African-American Culture
La mayoría de la gente no entiende esto, debido a la falta de conocimientos acerca de otras lenguas y culturas. Many will not understand this statement, due to their lack of education of different languages and cultures. The United States is one of the few countries not interested in the diversity of cultures around the world. People are mainly focused on their personal lives rather than the alarming ignorance around this country. Authorities are causing kids to be ignorant by the way they are raising them. Kids are expected to learn about the world and its history without being able to experience these things. In almost every country in Europe, children know at least two or more languages. This knowledge is not only gained in a classroom,
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but also by traveling and having the desire to explore the world outside of the United States. The American society is known for labeling certain groups and overgeneralizing their culture. This is the main cause for the U.S. being labeled as ignorant by other countries around the world. The American society should start motivating people of all ages to expand their knowledge about worldwide cultures.
The U.S. education system lacks in promoting the learning of second languages and diverse cultures, compared to European countries. In the United States, it is not required for students to take a foreign language class until they are in high school. The United States may “[be] a superpower, but in education [is lagging] behind” (Wilde 1). Students are not able to successfully learn a second language because “the U.S. does not have a nationwide foreign-language mandate at any level of education” (Devlin 1). Numerous states around the U.S are “[allowing] individual school districts to set language requirements for high school graduation” (Devlin 1). This is extremely damaging towards the students that are attempting to learn a second language. A second research states that “primary schools have very low rates of even offering foreign-language coursework” (Devlin 1). As students get older, there are more challenges in learning a second language, due to the way the brain develops. It is very shameful to the U.S’s education system that there is not an option or opportunity for students to expand their knowledge, by learning another language. This is where the famous joke comes in, “What do you call a person who speaks two languages? Bilingual. What do you call a person who speaks one language? American” (Alan 1). The insufficiency of comprehension about the world's geography plays a big part in the issue. The author Slattery explains his experience of the American, public school system growing up. He states that he was “not [learning] too much geography,” later adding that “the teacher would show us maps, but never a larger perspective on geography” (Slattery 1). Schools are also missing the opportunity to educate students on various societies around the world. A professor suggests that “all teachers — not just social studies teachers —[should] promote cultural awareness” (Higgins 2). Being uneducated about global cultures can later lead to an ignorant mindset.
The basics of the American education in K-12 should be globalized more. Schools in the United States are mainly focused on U.S. history and do not learn about older civilizations in the world. The world has around 3,000 years of history, where the U.S. mainly focuses on only about 300 years. Once a student is able to learn a second language they will become interested in the culture. There are many options in learning a second language, such as extracurricular classes and even immersion schools. David Elmes writes about the connection and importance that language and culture have. In one of his articles, he states that “it [is] not possible to understand or appreciate one without [the] knowledge of the other” (Elmes 2). This requires the right type of education at public and private schools nationwide. One study reveals that the “United States has a rich tradition of racial and cultural diversity that [is] not represented in most textbooks and classrooms” (Higgins 3). The state government needs to make a change in public schools and require teachers to teach about the diverse cultures around the world. This shows the how corrupt the education system in the U.S., as well as the society is. The American People need to be informed of the privileges and advantages of being bilingual to make a change.
The lack of knowledge of the surrounding world and culture cause ignorance in people. There are certain places that people think are very unsafe, and only realize that it is not true after going there. It is shown in research that many Americans do not have an interest in traveling overseas. Since people do not have the desire to learn about the world, the American culture will remain ignorant. Many Americans just travel to different states, which is good for learning about U.S. history, but they will not get to experience the wonders of the world. The main reason Americans are known for being ignorant is because “they simply don’t know what is going on outside their own borders” (Travel 2). This society is uneducated in worldwide problems and has no interest in changing it. Another reason for this is because “we don’t talk about our world in schools” (Travel 3). There are many controversial events happening around the world that are too ‘inappropriate’ to discuss in class. If parents and teachers do not start educating kids from a young age it will only get harder. There are many ways to make kids open-minded such as discussing current events around the world, regardless the controversy of the topic. Not teaching about the surrounding countries around the U.S. is becoming a cycle of ignorance throughout schools in the United States. When traveling abroad people tend to be very ignorant when choosing a place to go. People are “more skeptical of [a certain place] because [they] just don't know about it" (Avon 2). School systems and the American culture “[does not] promote taking a year off between major life phases” (Avon 2). Ignorance is taking over the American society which causes other countries to label the U.S. people as naive. This can only change if people take control and show interest in exploring the world. The are other difficulties in traveling such as cost and time, but if the desire is there those problems can be overcome. As a united community, people should find reasonable solutions to the lack of knowledge about the neighboring countries.
Traveling is a fun way to learn about different cultures with an open mind. There are many advantages to having an open mind when it comes to cultures, because “Being culturally sensitive is key in our globalizing world” (Peterson 3). This can help solve many issues the American society has with conflicting countries and lead to peace. Traveling is also able to teach students life lessons that are not able to be taught in a classroom. When traveling, one is forced into social situations where “You'll learn patience, something you can't study in books” (George 5). As a young student one “can read about history in a book, or you can actually experience it” (Mercer 2). When one is able to physically learn about something it tends to be more powerful and impacting rather than just reading about it. Traveling is a perfect way to learn about different cultures by experiencing their rituals and customs. Students are also able to learn and practice any second language they are learning in school. In a classroom, students are able to learn grammar but do not get enough time to practice speaking it. When one travels to a foreign country they are forced to speak the country's language. Many studies and personal experiences have shown that “there’s nothing like actually communicating or understanding another language” (Shain 1). If parents are encouraging kids to travel there will be many advantages in the long run. The American society is known for making overgeneralization about other countries and criticizing their lifestyle.
This is a growing issue because “we rely on these conclusions to make choices and decisions in life [as we grow up]” (Ezeanu 2). People often make comments about certain cultures without being educated about that certain topic. It is wrong to make a comment about a group of people or country based on one individual. This has been a current and serious topic because of racist comments towards Muslims and African-American. When making a general statement on a culture, truth and faulty come hand in hand. Saying that “Hispanic societies have a high degree of machismo, or, in Middle Eastern cultures, women have a lesser status than men” would be considered a positive way of generalization (Stereotypes 1). People often make generalizations in negative ways rather than positive, which is where it becomes a problem. When an individual makes an inappropriate and false comment to a group of people it “can contribute to racism and xenophobia” (Higgins 2). Overgeneralizing can be very damaging to an individual and “[takes] the form of limiting beliefs” (Ezeanu 3). Throughout the U.S., most parents and teachers do not educate their kids on accepting diversity. When their kids face a diverse environment they do not know what to do. The American society has been lead to think about differences as a weakness. When people say “all Muslims are terrorist” it is only based on hatred and stupidity. They are taking one ‘bad’ Muslim and representing the whole religion/community. This society loves to make up excuses for their lack of knowledge by saying, “It’s about class, not race”. To be able to solve this problem people need to know they are wrong and not make up an excuse. If the society starts to change their ignorant way of thinking it could make an impact on future
generations.
As a community, parents need to take leadership in their children’s education and teach them the importance of accepting diversity. Diversity is only the “differences ... of [an individual's] reading level, athletic ability, cultural background, personality, religious beliefs”, but should not be seen as a disadvantage (Diversity 1). Parents should talk to their children about racism towards minorities, from a young age. As a nation, the United States was able to defeat segregation, but discrimination still flourishes throughout the states. Parents often expect “teachers, politicians, or religious leaders to eliminate racism”, but it starts with the influence of a parent (Talking 1). Parents should start becoming more involved with their kids’ schools. Asking if the school has a “cultural fair or assembly to highlight diversity” is a great way to show interest (Cultural 2). If they do not have one, it would be very helpful to “work with your PTA or parent group to organize one” (Cultural 2). When a teacher, parent, or student promote diversity, it grabs others attention and interest. When the American community is able to appreciate diversity there will be many positive changes to this country. In the future, when people are in working environments they will have many great opportunities when working in a diverse environment. They will have “Creativity increases”, “ Productivity increases”, “New attitudes”, “Language skills”, “Understanding how the United States fits into the world picture”, and “ New processes” (Business 1). Society will be very surprised after realizing all of these helpful skills for the business. Once society is able to include diversity they will be surprised on all the good it will come with it.
Ignorance has been a recurring issue the U.S. has battled with for centuries. The school system that the United States has is one of the main reasons this occurs. As a country, teachers needs to focus on teaching about different cultures and languages in an intriguing way. To be able to know about a country, one needs to travel and experience their culture, something the U.S. does not encourage. Overgeneralizations on cultures and groups of people are damaging to this culture in many ways. After one is able to learn about diversity and embrace it there will be many positive things. Overall other countries look at Americans as ignorant for many different reasons. After the United States is able to acknowledge these problems, this country will become a better and more open-minded country, helping the American society and future generations.
but also by traveling and having the desire to explore the world outside of the United States. The American society is known for labeling certain groups and overgeneralizing their culture. This is the main cause for the U.S. being labeled as ignorant by other countries around the world. The American society should start motivating people of all ages to expand their knowledge about worldwide cultures.
The U.S. education system lacks in promoting the learning of second languages and diverse cultures, compared to European countries. In the United States, it is not required for students to take a foreign language class until they are in high school. The United States may “[be] a superpower, but in education [is lagging] behind” (Wilde 1). Students are not able to successfully learn a second language because “the U.S. does not have a nationwide foreign-language mandate at any level of education” (Devlin 1). Numerous states around the U.S are “[allowing] individual school districts to set language requirements for high school graduation” (Devlin 1). This is extremely damaging towards the students that are attempting to learn a second language. A second research states that “primary schools have very low rates of even offering foreign-language coursework” (Devlin 1). As students get older, there are more challenges in learning a second language, due to the way the brain develops. It is very shameful to the U.S’s education system that there is not an option or opportunity for students to expand their knowledge, by learning another language. This is where the famous joke comes in, “What do you call a person who speaks two languages? Bilingual. What do you call a person who speaks one language? American” (Alan 1). The insufficiency of comprehension about the world's geography plays a big part in the issue. The author Slattery explains his experience of the American, public school system growing up. He states that he was “not [learning] too much geography,” later adding that “the teacher would show us maps, but never a larger perspective on geography” (Slattery 1). Schools are also missing the opportunity to educate students on various societies around the world. A professor suggests that “all teachers — not just social studies teachers —[should] promote cultural awareness” (Higgins 2). Being uneducated about global cultures can later lead to an ignorant mindset.
The basics of the American education in K-12 should be globalized more. Schools in the United States are mainly focused on U.S. history and do not learn about older civilizations in the world. The world has around 3,000 years of history, where the U.S. mainly focuses on only about 300 years. Once a student is able to learn a second language they will become interested in the culture. There are many options in learning a second language, such as extracurricular classes and even immersion schools. David Elmes writes about the connection and importance that language and culture have. In one of his articles, he states that “it [is] not possible to understand or appreciate one without [the] knowledge of the other” (Elmes 2). This requires the right type of education at public and private schools nationwide. One study reveals that the “United States has a rich tradition of racial and cultural diversity that [is] not represented in most textbooks and classrooms” (Higgins 3). The state government needs to make a change in public schools and require teachers to teach about the diverse cultures around the world. This shows the how corrupt the education system in the U.S., as well as the society is. The American People need to be informed of the privileges and advantages of being bilingual to make a change.
The lack of knowledge of the surrounding world and culture cause ignorance in people. There are certain places that people think are very unsafe, and only realize that it is not true after going there. It is shown in research that many Americans do not have an interest in traveling overseas. Since people do not have the desire to learn about the world, the American culture will remain ignorant. Many Americans just travel to different states, which is good for learning about U.S. history, but they will not get to experience the wonders of the world. The main reason Americans are known for being ignorant is because “they simply don’t know what is going on outside their own borders” (Travel 2). This society is uneducated in worldwide problems and has no interest in changing it. Another reason for this is because “we don’t talk about our world in schools” (Travel 3). There are many controversial events happening around the world that are too ‘inappropriate’ to discuss in class. If parents and teachers do not start educating kids from a young age it will only get harder. There are many ways to make kids open-minded such as discussing current events around the world, regardless the controversy of the topic. Not teaching about the surrounding countries around the U.S. is becoming a cycle of ignorance throughout schools in the United States. When traveling abroad people tend to be very ignorant when choosing a place to go. People are “more skeptical of [a certain place] because [they] just don't know about it" (Avon 2). School systems and the American culture “[does not] promote taking a year off between major life phases” (Avon 2). Ignorance is taking over the American society which causes other countries to label the U.S. people as naive. This can only change if people take control and show interest in exploring the world. The are other difficulties in traveling such as cost and time, but if the desire is there those problems can be overcome. As a united community, people should find reasonable solutions to the lack of knowledge about the neighboring countries.
Traveling is a fun way to learn about different cultures with an open mind. There are many advantages to having an open mind when it comes to cultures, because “Being culturally sensitive is key in our globalizing world” (Peterson 3). This can help solve many issues the American society has with conflicting countries and lead to peace. Traveling is also able to teach students life lessons that are not able to be taught in a classroom. When traveling, one is forced into social situations where “You'll learn patience, something you can't study in books” (George 5). As a young student one “can read about history in a book, or you can actually experience it” (Mercer 2). When one is able to physically learn about something it tends to be more powerful and impacting rather than just reading about it. Traveling is a perfect way to learn about different cultures by experiencing their rituals and customs. Students are also able to learn and practice any second language they are learning in school. In a classroom, students are able to learn grammar but do not get enough time to practice speaking it. When one travels to a foreign country they are forced to speak the country's language. Many studies and personal experiences have shown that “there’s nothing like actually communicating or understanding another language” (Shain 1). If parents are encouraging kids to travel there will be many advantages in the long run. The American society is known for making overgeneralization about other countries and criticizing their lifestyle.
This is a growing issue because “we rely on these conclusions to make choices and decisions in life [as we grow up]” (Ezeanu 2). People often make comments about certain cultures without being educated about that certain topic. It is wrong to make a comment about a group of people or country based on one individual. This has been a current and serious topic because of racist comments towards Muslims and African-American. When making a general statement on a culture, truth and faulty come hand in hand. Saying that “Hispanic societies have a high degree of machismo, or, in Middle Eastern cultures, women have a lesser status than men” would be considered a positive way of generalization (Stereotypes 1). People often make generalizations in negative ways rather than positive, which is where it becomes a problem. When an individual makes an inappropriate and false comment to a group of people it “can contribute to racism and xenophobia” (Higgins 2). Overgeneralizing can be very damaging to an individual and “[takes] the form of limiting beliefs” (Ezeanu 3). Throughout the U.S., most parents and teachers do not educate their kids on accepting diversity. When their kids face a diverse environment they do not know what to do. The American society has been lead to think about differences as a weakness. When people say “all Muslims are terrorist” it is only based on hatred and stupidity. They are taking one ‘bad’ Muslim and representing the whole religion/community. This society loves to make up excuses for their lack of knowledge by saying, “It’s about class, not race”. To be able to solve this problem people need to know they are wrong and not make up an excuse. If the society starts to change their ignorant way of thinking it could make an impact on future
generations.
As a community, parents need to take leadership in their children’s education and teach them the importance of accepting diversity. Diversity is only the “differences ... of [an individual's] reading level, athletic ability, cultural background, personality, religious beliefs”, but should not be seen as a disadvantage (Diversity 1). Parents should talk to their children about racism towards minorities, from a young age. As a nation, the United States was able to defeat segregation, but discrimination still flourishes throughout the states. Parents often expect “teachers, politicians, or religious leaders to eliminate racism”, but it starts with the influence of a parent (Talking 1). Parents should start becoming more involved with their kids’ schools. Asking if the school has a “cultural fair or assembly to highlight diversity” is a great way to show interest (Cultural 2). If they do not have one, it would be very helpful to “work with your PTA or parent group to organize one” (Cultural 2). When a teacher, parent, or student promote diversity, it grabs others attention and interest. When the American community is able to appreciate diversity there will be many positive changes to this country. In the future, when people are in working environments they will have many great opportunities when working in a diverse environment. They will have “Creativity increases”, “ Productivity increases”, “New attitudes”, “Language skills”, “Understanding how the United States fits into the world picture”, and “ New processes” (Business 1). Society will be very surprised after realizing all of these helpful skills for the business. Once society is able to include diversity they will be surprised on all the good it will come with it.
Ignorance has been a recurring issue the U.S. has battled with for centuries. The school system that the United States has is one of the main reasons this occurs. As a country, teachers needs to focus on teaching about different cultures and languages in an intriguing way. To be able to know about a country, one needs to travel and experience their culture, something the U.S. does not encourage. Overgeneralizations on cultures and groups of people are damaging to this culture in many ways. After one is able to learn about diversity and embrace it there will be many positive things. Overall other countries look at Americans as ignorant for many different reasons. After the United States is able to acknowledge these problems, this country will become a better and more open-minded country, helping the American society and future generations.