Expanding Knowledge About Racial/Ethnic Groups

I think the best way to expand your knowledge base about racial and ethnic groups is getting to know people in the culture. For teachers, this is really as easy as taking a little extra time to ask students from other racial groups questions about their lives outside of school. This could also mean meeting with the families of these students in order to learn more about home life and culture.

When I worked in the receiving department at Barnes and Noble, one of the Hispanic workers there loved to play Reggae-Tones on the radio. At first, I absolutely hated this kind of music, and I perceived it as an annoyance that bothered me while I was trying to work. However, as I grew to know Ricky more, I grew more accustomed to his culture and the way he enjoyed life and music. After a while, we began calling our friend Ricky-Tone and got a big kick out of watching him do a little dance to his music. I believe that as we get more accustomed to other cultures, our appreciation for that culture will grow. If we expect others to learn American heritage and culture (and I believe we rightfully do so), then we can at least extend this courtesy to other racial and ethnic groups.