Ending My Journey

I started this course unable to predict exactly where this class would lead me. I did not know how much I would be impacted by the class’s readings and discussions. When class began for my first blog I remember doing research about my Native American background and explained the importance of being ethnically educated. I also stated that I was raised in a predominately diverse community, therefore, rarely was I affected by the status quo of racism.  Meaning I was not just raised with one race around me I was in a diverse environment. However, after taking this course I have come to the realization that one not only needs to have a diverse background as far as race but as well as culture.

I read many excerpts from Takaki that explained that discrimination and prejudices are not only racially but are culturally as well. For example, the Irish were oppressed not because they were white like the Englishmen but because they were Irish and were considered to have a “savage lifestyle”.

 Being aware of different cultures and different traditions is the key to understanding a person’s motivations and behaviors.  I was not raised in a culturally diverse environment and most modern Americans aren’t, because here in America there is a traditional way to behave and traditional values to have. So if and when one deviates to far from the norm they are exiled or alienate. Muslims for example, don’t follow the traditional American lifestyle and are constantly put under the microscope for their beliefs, values, and traditions.

 We as people always like to simplify things and categorize things which ultimately take the complexity, intrigue, and beauty from situations. Through experiences people are able to relate to things better, yet when one has never experienced a different way of life they are rarely able to understand or relate to the situation for that matter. However, by having an open my and a love for knowledge one can achieve a level of understanding which essentially leads to respect.

I’m  very grateful that I was allowed to take such a relevant and educational course with a professor that is pretty profound.

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Overveiw

History is the lie commonly agreed upon. (Voltaire)

History comprehends experiences that have transpired previously. It is the aggregate of past events, which gives insight for the future. Majority of historical events are factual; however, all that exists is through perception.

Many Americans have lost touch with their history, and in Lies My Teacher Told Me Professor Loewen explains why. He believes that there is a combination of blind patriotism, mindless optimism, and misinformation that is being taught in high school history courses. After, reading a few chapters of his book I was very impressed by his research and detailed accounts.

Many high school students strongly dislike history. They presume history to be boring, predictable, and repetitive. “History is the past, so why should I have to learn about the past, why not the future?” This was a question that I asked my history teacher my senior year of high school. I couldn’t understand why he wanted us to learn about things that happened a hundred years prior.   How ironic that I chose history as my major in college. Anyhow, I remember the large text books that were always covered with deceased people that were important supposedly.  But important to who?  Loewen pointed out that some textbook leave out intricate details that ultimately make the main “white” character seem like a hero. He also explained that minority students perform slightly worse that white students.

Americans show a great interest in history outside of the classroom, many people enjoy films that recreate the past; they attend museums, and read novels. Nonetheless, they are uninterested in a subject that allows them to understand the world they live in.  Students complain that history texts are extremely huge some books pages number up to the thousands. The textbooks publishers attempt to include every single detail even if the details seem meaningless, which ultimately makes books longer. Teachers usually assign students chapters to read, key terms to define, and skill building exercises that usually concludes each chapter. These assignments are awfully time consuming. Overall, students exit history courses without having developed the ability to think coherently about social life.

 Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007.