Response to Hernandez' Article

Journal for Learning through the Arts, 2008

coupled with myths and memories of a homeland where alienation in the new surroundings often fosters a desire for eventual return while a collective memory reconstructs the cultural group's history whether real or imagined, then Chicanos are appropriately diasporic. When considering diasporic groups throughout history, the current relocation of high numbers of Latinos are unique in that this particular group is largely settling in the southern region of the United States-very close to their homeland of Mexico, which in a sense makes them both diasporic and nondiasporic (Calafell, 2004). The situation gets even more interesting due to the fact that some Latino immigrants are now living illegally on land previously governed by their native country. The close proximity of new home to the "homeland," creates a situation of living with the heart, the mind, the soul, and the identity in two places. In addition, since the United States is historically a "nation of immigrants," and many of the newly arriving illegal immigrants brave the dangerous journey to be reunited with family members legally living in the United States and who are productive U.S. citizens, there is little acculturation that takes place due in part to the strong cultural, religious, and familial ties to the homeland of Mexico. This in itself presents a new type of diaspora-one where the displaced group is living dually, thus creating a dual American culture or dual diaspora. Public school teachers, who are trying hard to meet the challenge of the rapidly growing numbers of Spanish-speaking, non-English students entering the classroom, see the "dual diaspora" on a daily basis. Many public school teachers-who lack background and experience in teaching non-English speaking students-are puzzled by the dual culture presented by the illegal immigrant child. However, U.S. law requires all children of school age to be enrolled in either a public or private school by a certain age. Therefore, the illegal immigrant who is not a citizen of the U.S. is entitled to a fair and equal education. Upon entering the classroom, the Latino child-with strong family, religious, and cultural ties-is somewhat feared by the general teaching population. Relying on media images of Latinos who are commonly portrayed as gang members, thieves, drunks, and criminals, many teachers become highly alarmed when they observe students creating artwork that illustrates elements of the Latino culture. Prompted by the dual diaspora and dislocation that school-age children are dealing with, drawing and

2008

The profile, structure and context of history as a school subject Historian Agnes Heller remarks that "both that which is decisive in and for the present depends on answering the questions of the present: what ought to be done, what ought to be changed, what ought to be conserved, what ought to be rejected, and in all of this how to go about it". 1 This means that an analysis of the content of history is a central issue within history didactics because Heller's words implicate that history, as a school subject, has to be continually revised. In this paper I would like to discuss revision and adaptation of history to that which is often called "multicultural" society. In this paper I will try to examine the content of history in multicultural environments on the bases of "universalism" and "communitarism" (also called "the politics of recognition"). In addition, these two models of education and interpretation of multicultural societies will be compared and contrasted to "deconstruction" as a way of writing/teaching history. The first two approaches have been discussed in the book called Multiculturalism -Examining the politics of recognition. In this book Charles Taylor, Jürgen Habermas and other philosophers debate the future of "multicultural societies". 2 The model of deconstruction is above all discussed on the bases of Joan Scott's theories. 3 Moreover the aim of this text is to give an overview of the contents of interviews with twenty-four high school pupils´ and their opinions on the content of history as a school-subject and this within "multicultural" school environments in Swedish city of Malmö. It should be pointed out that over forty percent of the children between the age of six and fifteen who live in Malmö have a "foreign background".

This paper focuses on the sense of interculturality at public schools in Seville and El Ejido (Andalusia, Spain) which are located in multicultural urban environments and with students of immigrant families from various origins. Our study is based on intertextual discourse analysis of legal and political documents planning the Andalusian education system, on the discourse of the education agents, and on the observation of practices aimed towards intercultural education. We show how the intertextuality between the legal-political discourses, the discourse reproduced in the schools, and the practices of intervention on cultural diversity lead to an undervalued perception of minority cultures in the school and a notion of multiculturalism focused on assimilation. We criticize the conception of interculturality as exhibited in Andalusia's education policies, since this perspective reveals the discursive intertextuality among policies, pedagogical communication and practices.

Multicultural Perspectives, 2003

social responsibility in those of privilege. If this is what multiculturalism does, then it does more harm than good.

Coordinated by) AGORA University Publishing House Cyberculture, e-learning and social networking: an intercultural point of view Italian children market. Cases of migration and exploitation between history and literature through the second half of the XIXth century ALerRto CnRLi Italian children literature in the second half of Nineteenth century has often staged coeval social drama. The narration was bound to realism, and provided the young readers of a newborn ! E. PERODI, Le novelle della nonna. Fiabe fantastiche. Perino, Roma, 1892-1893. 2 E. PERoDI, I bambini detle diverse nazioni a casa loro, in <Giornale per i Bambini>, from IV, 12 to V , 43, IAa4. r.4

1999

Rushdle AffOir. "Politics and So culturaiítat. Documents de tcebail Cletf» 18/4, 1990, pp. 455-480 de la segona d'Estiu sobre El lector hi trobara una gr'an quantltat tots tronsnocrorwls, «Revista d'Et, turol, e/ave del desorrollo plonetorio, WALLERSTEIN, Roce, notlon, clas de trebails que fan refer'encia al Ca nologla de Catalunya» 15, 1999 «Síntesis)) 26, 1996, pp. 53-63 Les Identités ambi¡;¡ucs, Parisl La nada, als EUA i a Austr'alia cosa que no 7. AGUiLAR. CarmcnClta r (ed.), 23. ANTHIAS, F r N. YUVAL-DAVIS. Découverte, 1988 ens ha d'estranyar' ales que fou en Clol seimee ond multieulturolrsm Raciollzed Boundanes, London: 37. BANKS, James A (ed.). Handbook aquests pa'lsos, especialmenl en els dos honcing quolity edueotlon, Manila: Roulledge, i 99 01' reseorch on multiculturul educa pl'lmel'S, on la pr'oblemálicd del multi culturalisme comenr;á a deb¡¡lre's amb més intensitat i despertá un inter'es

Intercultural Communication Studies, 2006

As the planet goes global, the isolation of indigenous people in Mexico leaps out denying the benefits of an all-embracing modern society. This reminds us the relationship between social inequity with ethnic and language differences, and the reductionist recognition of cultural diversity that nourishes an antithetical insight of homogeneous social categories like Indian or non-Indian. Two examples serve here to discuss the logics of cross-culturalism. First, indigenous refugees and displaced communities in southern territories offer a paradigmatic case that opens a possibility to question the idea of fixed and permanent identities. Second, the bicultural educative project in central lands (i.e., teaching into two languages simultaneously – native and Spanish) shows further limitations of the discourse on cultural plurality. Both examples disclose an ethnocentric recognition of cultural difference owing to a linguistic understanding of identity, and underline the role of migration in the reconstruction of fragmented identities.

College English, 2005

She teaches courses on contemporary American feminist theory and criticism, literary and cultural theory, postmodernism, multicultural l theory, and composition. She has published articles and book chapters on contemporary f hooks, Julia Kristeva, feminist theory and postmodernism, and literature and ethics. She working on a book on feminism, postmodernism, and multiculturalism.

Research in Arts and Education

Multiculturality as a point of union is part of an international project entitled CREARTE, which aims to foster contemporary art in primary schools. The project was carried out by an artist, a class teacher, and a teacher of Arts along with children aged nine and ten from different multicultural backgrounds living in a poor deprived area of Lisbon, Portugal. To discover and create collective learning by using artistic strategies with the body, sounds, traditions and rituals were the springboard to art education generating experiences in group and thus integrating multiculturalism in education. Children responded to the paradigms of contemporary art developing skills to enable them to achieve success and connectedness in diverse contexts. The generated interactions, experiences and learning were the foundation basis to gradually break social barriers and so understand the different cultural backgrounds of those around us. Thence, multiculturalism as a bridge to openmindedness by discovering the Self, the Other and building the Collective Self.