My Dearest and I were "discussing" the Playscape post a while back. He is totally on board with homeschooling but thinks perhaps our homeschooling group is not as "diverse" as we would experience in a public school classroom. This conversation was almost 2 years ago and has languished in my draft box.
Hmmmm.
Here's the thing. I don't think, because of the nature of geographic assignment that classrooms are all that diverse. I mean, I may encounter a Muslim kid, but when would I get to experience his culture/religion? Religion and religious influenced culture is taboo in public school, no? And a show and tell one time deal isn't really experiencing it. You may have a black kid or an Asian kid or a Latino kid, but really, if they go to your school they are likely the same socioeconomic class as you, watch the same cartoons, wear the same clothes. How diverse is that really? At that age it is all about fitting in and assimilating. Finding cultural identity and making it a signature doesn't come until later, typically.
The point I am trying to make is that if I were to send my kid to public school so she can meet people of "color" or those with different religions, perhaps a re-thinking of the way my family lives should be considered too (not instead). All the public schools but two I attended had middle and upper class white kids. If there were kids of other backgrounds they were not in the honors classes I was assigned to. Not really a diverse experience, actually a very deep rooting of class (monetary) segregation where the parents' accumulation of wealth=opportunity and privilege. If a poor kid managed to somehow make it into these classes, that poverty was guarded and hidden, lest the peer group were to find out. Social diversity needs should be met as a family and not in the context of a bunch of immature age peers who do not have the tools to deal with differences when and if they arise. Don't get me started on how the school let everyone else know who the free lunch kids were. It was humiliating at best.
I also think that diversity is so much more than ethnic food or cultural traditions. Age and economics are important too. Recently a group function we attend decided the once all inclusive class should be divided into age groups. 20-40's all together, 40-60's, and 60+'s. That frustrates me more than the similar age groupings they did for the kids. I have more in common with the 40+ folks than the individuals nearer my age. I really believe that we all benefit from learning with and from people of all ages. Our society separates us too much as it is, why continue to do it when we have a choice!? People learn differently when in a diverse age range group. Setting us with our age peers does not level the playing field, it only gives unfair advantage to some. Perhaps that is the intention.
Recently Lil'Bug was really unhappy in her art class so I suggested to the teacher that the later class, the more advanced one would be better for our schedule. She was reluctant because the kids are all older....but allowed a trial. After ONE class it was obvious that it was a better fit for Lil'Bug. Not skill level, but socially. She just feels more comfortable with kids in her own linguistic skill range and sometimes the little kids just frustrate her. She knows this. She communicates it very clearly, which is sort of a factor of the dynamic.
Thinking about it, that art class IS pretty diverse and so is our homeschool group. More diverse than any classroom I ever sat in. Anyway, those are just my thoughts today.
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You know, thinking about my schooling, I had among my group of close friends (totalling 8): one girl of mixed black and pacific island heritage, one girl of a very conservative religious sect, a black girl, a jewish girl, two girls with single moms who were poor, and two others who were strikingly like me. And THAT is in Ankeny, where finding diversity is difficult to say the least. About half of us were in the gifted program, all of us were social outcasts. Nerdy losers, if you will.
ReplyDeleteBut what is interesting is that, although I know that one of my friends was Jewish, I didn't learn much about her culture. The black girl and I discussed various things about her color - but it was mostly about her hair and skin. (her hair practically dried itself, it was fascinating.) We were, after all, girls. The pacific islander (who remains to this day among the most beautiful people I know) and I mostly talked Disney films and music.
So my point is, even though I was friends with a diverse group - we were more alike than different.
And while it would be easy to say that that's because we were all living in Ankeny, all middle class, I think it's just as likely that it's because we were all girls of the same age, expriencing the same things, at the same stage in our lives.
Good food for thought. As I work on a Corporate Training agenda, I realize and reflect that these schooling challenges are deeply seeded in the American Corporate world. As my soul awakes and connects with amazing beings, like those I find on your blog, I grow impatient with my role in the corporate world...and am encouraged to keep growing and find another way.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. Your blog always helps feed a part of me.
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This is an interesting post Danelle. I've always been sort of caught between three worlds. A Mexican Heritage, A Spanish Heritage, and of course American. I always seemed to find myself doing "white" things as my Mexican cousins would say. I skateboarded, loved indie/punk rock, loved to run and exercise (Look around, you don't see many Latino's at gyms!). What was even more difficult to me is that I don't "look" Latina, or the American's stereotype of what a Latina should look like. I take after my mother from Spain so I'm not dark Mexican like my Mexican cousins are. I got a lot of crap from them growing up. "You're so white Diana!" etc.. With my "white" friends we just were. We didn't talk about my culture or race and I preferred that because above all I'm American. As Sarah said, we talked about boys, clothes, music, our periods, lol!! It was always a little wierd because I associate myself more as a Spaniard than Mexican. Only because my mother was raised there, her heritage and family is still there. She raised us on Spanish foods, their culture and of course we have spent a lot of time in Spain. To my mother or any Spaniard, they are not Mexican and do not appreciate when Americans assume any Spanish speaking person is Mexican. (This goes for all other South American countries, always ask where they are from and do not assume Mexican ;) As you can tell there are always 3 conflicting cultures going on in my life, lol! As I got older did I truly appreciate the culture in me and did I start to notice the difference between cultures. Especially in family relationships. As Latino's we have VERY close family relationships. As do Asians and African Americans. I relate to them because of that and seem to have more blogging friends of ethnicity I believe because of that. Our parents are held with utmost respect through good and bad. Anyways, I don't think it's as important to stress other cultures but to keep them involved with kids of other cultures. It lets them realize that although different in color or race we are all American. It's truly a blessing when you can look at someone and not "see" their difference. Totally the way God sees us!
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