Are you worried of how your children might approach someone who looks different at a store? At times little ones say things that are completely in the innoncent side, they are just letting you know that they see someone who looks different then them. This is why teaching the children from an early age about a cultural program can only bring positive results. Children at 4 might see someone and ask, mom why are they that color? or why is their hair different than mine? Its a natural question (Cetina, T. 2012), but if the schools can help introduce a diversity program, perhaps the children wouldnt be oblivious to the diversity around them. How about when children at a younger age use racism slurs at such early age. I remember when someone in the sixth grade told my daughter that she was a taco. This really upset her and she addressed it to me. I explained the ignorance behind it and told her if it happened to her again to please let me know so we can go to the school together. This young kid assumed that all hispanics backgrounds were the same, he didnt know that being a latino meant diversity of its own. Children are smamrt and they would notice that someone is darker skin or that someones eyes look different, but if they are taught from an early age, then they will treat and develop friendships with people and respect their values rather than how they look (2012). Its very important that we push our children away from racism, we live in a diverse world and racism would bring so much anger into their hearts.
Reference;
Cetina, T.(2012). Culture Blind. Retrieved on May30th from the Kaplan University Online Library
Children always tell you what they see. They are curious and want to know why things or people are different. If it explained to them in a positive way, than children will be excited to learn about differnt cultures and people. If you present this in a negative manner, than children will look at it negatively. Children must be taught to hate. Their interest in new things is genuine. A cultural diversity program would cultivate that interest.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was in the military I was having lunch with a few friends and he had his three kids with him. A mutual friend of ours walked in and he is from Jamaica, and his kids yelled, daddy look a monkey. The father just laughed, but I thought that was an appropritate moment for him to teach his kids that he is not a monkey he is Jamaican and perhaps give him some background history. Instead he chose to laugh it off. Eventhough, they were kids, words are words and they hurt, especially if the parents dont corect them.
DeleteChildren are very impressionable. They trust that their parents won't mislead them. I remember I had a friend in elementary school and he went on a family trip to Boston. His uncle told him not to look at the black people or they would cut off his ears. So he spent the rest of the day covering his ears every time he say a black person. I think most people have a story like this, where children are tought discrimination by the ones they trust.
ReplyDelete-Matthew
Honestly I was not taught discriminitation. My mother grew up in NYC and even though I grew up my early years in Puerto Rico she had seen all cultures in NY. She taught me the language at an early age and told me that we are all equal regarding color.
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