...Abstract The purpose of this paper is to reflect on a multicultural experience. This assignment is to focus on a culture that’s different from my own. It will provide a brief background/history, when and where the event took place, the setting, other observations and my overall reflection. The paper will conclude with how this experience affects my view of diversity in K-20 education. Multicultural Immersion Experience Salsa dancing is an internationally known dance style which originated in Cuba. When African drum rhythms came to the new world through slave trade, the blend of drum rhythms mixed with official Cuban music emerged a variety of sounds and dance moves. A style known as the Cuban son gained a lot of popularity and played a central part of Afro-Cuban music. Radio Broadcasting came to Cuba in 1922 along with Americans seeking to escape prohibition laws. This exposed a large population of westerners to Cuban son and for the first time, Afro-Caribbean music became popular in America. Renamed the Rumba, the music and dancing begin to appear in American salons in the 1930s and is still a popular style today among ballroom dancers. The Rumba in many ways looks like a slower version of salsa. It's got some of the footwork elements, the Cuban hip motion, and arm styling (Articlesbase, 2009). In short, Africans were brought over to Cuba as a result of the slave trade. Their music blended with that of the Cubans and a union between the clave and African drums was...
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...Culturally Responsive Teaching: Bridging the Gap Michael Warren University of Texas at El Paso Culturally Responsive Teaching: Bridging the Gap The changing demographics in classrooms are not often reflected in the pedagogies, curriculum and strategies used in represented grade levels and content areas by the education professionals that drive our education system. Recent research has considered the idea that culturally responsive or culturally pedagogical teaching may be the answer to closing the achievement gap created by the absence of cultural awareness. The concept of cultural awareness may be simply defined as an understanding and awareness of the diversity in the classroom (Villegas & Lucas, 2002); however, such a simplistic definition does not recognize the many dimensions involved in the pedagogy of culturally responsive teaching, which for students includes seeing germane links between subject matter and lessons and their experiences outside the context of the classroom and how those links influence what and how they learn. The purpose of this literature review is to examine the many facets that make up the term Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and the impact and implications implementing such a broad concept may have on the education system. While the literature discusses several topics connected to CRT, I will confine this review to the following: (1) CRT Background/Definition (2) The methods of study, the participants involved and the significance...
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...Personal Reflection Paper BSHS 345 August 26, 2014 Personal Reflection Paper Invidious comparison is the act of comparing one person to others according to their class, race, sex, or religion. This act can have a negative effect on people who are aware of it. Growing up in California, where the predominant Hispanic races were of Mexican and Central American origin, I was constantly compared to those Hispanic backgrounds. This was frustrating because I am Colombian and the Colombian Culture is very different from the Central American culture. My mind could not understand why people would compare me to them if I am South American. The traditions, food, music, slang, and even accents were different. American non-Hispanic people would call me, among many other things, a “dirty Mexican” or “wet back.” This was extremely frustrating because neither one of my parents hopped the border nor were they dirty. My young mind did not know how that these people were just ignorant so my frustration turned into anger and total repulsion of races of those other backgrounds and countries. A sense of insecurity and even self-hate would overcome me. I did not want to be Hispanic, I wanted to be white, and I wanted to be accepted. My way of seeing things changed in 2006 when the Immigration Equality Movements became popular. Latino activists would speak at events and in a sense give the people a sense of empowerment and hope. Attending these events made me feel proud of my Hispanic heritage...
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...potential donors and opinion leaders. Diverse leaders can expand knowledge, create new resources, and open doors to partnerships necessary to fulfill an organization’s mission. Recommended strategies for board diversification must be understood in the context of the deeply divided society of the United States. Although North American cultural issues are the result of a unique history, most elements of diversity planning will apply in other countries as well. By the year 2015 the nonwhite portion of the U.S. population is expected to increase to 30 percent NEW DIRECTIONS FOR PHILANTHROPIC FUNDRAISING, NO. 34, WINTER 2001 © WILEY PERIODICALS, INC. 77 78 DIVERSITY IN THE FUNDRAISING PROFESSION (Changing Our World, 2001). In many communities, including large areas of California, the nonwhite population is already at 50 percent (Changing Our World, 2000). Despite heroic efforts on the part of diverse public and nonprofit sector leaders and their allies, gaps between rich and poor, and between people of color and whites, have increased over the past decade: • Poverty rates for full-time U.S. workers have stayed...
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...Reflection Paper #2 Scholars have given considerable attention to the story of the Los Angeles labor movement, focusing in particular on its recent successes in both union organizing and political endeavors. Academics and journalists alike have specifically investigated the ties between unions and low wages, and often but not exclusively, latino immigrant workers and texts have increasingly begun to allude to something of a “Los Angeles model” of worker advocacy. Working for Justice: The L.A. Model of Organizing and Advocacy, edited by Ruth Milkman, Joshua bloom, and Victor Narro, serves both to refine and expand our knowledge of employee representation in Los Angeles through a collection of chapters related to union and worker center led efforts on behalf of low-wage earning individuals. On the one hand, this book offers a nuanced study of specific instances in which unions and advocacy groups have sought to organize low-wage workers, describing the tremendous challenges, successes, and sometimes failures associated with these efforts. On the other hand, the collection takes us beyond the well trodden ground of union advocacy in Los Angeles, introducing readers to the importance of worker centers within the region, the vast majority of which have received very little scholarly attention until now. In so doing, the authors cover tremendously varied terrain while concurrently interweaving numerous threads of commonalities across the campaigns and organizing efforts to create...
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...practices. The Heritage Assessment Tool has been devised to discover cultural characteristics of individuals, families along with communities. This tool allows one to understand and respect the role of cultural awareness in health and illness. There is a framework for evaluation of physical, mental and spiritual values and beliefs in which outlines health maintenance, protection, and restoration. The difference in values and beliefs grants an impact on wellness, disease and death in selected cultures. Upon assessing heritages there has been an overview of religion, ethnic background, language and an identification of support systems. Information has been gathered to present cultural lifestyles, traditions and health practices in a nonsterotypical manner. Utilizing the Heritage assessment tool this paper will reflect the cultural heritage of three different cultural practices .The three cultural diverse backgrounds, which will be discussed, are Hispanics, Filipinos (Asians) and Southern Afro Americans in which the later describes the writer’s heritage. There will be an acknowledged awareness of health maintenance, protection and restoration. Common health traditions will be identified along with how families interact with these practices. Yet, there is a cultural diversity in ethnicity a reflection of similarities is encountered. The Hispanic community is broadened and consists of many geographical origins such as South America, Cuba,...
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...religious, economic, and civil unrest. Much like in the contemporary political arena where conservatives belittle and ridicule progressives and liberals for what they might consider being just "childish fantasy," so too does Marc degrade the Acorn community and push his religious values on them, “The Earthseed Destiny is an airy nothing. The country is bleeding to death in poverty, slavery, chaos, and sin. This is the time for us to work for our salvation, not to divert our attention to fantasy explorations of extrasolar worlds.” (143) Another example of similar between the text and current events is how the book mentions, “ Jarrets supporters are more than a little seduced by Jarret’s talking of making America great again.” (30) Currently Trump’s phrase is “making America great again” which to me means making it “white” and getting rid of all immigrants from the United States. Many are familiar with the themes of totalitarian government of Oceania in Nineteen Eighty-four and they might also be familiar with the infamous "Two Minute Hate."(13) The Two Minute Hate was a daily event where "Big Brother," the symbolic embodiment of the state, would condition the peoples hatred against the enemies of the government. In the book, Orwell had reflections such as the idea of "thoughtcrime,"(24) a crime committed by thinking the wrong thing. Thought crime was something just as the "proles," had to live with fear and different views or dissent and facing punishment for it, in the United States...
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...“Each generation must out of relative obscurity discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it” - Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth In cultures all over the world, music can be seen encompassing many aspects of life for many individuals. It is a form of mass communication that speaks directly to society as a cultural form", and often reflects a collection and pattern of personal experiences. Hip-hop or rap, an art form and culture nearly thirty years old originating from The Bronx, New York, has provided a forum for Black and Latino youth to express their respective cultures and speak on a number of issues. Today, Hip-hop is a global phenomenon that appeals to almost all ethnicities and is synthesizing a new culture that goes beyond race, education, and income. Hip-hop has been under continual metamorphosis since its 1970’s inner-city inception. Some of the original artists like Kurtis Blow chose to lament everyday life in the ghettos. Others, Sugar Hill Gang among them, took a more dance inspired approach to the music. But for both these and other artists from the early years of rap through the late 1980’s including KRS-One, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J, fast beats and socially relevant lyrics were among the primary components of the music. By the 1990’s a new face of rap music emerged. It began with Ice T and later gained popularity with artists such as NWA (Niggaz Wit Attitude) whose first album shocked and titillated the rap world with their...
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...Science Dr. Rosa Purcell Meisha Conrad April 28, 2014 Introduction Being a teacher at a Head Start/ Early Head Start program I have experienced the language barriers between teachers and students from different ethnic groups. I can say it is not easy when you and your students cannot communicate. Dealing with the situation makes you question yourself and how you can fix the language barriers in your own classroom and also the school. What can teachers do to overcome the language barrier in our classrooms with our Latino children? What are some activities, lessons, games, and etc., that we can do to make a connection and also help them learn? There are many ways I think we can put a stop to the language barriers in school. We may not be able to completely fix the problem but there are ways and things we can do to make our Latino children and parents feel welcome and comfortable when they walk into the schools. Communication is an important part of teaching because the children have to be able to understand the message that the teacher is trying to convey. Children also have to be able to communicate with each other. There are a number of factors in the classroom and many of these factors exist in day-to-day life as well, that can act as barriers to effective communication. Effective communication between teachers and students is also one of the most important factors in school, and without it, the educators'...
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...Mississippi Needs Assessment Kana Crumby Liberty University Abstract This paper looks at the history of the state of Mississippi. Mississippi is a poor state with little resources. This paper details the risk factors that lead to poor mental health in the residents of the state as well as areas of weakness in the state. Using statistics from various sources, the author breaks down population data to form a needs assessment and summarize the state’s condition. Mississippi Needs Assessment The state of Mississippi is located in the southern portion of the United States and gets its name from the Mississippi River, which flows next to the state’s western border (Mississippi, 2011). The capitol of Mississippi is Jackson. It has a subtropical climate with the southern part of the state being at risk for seasonal hurricanes. Thunderstorms are also very common in Mississippi with about 30 tornadoes annually (Mississippi, 2011). Mississippi is blessed with very fertile soil. It is especially rich in the Black Belt and Delta areas. The landscape of Mississippi is flat with little variation across the state (Mississippi, 2011). Mississippi has a rich history rooted in cotton farming that began in the early 1800’s. The cotton industry made Mississippi one of the wealthiest states in the Union before the Civil War and necessitated the use of hundreds thousands of slaves. Because of this, Mississippi was the second state to join the Confederacy during the Civil...
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...ethnicity (Pg. 47 “Understanding and Managing Diversity”). With age comes certain connotation. Native American and Asian cultures hold their elders in revere for their years of wisdom, youth is often more appreciated in the global workforce for their energetic drive. While the number of women in the workplace continues to grow and they prove capable of holding positions of responsibility, when dealing with gender it is still often thought that men make decisions based on business while women tend to bring emotion into their decision making. Ethnicity and Race usually go hand in hand unless working within a very particular group. Amongst a workplace with a broad business, a person may be acknowledged only by their race, such as Hispanic or Latino. Now if the business is catering to a certain area or region a person’s ethnicity such as Cuban or Dominican, within a race may be taken into closer consideration. A person’s abilities whether mental or physical are another dimension of diversity that must be acknowledged when dealing with people, depending on the adaptation to their work environment. Finally, sexual orientation is becoming a more trending...
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...Waddell and Ukpokodu (2012) also argued that the” lack of diversity in the teaching force is a causative factor to the over-representation of students of color and those from low-income backgrounds in special education programs”. Large disproportions in advanced course enrollment, rates of participation in gifted programs and suspension rates for Black and Latino students were also noted (Pabon, 2011 ; Howard, 2010). For example, the United States Department of Education reported that in the 2005-2006 academic year, sixty four percent of White students took Algebra II , in contrast to forty eight percent of Latino and fifty five percent of African American students (Howard,...
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...DLP Policy and Practice for Developmental Leaders, Elites and Coalitions DEVELOPMENTAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM Research Paper 11 An analysis of Leadership Development Programmes working in the context of development Heather Lyne de Ver & Fraser Kennedy February 2011 www.dlprog.org DLP Policy and Practice for Developmental Leaders, Elites and Coalitions DEVELOPMENTAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM The Developmental Leadership Program (DLP) is an international policy initiative informed by targeted research and directed by an independent steering committee. DLP is supported by a global network of partners and currently receives its core funding from the Australian aid program. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the Australian Government or any of DLP’s other partner organisations. i Contents Page Acronyms ii Abstract iii Executive Summary iv Introduction 01 1.0 An Overview of the Programmes Reviewed 03 2.0 An Overview of the Criteria for Selecting Leadership Development Programmes 05 2.1 Does the programme articulate its understanding of leadership? 05 2.2 Does the programme have a theory of change? 11 2.3 Who is the programme aimed at? 13 2.4 What are the programme’s methods and content? 21 2.5 Impact assessment and evaluations 32 3.0 Our...
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...Analyzing a Major Issue Justin Francis Professor Nelson Psy110 2/5/2015 If you consider affirmative action for its intentional purposes than Affirmative Action is very just, its purpose being to equalize the education and economic gap between minorities and whites. Although it is not a perfect method to achieving equality in this country, it is essential to accept it for why it’s been put into place and that it is all part of a process. Of course affirmative action is far from perfect and has a fair deal of problems, like promoting reverse discrimination while backing up negative stereotypes. I researched all of these aspects while pondering the question “is affirmative action still needed in today’s society?” In this paper I will be explaining what affirmative action is.The history behind affirmative action like how it all unfolded, who made it, and the history as to why it is in effect now. I will also list some pros and cons of affirmative action, how the United States could better affirmative action for the future and finally a conclusion, which is my opinion on the topic. But what exactly is affirmative action? Born of the civil rights movement three decades ago, affirmative action calls for minorities and women to be given special consideration in employment and education acceptance decisions. Universities with affirmative action policies generally set goals to increase diversity. Affirmative action decisions are generally not supposed to be based on quotas, nor...
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...African Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Alaskan Natives and Pacific Islanders as compared with the US population as a whole." --National Center for Cultural Competence Population addressed Population addressed In 1950, U.S.-born whites made up about 90 percent of the U.S. population. By 2000, this number declined to about 75 percent, and by 2050 non-Hispanic whites will be in the numerical minority (U.S. Census Bureau 2001, 2002). This rapid diversification requires healthcare organizations to pay closer attention to cross-cultural issues if they are to meet the healthcare needs of the nation and continue to maintain a high standard of care. Looking at the Country as a whole the current area of discussion for this paper is the area of Western North Carolina and the population of Asheville, which is a melting pot of cultures which the combination they create is unique to no other. According to the 2006 U.S. Census Bureau statistics for Asheville, N.C. the current demographics break down as follows: Asheville [City] Population (current estimate), 70,400. Buncombe County Population (2006), 222,174, county in Western North Carolina Asheville is located. Gender Dispersion was 46.8% Male, 53.2% Female with an average age being 39.2 years of age. Race breaks down as follows: White persons (2000), 78%, Black or African American persons(2000), 17.6%, American Indian (2000), 0.4%, Asian persons (2000), 0.9%, Hispanic or Latino origin (2000),...
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