Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h3A1xHU08097; Wed, 9 Apr 2003 21:59:17 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 21:59:17 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3E9A166B@webmail.utk.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: jataylor <jataylor@utk.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:149] from Kay Tee, Suggestions for handling bias X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Mailer: WebMail (Hydra) SMTP v3.61.08 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Status: O Content-Length: 4309 Lines: 74 (Hello all, The following is a response to Sandra Fugate's question from FOB author Kay Tee Niquette, regarding bias.) Sandra and everybody, Thank you for your interest in the article. I was rather intrigued with your pilot project that uses the Holocaust to promote diversity. This part of history is not something I have ever used in my ESL classes nor have other teachers that I work with. The last time that I had to look at this part of history in depth was in high school and even then I had a hard time trying to sit in class without feeling ill. Having been overseas and taught in Lebanon, as well as currently teaching a class full of Muslim women the Holocaust would not be an appropriate example to use to address diversity. The subject hits a nerve with Muslim people, as many are pro-Palestinian and see what the Jews do to the Palestinian people on a daily basis. They find it hard to feel sympathy for a group of people whom they feel have mercilessly killed Arabs without justifiable cause. A similar reaction might take place if you were to address the issue of slavery to a mixed class of blacks and whites. I have found that any topic that is currently being studied: shopping, safety, medical issues, housing, etc. lends itself towards a comparison of American culture to the cultures represented in the class. The students are very interested in sharing aspects of their culture and what things may be different. They like to have other students in the class ask them questions and are more than willing to share all they know. These conversations and comparisons allow everybody to understand what various customs each culture has, as well as the beliefs of the students in the class. This approach is less invasive and doesn’t make one nationality feel threatened. Should you want to approach bias then I would suggest utilizing current events within American culture and picking out key atrocities to homosexuals, the physically challenged, women in management, etc. These topics alone will stimulate reactions from your students and have them forming ideas and comparisons. This also alleviates one culture from feeling threatened by a historical moment that hits too close to home. FOB author KayTee Niquette 1. I would like to address my question to the article by Kay Tee Niquette, which I really enjoyed reading and found to be an innovative approach to solving her problem. I teach multi-cultural ESOL students two evenings per week. Recently, we were discussing the need for cultural sensitivity and tolerance. I used the hate crimes of the Holocaust as an example of what can happen when prejudice is allowed to reign. I pointed out that although the Jews suffered the greatest loss during the Holocaust, many other groups, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Gypsies, Homosexuals, and Handicapped suffered persecution and death also. A discussion ensued on the differences that existed among the cultures represented in our classroom, the prejudices that each of the students had experienced in the United States and the need to be sensitive and tolerant to the views of others, even if we do not agree. We went further to discuss that the United States was established by many cultures and is referred to as a ‘melting pot’, yet that we have honored the motto “From many, one.” One young man from Turkey came to me after class giving several examples of negative behavior by the Jewish people and adding some personal negative comments about the few Jews who live in Turkey. I listened and explained that the objective of the lesson was to focus on the need to co-exist, not on the Jews per se. He has voiced his apparent bias for the Jews at other times; however, he is one of the better, more-committed students in the class. He is Muslim. I, along with several other teachers, am involved in a pilot project that promotes diversity training through lessons from the Holocaust. I have heard another teacher with students from the middle-east say she had a similar problem. I feel a little sensitive about continuing with this focus in my classroom. My question: Do you have suggestions for handling bias similar to this or in other areas, on the part of students in multi-cultural classrooms?
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Mar 11 2004 - 12:15:02 EST