Introduction
Diversity is a concept that eludes young children as they grow; they do not see it even though it is all around them. Young children live in their own worlds, trying to figure out their own identities, and fail to see how much rich culture is around them. However, as students go to school, their world begins to grow and they begin to see new cultures, traditions, and values that they may not have noticed before. At times this can be difficult for example, when there is no diversity in a school they do not experience differences; variety is needed for students to understand what the concept of diversity means in their own world. This is something that the students in my school often experience.
“Are you from China?” This is a common question my students ask me or ask when they see someone who looks different from them. A couple of years ago I taught Spanish in a second grade class. It was career day and we had many people in and out of the classroom sharing their experiences in their jobs and everyday lives. Then a young lady of Asian descent walked into the classroom. A student approached her and greeted her with a “Hola, cómo estás?” and she simply laughed. This is when I first realized that my students did not truly understand that just because people are light skinned and looked different from them did not mean they spoke Spanish. The student automatically assumed that the lady spoke Spanish because she looked different, but had no awareness that she had her own language and culture different from theirs and the Latino culture.
Understanding that there are different ethnic groups and different cultures is a very important thing for our students to learn. Many times students in my building have little or no awareness of the diversity that exists in today’s society. As a language educator, I think it is important to stress the importance of diversity. Not only is it important to teach the Spanish language such as in my case, but the rich history and culture that come with the language should also be taught. This not only allows students to embrace the language fully, but also allows them to understand how it can and does affect the world around them.
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