Chapter 3

Historical Perspectives on a Multicultural America

Peer Educators are Group 1 with Lucy Bailey, Katherine Best, Samantha
Capener, & Kaitlyn Carlson; Class section 004
Learning objectives

3.1 Describe the founding and settling of this country

3.2 Explain the historical perspectives of peoples of the United States

3.3 Describe key events in the civil rights timeline

3.4 Summarize key legislation affecting education

Case Study: Coming to America
Immigration patterns have changed dramatically. Refugees escaping war have been
challenging the resolve and capacity of the United States and other countries. Afghanistan,
Iraq, Syria, south-east Turkey, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria, and other countries
have all experienced a mass exodus of people seeking safety in new lands. They bring with
them their children who must adapt to a new culture and learn a new language, while
attempting to deal with the trauma they have experienced in their former homelands.

The demands on the education system have also increased. Having transitioned from
agricultural and assembly-line industries into a global, digital, and computer-driven
economy, our society demands different skill sets of graduates. The advent of social media,
inexpensive cell phones, and other electronic devices has changed our lives in so many ways
Case Study: Coming to America Continued
The family structure has changed as well. With the need for two-income families, the
prevalence of single-parent homes, and a high divorce rate have come additional problems
for schools. Teachers are being asked for higher credentials, more degrees, and specialized
training. And the No Child Left Behind legislation drastically changed the business of
education. Therefore, various student experiences, cultures, languages, beliefs, and other
differences face today’s teachers. And facing the students is a rapidly changing,
multicultural workplace.
Discuss with a Partner

● How has teaching changed in the past 25 to 50 years?

● What new skills are teachers needing to have that hasn’t been needed
in the past?
● What do teachers need to know about their students cultures and
backgrounds?
 Single Stories vs The Whole Picture

Christopher Columbus sails to the Americas

VS.

The impact that it had on those already living in the Americas

 The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standard of classification of Race:

American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North
and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community
attachment
Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the
Indian subcontinent, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the
Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam
Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. Terms
such as Haitian or Negro can be used in addition to Black or African American.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of
Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands
White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North
Africa
An example of The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standard of classification of Ethnicity:

Hispanic or Latino: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central

American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term Spanish origin
can be used in addition to Hispanic or Latino
 Learning objective 3.2

Be able to Explain the Historical Perspectives of people of

the United States.
● Multicultural educators can use these resources to better
understand students, to incorporate their histories into the
curriculum, to inform culturally responsive teaching
strategies, and to prepare all students for life in a diverse
world.
 Native Americans
● First populous indigenous peoples were the Native Americans or indians. They have
rich history, vibrant communities, and strong social structures and civilizations that
existed long before Columbus arrived.
● The history is both glory and tragedy. At the arrival of columbus in 1492, the great
indian nations numbered up to 75 million and spread across both North and South
America.
● After disease, war and starvation that number was reduced to 400,000 by 1900.
Classroom Focus on Native Americans
Native Americans face myriad problems, including high unemployment, substance abuse,
poverty and poor education. Since being forced out of their homes they have struggles to
reclaim and rebuild their lives.

Educators tend to portray Native Americans as living in teepees and hunting buffalo.
Today there lives look much different.

How could we change the way of teaching about Native American history as
educators?

Get into groups of 4 and discuss

 African Americans
● African Americans may forever be tied to perhaps the greatest stain on America’s
reputation, that is, 400 years of slavery and oppression.
● They first came here as explorers and settlers. However, that soon changed with the
Atlantic slave trade, which between 14th and 19th centuries brought approximatelty 15
million slaves to the Americas.
● The continent of Africa lost 50 million people to death and slavery perpetuated in the
Americas and throughout the world.
● Not until the Fourteenth Amendment was passed in 1868 were African Americans
recognized as U.S. citizens.
● Emancipation Proclamation was signed by abraham lincoln in 1863, that freed slaves but
not all enslaved Americans.
 Classroom Focus on African Americans

The history of African Americans has led educators for many years to approach the
education of African American children from what has been called the “deficit model”.
This has created prejudice, discrimination, poverty, crime, substance abuse and poor
education that are associated with urban youth are very real problems and should not be
ignored.
● Successful education of minority youth requires an understanding and sensitivity to
culture, background and perspectives.

How could we change the way educators teach about African American history?

Get into groups of 4 and discuss

 Asian Americans
● The chinese were the first Asian immigrants to arrive in the United States coming in
the mid 1800s.
● California became very populated with these immigrants that the number grew to
63,000.
● Many of these immigrants came and helped build the transcontinental railroad
system.
● In the late 1800s white americans became resentful of the Chinese in the workforce.
● Japanese Americans started arriving as laborers in the late 1800s settling in Hawaii
and the mainland. Began taking jobs of agriculture, farming and railroads.
● This quickly changed during World War II.
A Classroom Focus on Asian Americans
● Myth of the Model Minority
○ Asians are stereotypically seen as hardworking, well-mannered, successful, and good in school
■ Often used to criticize African American students for not achieving at the same level
○ Asian students have consistently scored higher on standardized tests than their White
counterparts

Source: The National Center for Education Statistics https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=171

A Classroom Focus on Asian Americans
● Myth of the Model Minority
○ Focusing on the high success of Asian Americans has become detrimental because it minimizes the real
problems of discrimination Asian Americans still face
■ Recent Asian immigrants experience similar experiences in school with their Hispanic and African
American peers
● Poor Socioeconomic Status
● English Language Learners
● Same Race, Different Ethnicities
○ Culture varies widely between the different Asian countries and ethnicities
○ Multicultural educators are careful not to confuse one culture with another or make assumed similarities
● “Perhaps no other ethnic minority faces the constant problem of having to assert its citizenship. An
Asian face, for many people, still means foreigner”
A Classroom Focus on Asian Americans
● Cases of Wrongful Profiling
○ Affirmative Action: Proactive steps in employment or education to ensure equal
representation based on sex and race
○ High-profile universities (including Harvard and Princeton) have been charged with
intentionally rejecting high-scoring Asian American students in favor of other
students with lower scores
■ Class Discussion:
● Why do you think this is?
● Explain why this is an example of affirmative action gone wrong. Or do
you think is a fair process? Explain.
 Hispanic Americans
Hispanic American: Any person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central
American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race
● 19.1% of the total U.S. population as of July 2022 (source: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2023/hispanic-heritage-month.html)

● Largest racial or ethnic minority in the United States

● While the Spanish language is a
Group Percentage of the total Hispanic
commonality between Hispanic population in the United States
groups, each has a unique history Mexican 63.0
and culture
Central and South American 13.0

Puerto Rican 9.2

Cuban 3.5

Other Hispanic 11.3

Mexican Americans
● The Mexican American culture originates from when the Spanish were successful in
conquering the natives of North, Central, and South America in the 1500s
● Native American, Spanish, and Anglo cultures blended into the “Tex-Mex” culture
we know today
● The Mexican American War (1846 - 1848)
○ The United States gained Mexican land
○ United States started using Mexicans for labor, which led harsh treatment, racism, and discrimination
● During the Great Depression, Mexicans were restricted from working. But when
WWII started, they were allowed to work again because of the shortage of workers
Mexican Americans

Erastus Moises Trujillo and Flavia Domitilla Romero

Puerto Ricans
● Christopher Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico in 1493, during his second voyage to
the New World
○ Claimed Puerto Rico for Spain
○ Enslaved and killed thousands of Natives
● Juan Ponce de Leon became the governor of Puerto Rico in 1508
○ Started a legacy of brutal slavery, poverty, and unemployment on the island
● Today, many Puerto Ricans have settled in New York and New Jersey
○ Contribute to politics, sports, and entertainment culture of the United States
● Historically Puerto Rico has had a readiness to fight alongside the United States
during war time
● Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and is petitioning for statehood
Cuban Americans
● Cuba was invaded and colonized by Spain in 1511
○ “Discovered” by Columbus in 1492
● Revolts against the Spanish were common
○ Cuba was characterized as a country of revolutionaries
● Recent History
○ The Cold War
○ Dictatorship of Fidel Castro has caused a strained relationship with the U.S.
○ Cuba remains a strategic military concern for the U.S.
○ Many Cubans have left the country both with and without the Cuban government’s
approval to come to America
Highlights From Hispanic American History
● 1513 - Juan Ponce de Leon lands in Florida
● 1565 - Saint Augustine, Florida becomes the first European settlement in North America
● 1846 - The United States invades Mexico and takes half of the land area
● 1954 - The Supreme Court rules Hispanics as a seperate class of people
● 1960 - The Chicano movement fights for civil rights
● 1962-1965 - Cesar Chavez leads the first national boycott
● 1965 - Over 250,000 Cubans are airlifted to the US before the program is stopped by Fidel
Castro in 1973
● 1974 - The Equal Educational Opportunity Act makes bilingual education available to Hispanic
youth
● 1998 - California bans bilingual classroom education and ESL programs, replacing them with a
1-year intensive English immersion program
● 2003 - Hispanics are recognized as the nation’s largest minority group
A Classroom Focus on Hispanic Americans
● American history taught in schools usually begin with the English settlers arriving, but much
less is taught about the Spanish settlements that existed before the Pilgrims came
○ Teaching a more complete history can used to engage students in a variety of learning
experiences
● The Supreme Court ruling in Plyer v. Doe states that children must be accepted into public
schools regardless of immigration status
○ “Teachers should not be distracted by the immigration status of children in their schools
but rather focus on effectively teaching every child who attends”
● Unfortunately, there continues to be attempts to eliminate bilingual education in the United
States
○ Xenophobia is still present towards Hispanic cultures
 European Americans
European American (White): Any person who has origins in countries such as England,
Ireland, Scotland, Poland, Germany, and Australia. Also includes people from the Middle
East and Northern Africa.
*The leading origins of European Americans are the UK, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, and Norway*

● Spanish were first to arrive and settle in the Americas - to find silver and gold and make
Spain a more powerful country
● Next came the English, French, Dutch, Germans, Scots, and Irish - individuals seeking
economic opportunities and/or religious freedom
● In 1900, 90% of the US identified as European American
● In 2010, European Americans were a minority is 48 of the largest 100 cities in the U.S.
● Whites are now a minority in California, Hawaii, and Washington D.C.
○ Could soon be a minority in Texas and New Mexico
Highlights From European American History
● 1513 - Juan Ponce de Leon lands in Florida
● 1524- Giovanni da Verrazano lands in present day New York
● 1540- Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explores the South Western portion of what will be the
US
● 1565 - Saint Augustine, Florida becomes the first European settlement in North America
● 1607 - Jamestown, Virginia becomes the first English settlement in the Americas
● 1620 - Pilgrims arrive at Plymouth Rock
● 1699- French arrive in Mississippi and Louisiana
● 1845-1849- Thousands of Irish immigrants arrive due to the Irish Potato Famine
● 1900- Anti-immigrant sentiment increases greatly when almost 9 million immigrants arrive
● 1921- The Johnson Act places quotas on European immigration
● 1965- The Immigration Act of 1965 stops quotas on immigration
A Classroom Focus on European Americans
● Many European American children know very little about their own cultural
backgrounds, and are uninformed on what it means to be White
○ “We must begin instilling in all children at a young age an awareness of and
pride in their culture, along with an understanding of the privileges and
obstacles that comes with skin color”
● Students whose families have been in the United States for many generations still
benefit from learning that they too have a culture that is rich and meaningful
● When discussing culture in the classroom, the focus should be on commonalities
and shared experiences
● Discussing conflicts between cultural groups should not be neglected and must
be discussed in age-appropriate ways
 Today’s America
● Teachers should learn about the specific ethnic groups in their community and classroom to best
understand their students
● Educators will find it easier to create cultural awareness in their classroom if they first become
knowledgeable about their own background
● Classroom representation and awareness should be taught for all groups of people
○ Ex. LGBTQIA+ community and religious groups

True or False: American History

1. The 18th amendment gave women the right to vote
2. Laws banning interracial marriage were not erased in every state until 1967
3. Only African Americans were lynched in this country
4. Yale University refused to admit Japanese American students who lived in internment camps
during WWII
5. African American troops were among the first to liberate Nazi concentration camps
Civil Rights Movement Timeline
● Read Pages 80-82
● Discuss one or two events and discuss why you
thought they were interesting to you
Federal Civil Rights Laws

● Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

● Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
● Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
● Age Discrimination Act of 1972
● Title II of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990
Other Education Laws
● The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997
○ Guarantee all children with disabilities access to free and appropriate public
education
● The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley
Amendment)
○ Pertains to privacy of student records. This act governs the confidentiality of student
education records and who has access to them.
● Free Appropriate Public Education
○ Says that all disabled children are entitled to receive free appropriate public
education, including special education and related services, at no cost to the child or
to their parents.
● The Equal Access Act of 1984
○ permits non-curricular religious clubs to meet with the same rights and privileges as
other non-curricular clubs in the school.
Free Speech For Students

● Bethel School District v. Fraser

○ High school administrators can punish student speech that has the effect of
violating school rules and disrupting legitimate educational and disciplinary
objectives.
● Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
○ Citing Bethel, the decision was come to that school admin can censor
student-edited paper that published writing on sensitive subjects.
○ Examples being student pregnancy or something that can be an invasion of
privacy.
Free Speech For Students

● Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri

○ The University had violated a student’s First amendment rights by being
expelled for distributing a controversial leaflet on campus
● Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
○ Decided that the First Amendment protected the right of high schoolers to
wear black armbands as a protest against the Vietnam War.
○ Symbolic speech can only be prohibited by school administrators if it causes
substantial disruption of school’s educational mission.
No Child Left Behind Act (2001)

1. A single, statewide set of accountability standards based on federal

guidelines
2. The adoption of measures of Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) targets for
each public school district and individual schools
3. Penalties for schools that fail to make AYP targets
4. Schools to hire only "highly qualified teachers"
5. State and local school report cards
6. The development of instruction, curriculum, materials, and staff based on
"scientifically based research."
No Child Left Behind Act Discussion

What could be some issues with the “No Child

Left Behind Act?”
Section 1983

● This allows for students and parents to have resource for

if schools and educators violate their federal,
constitutional, and statutory rights.
● Students and teachers can use it