that influenced the emerging field of multicultural education is the social contact theory, based on the work of Gordon Allport (1954), which states that intergroup contact can either ameliorate or exacerbate prejudice. Allport theorized that positive outcomes would result when a number of conditions were met. These included equal status of the groups, shared goals, intergroup cooperation, and the support of those in authority. This theory has been the basis of much of the research supporting multicultural education, including the scholarship of Janet Ward Schofield on intergroup relations in schools (1989) and Elizabeth Cohen on collaborative group work (1986).

See another perspective on this topic: http://members.cox.net/~elsie/papers/fractal/table1.htm

Some print resources:

Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

Cohen, E. G. (1986). Designing groupwork: Strategies for the heterogeneous classrom. New York: Teachers College Press.

Duckitt, J. (1992). The social psychology of prejudice. New York: Praeger Publishers.

Nieto, S. (2009). Multicultural education in the United States: Historical realities, ongoing challenges, and transformative possibilities. In J. Banks, The Routledge International Companion to Multicultural Education, pp. 79-95, New York: Routledge.

Schofield, J. W. (1989). Black and White in school: Trust, tension, or tolerance? New York: Teachers College Press.

It seems so simple. Why does it also seem so difficult to achieve?

Happy Birthday! Happy Anniversary!

One of the first things that I learned about the Episcopal Church is the three-legged stool of Scripture, tradition, and reason as cornerstones to the faith. Also important is the centrality of prayer to the faithful in this communion. Common prayer is the objective, not common belief. Human differences, though important, do not figure prominently into prayer.

Every Sunday, during the prayer of the people, the assembled remember those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in the coming week. The list for the month runs down the left hand margin of the worship folder insert. Everyone in the congregation is included in that list. It makes no difference which service they attend, 8 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 11:00 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Everyone prays for the same group of people. English speaking worshippers remember everyone, and Spanish-speaking worshippers remember everyone. Makes no difference.

Because it makes no difference to God either, as we are all his children–as they say: sisters and brothers in Christ. Even if we don’t understand each other well, God understands us all.

And that’s all that is important.

Belonging

On Sunday, July 19, I worshiped for the first time at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Phoenix. When the organist started the prelude, I was impressed. And as I looked around at the stained glass, and wood paneling, I was also impressed. It was a reminder of what I had grown accustomed to before I came to Arizona and what I’ve been missing all these years.

However, aesthetics and perfect acoustics is not everything.

At a certain point in the liturgy, I needed to refer to the Book of Common Prayer. I was pretty sure that one of the smaller books in the rack was the right one, but which one? I didn’t see the reference in the worship folder either, so I really didn’t know. So, since the hymnal was blue, I figured I’d take the smaller book with the blue cover.

An answer to another question came when I opened the book. The contents were in Spanish.

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How do you make people feel welcome? You speak their language.

And if you can’t speak their language? You speak their language by your actions.

Which is what I saw in practice on that Sunday at Trinity.

With all of our good intentions to be hospitable to those who may be somehow different, we sometimes fall short of the mark. And when we miss the mark, some of God’s children feel that they don’t belong. Sometimes, all it takes is to arrange things so that people can help themselves to the same goals as their neighbors and make sure that helpful resources are accessible at all times.

The English language worship resources are never removed from the sanctuary. Makes sense that the Spanish language ones should remain too, since this congregation worships in more than one language.

This little episode with the Book of Common Prayer was the first of many experiences that answer my questions.

Delayed reaction

Three months ago I was on Long Island for a high school reunion. It was the first one I’ve attended since high school. I thought if I waited another ten years, it might be too late. During this time, I visited the old high school; the principal of the school was a newborn a few blocks away from my childhood home while I was a sophomore in college. What life was like in that town then changed a lot since, but the important things were still the same: in this working class community education was important, and academic excellence was expected.

I also stayed a few days with dear friends, Doris and John, who I have known for a long time. Out of this visit came a renewal of a quest for a deeper understanding of social interactions and relationship-building in communities experiencing demographic changes. My interest in this topic was cultivated with other dear friends, Coni and Josué, whom I first met seventeen years ago. I am privileged to work with Josué to this day and value deeply their friendship.

Though each is unique, my friends Doris, John, Coni, and Josué share particular characteristics in common, among them are an intellect that they all use well to help others achieve their goals and a sense of humor that helps us all maintain our balance.

Fourteen years ago the investigation focused on diversity and community in a school setting. Now, in a different context, and hopefully a bit wiser, I resume this research, but in a broader setting. I have come to a conclusion that what happens in school often has roots in other places in the community.

When I returned to my Arizona home this past summer, I promised myself to find better examples of community, so that I might have something to share with my Long Island friends.

The purpose of this blog is to document these experiences. I have about three months’ experiences to report. Hopefully, I’ll catch up soon.