Proud to Be
“Before proceeding we must acknowledge that multiculturalism means different things in Canada and the United States” (Joshee & Johnson, 2005).
Both Canada and the United States have developed and implemented various multiculturalism policies throughout the years in hopes of diminishing racisms, addressing diversity, and creating equity. In my opinion, there is a distinguishing factor in how multiculturalism is viewed within the two countries. Canada demonstrates cultural appreciation of different ethnic and religious groups and promotes acceptance and tolerance of differences and is notorious for encouraging people to express their uniqueness to enrich the country. Whereas, I find that America is more of a melting pot. People tend to set aside their own cultures and purse the “American dream”. Canada is comprised of a diverse group of religions, races, ethnicities, cultures and social class which is also displayed in schools and in the classrooms. As a teacher it is important to create unity within the classroom and have students be proud to be Canadian, but at the same time it is equally as important to recognize and encourage diversity. Teachers can accomplish this task through the use of resources such as books and other multicultural activities. Incorporating such resources will provide students the opportunity to experience new things, express their feelings, and become actively involved in the learning process. The book “Whoever You Are” written by Mem Fox is an excellent book to incorporate into a lesson when educating students on multiculturalism. It is crucial to educate the young minds of diversity and teach them the importance of inclusiveness as they are our future and have the power to change the world.
A.D
Joshee, R., & Johnson, L. (2005). Multicultural education in the United States and Canada: The importance of national policies. In N. Bascia et al. (Eds.), International Handbook of Educational Policy (Vol. 13, pp. 53-74). Netherlands: Springer.
Both Canada and the United States have developed and implemented various multiculturalism policies throughout the years in hopes of diminishing racisms, addressing diversity, and creating equity. In my opinion, there is a distinguishing factor in how multiculturalism is viewed within the two countries. Canada demonstrates cultural appreciation of different ethnic and religious groups and promotes acceptance and tolerance of differences and is notorious for encouraging people to express their uniqueness to enrich the country. Whereas, I find that America is more of a melting pot. People tend to set aside their own cultures and purse the “American dream”. Canada is comprised of a diverse group of religions, races, ethnicities, cultures and social class which is also displayed in schools and in the classrooms. As a teacher it is important to create unity within the classroom and have students be proud to be Canadian, but at the same time it is equally as important to recognize and encourage diversity. Teachers can accomplish this task through the use of resources such as books and other multicultural activities. Incorporating such resources will provide students the opportunity to experience new things, express their feelings, and become actively involved in the learning process. The book “Whoever You Are” written by Mem Fox is an excellent book to incorporate into a lesson when educating students on multiculturalism. It is crucial to educate the young minds of diversity and teach them the importance of inclusiveness as they are our future and have the power to change the world.
A.D
Joshee, R., & Johnson, L. (2005). Multicultural education in the United States and Canada: The importance of national policies. In N. Bascia et al. (Eds.), International Handbook of Educational Policy (Vol. 13, pp. 53-74). Netherlands: Springer.
