Becoming a multicultural person (MP) isn’t something that happens overnight. Just as multicultural education is a paradigm of thinking and teaching, developing your own self requires a reflection of the paradigm you find yourself and where you’d like to be. Here are some of the things you need to do:
REFLECT
In our culture, we tend to take a lot of time to do things and little time to stop and reflect. This is the part that takes the most honesty. Nieto and Bode say, “we need to confront our own racism and biases. It is impossible to be a teacher with a multicultural perspective without going through this process. Because we are all products of a society stratified by race, gender, class, and language, among other differences, we have all internalized some negative messages in one way or another” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, p. 392).
Take time to think about your experiences and your background. Have you ever felt prejudiced against because of something that was out of your control, something you were born with or into? Do you have certain preconceived notions about specific groups of people? How have your life experiences and the people around you influenced these notions? How does your language influence these notions?
MODEL
A MP understands that his/her own culturally experience is not the only one out there. Therefore, a MP must adopt an attitude of a life-long learner, one who can learn from his/her peers as well as his/her students. In her study of “Culturally Relevant Teachers”, Gloria Ladson-Billings found that “the teachers kept the relations between themselves and their students fluid and equitable. They encouraged the student to act as teachers, and they themselves, often functioned as learners in the classroom” (Ladon-Billings, 1995, p. 163). She also found that these teachers nurtured a “community of learners” (p. 163).
The best way to become something is to continually practice and model it. Along with this attitude of a learner, we also need to model a respect of others and of their perspective.
SEE DIFFERENTLY
“Just as fish are unable to appreciate the uniqueness of their aquatic environment, so are many mainstream individuals and groups within a society unable to fully see and appreciate the uniqueness of their cultural characteristics. A key goal of multicultural education is to help individuals gain greater self-understanding by viewing themselves from the perspectives of other cultures” (Banks, 2014, p. 2-3).
If we’re limited as products of our society, how do we break out? We can’t wait for society as a whole to change on its own; we have to purposefully expose ourselves to different experiences and perspectives. We can do this through things such as empathy-building exercises and reassessing things we already know but from a different perspective. In Montana, we have a wonderful opportunity to learn more from the perspective of the American Indian tribes that live here.
ENRICH
Just as important as reviewing topics through different lenses is seeking truly novel ideas. Nieto and Bode express that “we simply need to learn more. We need to be involved in activities that emphasize pluralism. We also need to look for books and other materials that inform us about people and events we may know little about” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, p. 392). This could mean that we step outside of the traditional English literature Canon. It could also mean going to community events that we would not usually attend.
As a teacher of language, I feel that I have learned most about how to think from a different point of view when studying different languages and experiencing places as a “non-native”. Sam Gendreau argues, “Learning a foreign language and getting soaked into an entirely new culture and worldview is the surest way to become an open-minded, understanding individual, and that is, I would argue, absolutely priceless. Once you are aware of the fact that we are all cultural beings, products of our own environments, and that you recognize the cultural base for your own attitudes and behavior, you are ready to consider others in a more favorable light. Seeing the world from a different perspective, and understanding where you and others come from, is a fantastic, eye-opening experience” (Gendreau, 2014).
ADVOCATE
We’ve all hear stereotypical or hateful comments or jokes. For many people, we are racked with indecision about whether we should go along with it, stay silent, or do something. The organization Teaching Tolerance has something to say about this: “You’re an educator. You want to make the world a better place. You want to create a school environment that is safe and welcoming for all students--and you don’t want to let moments of bias pass silently “(Teaching Tolerance, 2012, p. 8). A MP doesn’t stand idly by while intolerance occurs. One of the best things to do to become a MP is to simply act like an MP: stand up and speak up for social equality.
Although it is difficult to start, the effects of not speaking up only help to perpetuate the intolerance. “You must speak up against every biased remark, every time it happens. Letting one go, then speaking up against the next one, sends as inconsistent message: that sometimes bias is OK; other times it isn’t. Letting the first instance go without comment also sends the message to anyone within earshot that it’s OK to say bigoted things” (p. 18).
Overall, the biggest step in becoming a MP is to tell yourself that you ARE a MP and to continually ask yourself, “What would a MP do?”. This guiding question can help guide you in a plethora of dilemmas: Would a MP read this strange book? Yes. Would a MP stop and talk about the hateful comment someone just made? Yes. Would a MP approach this with the attitude of a learner? Absolutely.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
References
Banks, J. (2014). An Introduction to multicultural education. Boston: Pearson.
Gendreau, S. (2014, March 31). Ten Amazing Reasons Why You Should Learn a Foreign
Language -Lingholic. Retrieved December 3, 2015, from
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But that’s just good teaching: The case for culturally relevant
pedagogy. Theory Into Practice, 34(3), 159-65.
Nieto, S. & Bode, P. (2012). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural
education. New York: Longman.
Teaching Tolerance (2012). Speaking up at school: How to respond to everyday prejudice,
bias, & stereotypes. Montgomery, AL: Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved from
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