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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVarious OpEds in BCS Eagle t Page A10 The Bryan-College Stdtion Eagle Sunday, Septmeber 2, 2001 - Opinions The E 1e • ..... Seeking multicultural success ...... A s our democracy has evolved, Whose symbols are wrong? Obvi the effects of fragmented rela Daniel Hernandez Is ously, none are wrong. We're just tionships rooted in law, cus a native of Bryan. - using different symbols to represent tom, tradition, practice and igno- ' : He graduated from similar ideas and needs. rance continue to challenge us as " Bryan's Stephen F. Not always equal • individuals, organizations and com- - ,, ` - Austin High School a Our nation has not always modeled munities. ) in 1969, Texas A &M " the principle that all men are Great- As if things were not complicated University in 1973 . ed equal," although it has attempted enough, added to the mix of issues is F. and Georgetown Uni - to address the consequences. In our an emerging data driven economy, ,% versity Law Center in educational systems, we have gone • along with enormous demographic 1986. His family - from separate but equal to forced and cultural shifts that bring us even DANIEL arrived in the Bra integration to equal opportunity to.: ,.' more data (people, places and things) HERNANDEZ zos Valley more : affirmative action to tolerance and to absorb and process. than 70 years ago, diversity. In particular, according to state where they worked as share crop Currently, the gospel of diversity;;:I demographer Steve Murdock, it is pers and migrant workers: All of his , and tolerance is being proclaimed; ` . • only a question of time until the Lati siblings attended Bryan schools and however, strategies for producing „ • . . no community becomes the numeri- seven are Texas A &M University , ethnically diverse and competent persons w can m teach and � -, ., cal majority in Texas. This young, graduates. • energetic and talented community is create trust and value -added rela =:�- the reservoir from which we will '`�' ,. This Is part one of a three -part ; t in our schools and cottimu -.;. draw the future generations of lead series looking at ways Texas,needs ; s nities are lacking . : e g - ers and professionals. The question to change to help the state's grow - ; , + We need culturally competent indi -' ' remains whether our present educa- Ing Latino population derive the`fuII viduals and organizations. Cultural i tional systems have the capacity and benefits of their education. Coming competence is the ability to comm ;, will to educate and integrate the on the Opinions page: ;..3',ti ;:r':` nicate across and between multipl ' . ? emerging diverse cultures success- • Tuesday — Teachers must be at . r.' cultures by managing and respond.; folly info-the mainstream of our eco the f orefront of cultural understand - i ng effectively to people, places and nomic� GG.}al and political order. ing. ', - . things within their cultural contex 1 . . IneRiduals and organizations, • Wednesda espeicially institutions of learning, Y -- Destro m ; The tolerance that we preach has 1 to reach cultural competence often resulted in the unintentional •, must become skilled in educating, .f , -: creation of indifference toward bthi i . negotiating and communicating ers. It has taken on the meaning of. J across diverse cultures at the speed History demonstrates that humans ., putting up" with people, often inter- of change. Otherwise, our education - are created and genetically coded to preted as "I will not bother you if ..' al systems will become excellent in survive and thrive in various envi me." obsolescence while failing to produce ronments. Biologists and psycholo- you do not led to more e l This in a arid,' I ence has led to more intolerance ;.` the professionals and leaders needed gists tell us that, as a survival state- ultimately, cultural incompetence. 1n Hearing to ensure the future health of our gy in the absence of trust, humans � i , ' ? E- state. seek to determine deception and to ng ail the voices , ;� Hearing all the voices respond to deception. In other words, The 1964 Civil Rights Mt provided r ; died we are inherently marginalized groups legal reme . Our democracy is based on the y biased to look out •� principle of majority rule. However, for ourselves. to illegal discrimination, but the act„ st Texas' future will be determined by The significant differences did not facilitate the building of T trust how well we can bring together between us are our histories and the pe t the development . In response Cn see ; s;; i diverse cultures to discover common resulting cultures, symbols and - to the ground in order to reach higher processes we use to communicate adversarial law, within groups. aw, our society created r ated en :hel adversarial relationshy en the `ip betwe.1 ground. The following thoughts are and achieve our goals and needs. In community and the institutions that offered as one perspective and not some cultures, rice is brought to a were supposed to educate them. Ctil -.. intended as a complete picture cemetery, while in other cultures tural competency and trust were left regarding our current educational people bring flowers. In some cul- out of the equation. In addition,ihe fi ��,. environment. My hope is to initiate a tures, people eat dogs, while in oth ' law attempted to change discritii�iia•1• dialogue about the transformational ers they eat cows. Some cultures use "^ tort' behavior without changing the; :hange that must occur for our state the color white to represent purity assumptions each group made abblit o realize its potential. It is only and good: to other cultures. white others. ~ ,i hrough hearing all the voices that represent, death s. e will learn the truth In a rights- oriented relationship, A learned art whether discrimination is proven, • Becoming culturally mobile is a' ' relationships remain fractured and learned art that does not come natu the real heart of the issue - cultural s: rally to most of us. This is especiallY ` ;: •,f incompetence — is never addressed. true if we believe our logic and cul -`:t ., F We have become what Oliver Wen- ture are the best and only correct• ,j dell Holmes called "a nation that means to obtain the truth. believes that every social ill has a Failing to be culturally mobile legal solution." makes one culturally incompetent - The real solution is to bring our . and illiterate because we fail to read communities together with a shared _ put together — people, places and .. vision, with relationships based on i things accurately. We a' : trust. To achieve the trust needed to deficit or erroneous causes to con build a true community, we must • have individuals and organizations duct that we do not understand. This .., ' • who are sufficiently culturally results in the loss • of human capital,'::,: . mobile to facilitate relationships resources, relationships • and opportti- among and between diverse individ- nities. • t. • uals and groups. As Latinos' histories, symbols, cul-_ Cultural mobility is the ability to • tures and processes become manage data and diverse cultures at dominant in a society that encour, -'T;,.;.• the speed that change occurs. It is a ages individuals to enjoy "life, , skill set that an individual, organiza- ty and the pursuit of happiness, : ,we tion, or institution uses to respond in tmust have culturally competent facil -''a a timely and effective manner to stators who can create value added , ,- h,�:Az new, different and /or more data benefits from these diverse realities (information in the form of people, • things, places, ideas, perspectives, etc.). It involves active understanding, going beyond assumptions that are based on tradition, custom,,igno- • rance, fear or arrogance. It also includes one's ability to contextual - ize the data, the people, places and things in the culture that gives them meaning and logic. In other words, a culturally mobile individual seeks to understand the logic and rationale others have behind their actions. Further, the • culturally mobile person cari effec- tively teach and serve others by understanding them and communi- cating with them in ways that are , relevant and timely. Pa:e A6 The B an- Colle: a Station Eagle Tuesda Se .tember 4 2001 O; 1S The Eagle g _ Breaki out ®f our own world ach one of us as individuals, • Fifth, "spiritual intelligence" organizations and institutions s Daniel Hernandez is allows one to see situations, facts, live within "our own world" a native of Bryan. ` etc., through a perspective that rec- that has been referred to as our 4=.: He graduated from ognizes the intrinsic value of people, nacio. Within our nacio, our per f "# Vi Bryan's Stephen F, things and symbols. With spiritual sonal, organizational or institution '' r Austin High School intelligence, one has the ability to al, histories, cultures, symbols and 4 " in 1969, Texas A &M see the sacred in the ordinary. processes for achieving what we University in 1973 Barriers to relationships want are contained and protected. In ' and Georgetown Uni- other words, it's our comfort level - ; ' versity Law Center in Our failure to develop culturally that has been socialized through our �" ' 1986. His family mobile facilitators — police officers, five senses. DANI arrived in the Bra - school administrators, teachers, uni- Our nacio becomes our reality by HERNANDEZ zos Valley more versity professors, attorneys, doc- which we judge others as being good, than 70 years ago, tors, nurses, etc. — has become a real bad, ugly, beautiful, courageous, where they worked as share crop- barrier to our relationships within cowardly, etc. In order to understand communities and organizations.. Y pers and migrant workers. All of his The , _ each other's nacio, we must be able siblings attended Bryan schools and ' adverse effects of the disconnect e:`± r r•: to transcend our own nacio and natu- seven are Texas A &M University between ethnic, social and economi ral instinct of survival. graduates. cally diverse groups .are mo$t.evident Though well - intended, the idea of in our schools. A missing link in the "being judged by the content of our This is part two of a three-part majority of our educational systems character" often misses the mark, is the failure to understand the - This statement is considered by series looking ways Texas needs emerging — in some cases the domi- to change to help the state's grow- g many as a laudable trait. However, it ing Latino population derive the full nant — population of students. has its limitations. When we are benefits of their education. Coming While these comments apply to all using our energies to judge others, on the Opinions page: our children, I want to emphasize the based on our own nacio, we stop III Wednesda Latino community because of the y — Destroying myths seeking to understand their histo- to reach cultural competence. demographic forecasts that Latinos ries, cultures, symbols and process- soon will be in the numerical majori- es. This can lead to erroneous ty in Texas and because of the - assumptions and conclusions about — g group's tremendous potential in others. We should first seek to under- life, others' decisions, situations, stand. conflicts and facts essential to human capital. These faulty conclusions, when becoming a critical thinker. Public school policy and practice made by professionals responsible ■Second is " intrapersonal intelli- seem to exclude the social and cul- for the education, safety and/or gence," or learning how to discover tural dynamics that population shifts health of others, can result in poll- one's own self in terms of biases, are causing in our communities. For cies, practices and actions that cause fears and limitations rooted in one's example, the educational failure history, culture, symbols and rates of Latinos in our schools is loss of human capital, life, dignity often attributed to discipline prob- and freedom. processes that are used to achieve This level of misunderstanding of wants and needs. lems, lack of parental support, lan guage others is an example of cultural ® Third is "interpersonal intelli- never skills and poverty, and almost incompetency and cultural illiteracy. Bence." the skills required to comma- never to the r sta d a and of m mananag th tems to o understand age e the We can overcome these deficiencies nicate effectively with others by Latino cultures.and /or the multitude by developing some essential intelli- understanding how others see the of cultures that are represented in gences. world and themselves. our schools. Five essential intelligences Es Fourth is "emotional intelli Integrating diverse cultures Cultural competence involves at Bence," or the ability to manage 's emotions. Our emotions store We must accept that individuals least five essential intelligences: one come to school with diverse histo- ■ First is "existential intelli- our feelings and our responses to fears, biases and things that have ries, cultures. symbols and decision - gence," which is the ability to see the making processes. Unless we inte- hn erred to each of us. "big picture" regarding one's own pp grate this reality into our organiza- According to the University of lshows that effective cultural compe- tional, teaching, counseling and com- Texas at San Antonio's Harriet Romo ;tency and intercultural communica- munication strategies, we are setting — in her book Reaching Out — a ltion skills are essential to effective ourselves up for failure. recent study in Tennessee found that learning, most of our teacher train - Even though we have dedicated a teacher's effectiveness was the sin- `ing programs still fail to transform teachers and administrators, school gle most powerful factor affecting our teachers into effective dy showed cross cul academic gain. The stu cultures are normally not designed tural communicators. to facilitate the cultural understand- that as a teacher's effectiveness ing of students and their families. In increased, low- achieving students , large part, this is because our sys- were the first to benefit. terns teach theories and concepts Teaching ability matters without fully appreciating the cultur- Further, several studies in Texas . --- al realities children bring to their support the conclusion that teaching schools. ability influences students' achieve - A recent study conducted by Linda ment levels. For example, the aver - McNeil, associate professor at Rice age reading scores of a group of Dal - University, and Angela Valenzuela, las students who were assigned three associate professor at the University highly effective teachers for three of Texas, found that Latino children consecutive years — fourth, fift4 and described teachers who had helped sixth grades — rose from the 59th them become successful students as percentile in the fourth grade to the those who showed then " carino" 76th percentile by the end of the (nurturing affection). Meanwhile, sixth grade. many teachers operate in a culture For a similar group of students that says "teach the kids who want to who were assigned ineffective teach - learn and do not tolerate those who ers for the same three consecutive do not." years, reading scores fell from the Disconnect is evident 60th percentile in the fourth grade to The disconnect is evident: The the 42nd percentile by the end of the child is waiting for the teacher to sixth grade. show carino, while the teacher is These studies, along with others, waiting for the child to show evi- conclude that teacher performance dente of wanting to learn. Too often, . has a serious impact on children. the result is a•school dropout and a This conclusion suggests that much demoralized teacher who eventually of low student achievement, quits. although blamed on children and An April 30, 2001, article in The their families, occurs because the Austin American - Statesman cited a neediest students are deprived of • report that showed that Texas gradu classroom experiences with the most ated, with regular diplomas, only 60.6 competent teachers. percent of its ninth graders enrolled Little attention has been paid in the fall of 1995. Also, a recent su - New teachers are working with vey by Education Week showed that students from culturally diverse 20 percent of new teachers leave the backgrounds and experiences. classroom after three years, while 50 Despite a recognition of the need to percent quit teaching after nye prepare teachers and school admin- years. This simple yet profound real- istrators to communicate effectively ity is played out thousands of times across the diverse realities of stu- in different ways in our schools. dents, relatively little attention has Fortunately, ineffective teaching been paid to the development of skill has not gone unnoticed, as evidenced sets that adequately prepare stu- by Laura Bush's recent comment at a dents in the field of education to conference on childhood education. manage and communicate effective - She was quoted as saying, "People ly across cultures. leave college with their certificate in It is not uncommon that teacher hand and they come to find out education faculty have limited inter - they've never really learned how to cultural teaching experience them - teach somebody to read." selves and do not possess skills in The nexus between the failure intercultural communication train - among students and their teachers ing. Consequently, they cannot must be recognized and addressed to teach cultural competency skills to get to the root of the problem. Unless aspiring teachers and administra schools adopt culturally relevant structures and support systems for tors. both students and teachers, our suc- Moreover, even though research cess rate will not improve for either. on school and teacher effectiveness • Page A8 The Bryan - College Station Eagle Wednesday, September 5, 2001 Opinions E The __ JU; Gett our differences ' Legislature to enact appropriate leg - O ur ability to effect the neces islation. sary changes to improve lives, Daniel Hernandez is According to Kingrea's research, organizations and institutions a native of Bryan.+ the same conclusion was drawn with is often hampered by erroneous attri- . He graduated from p y regard to prohibiting businesses - butions we make of others and lack 1 1 '� , Bryan's Stephen F. : from discriminating against businesses of will to act when we know better.'.`^ A u st i n High School ics. The rationale for not pursuing Institutions and organizations, ,, in 1969, Texas A &M `„ nondiscrimination policies was that just as individuals, will do whatever ,, `, University in 1973 " n'the Legislature enacted laws pro- ! it takes to thrive at some acceptable R;; and Georgetown Uni hibiting discrimination against His h our nation has level. Even though versity Law Center in g -: panics, it would raise the issue of evolved from a race- and ethnic- 1986. His family • having to provide the same protec- based society to one of equal protec DANIEL arrived in the Bra tion to African Americans. We are tion under the law, our relationships HERNANDEZ zos Valley more now facing the social, cultural and have not yet caught up with the law. than 70 years ago economic consequences of that de ci= Our history has produced frag- where they worked as share crop- sion. • _ - _ mented communities with different pers and migrant workers. All of his • Even though we all live in the cultures, symbols and processes that siblings attended Bryan schools and nation, we do not all perceive the .,, seven are Texas A &M University world throe the same enses. have come'into conflict based on per gh th l We ceptions of limited resources, values, I graduates. live in separate neighborhoods; interests and identities. attend separate churches, synagogues Our different perspectives impact This is part three of a three -part and mosques; and entertain ourselves our misunderstanding of each other series looking at ways Texas needs in different ways and places. - • by attributing erroneous values to to change to help the state's grow- Unless we realize these diverse each other. ing Latino population derive the full constructions of reality, we will con - In every culture, people are social- benefits of their education. tinue to fail our students and their ized to think and act in absolutes. families. Bottom line, we do not know and was established in the 1940s to create The answer is to create culturally understand each other. However, in better relations between Mexico and competent school systems with poli- order to achieve some level of cer- Texas, recognized that potential Gies and practices that support our tainty, we reach conclusions that jus- ; social, educational and economic teachers and that can engage all stu tify our logic and rationale. problems could occur if we failed to dents and families in the life of the . A case in point is the belief often integrate a growing Hispanic popula school and its related activities. held by educators and leaders that tion into our school systems. Understanding assumptions Hispanics do not value education Notwithstanding the realities that because of "their culture." Contrary were understood then, however, To become culturally competent, • to this belief, in a nationwide study there was not enough political and tea ndu must first izatiostand thesti by the National Center for Public moral courage to create competent assumptions underlying their per Policy and Higher Education, 65 per- school systems that taught and inte spectives. It also means that to be cent of Hispanic parents responded grated this growing body of students able to understand those they are that a college education is necessary into an effective educational culture. for success, while only 44 percent of A 1954 study of the Good Neighbor supposed to serve and not attribute African- American and 32 percent of Commission conducted by Nellie failure or success solely to their eth- Anglo parents responded in the same Ward Kingrea cited the commis- nic or social culture. Often the real manner. sion's recommendations, which deficit lies within the institutions, A damaging myth included the integration of Hispanic but we fail to see the truth because The myth that Hispanics do not and Anglo students. dual language we are blinded by our own tunnel value education has been used by instruction in English and Spanish vision. The truth of the matter is that for all students and balancing the while marginalized persons see insti- many to rationalize the high failure teachin of history to include both tutions as insincere and /or racist, all rates of Hispanic children. Mexican and Texan perspectives. along they are often culturally Further, practices and policies Too political incompetent. have been enacted based on these Our institutions must seek to erroneous conclusion._. Records indicate that the inatte_ understand the logic that the "other" These issues are not new. The wa considered too political by :he f , ,,, ,�,; to erso.. uses t feel sale. respected, Good Neigh ir: C0.1 — ; 3ion. Nvilici'. CO.MilliviOa TO requ st - :,t,, ■ a - µ self-actualized, etc., and not merely Competence is not a question of rely on limited perspectives to each being of the same cultural ethnicity conclusions. as the student — cultural incompe- Being culturally competent does tence occurs in all groups. Rather, not mean institutions compromise cultural competence is a professional their principles of excellence, standard that places the responsibili- integrity, or honesty; it means they ' on the institution and its profes adjust their processes to achieve the sionals, health -care providers, police same. officers, professors, attorneys, etc., Our institutions should seek to see for having the tools and skill sets others as they see themselves so they needed to serve, teach and inspire can begin to understand them and 'through understanding the cultural communicate with them through context of the learner. When we fail relationships based on understand- to create communities of trust and ing that builds trust. We must go understanding between our students, beyond being "sensitive" to become families and schools, we see out - "culturally competent." comes like low student participation Becoming culturally mobile in clubs, athletics and student bands The end result of becoming cultur- or choirs, and high teacher and stu- ally competent is that the person also dent dropout rates. becomes "culturally mobile," having We are all challenged to learn what the skills to move in and out of cul- we do not know. Many of us don't tures effectively. The culturally know that we don't know. We need mobile person teaches, leads and individuals who know the right works in a multitude of cultures — i thing to do and how to do it — cultur- . al and moral competence. African American, Hispanic, attor- Too often it is our unconscious neys, doctors, engineers, wealthy, incompetence that leads to policies poor, etc. — by understanding how to and practices that have devastating decode communications, symbols effects on emerging populations. We and processes. must recognize our individual and This is an art learned only through institutional ignorance, bias and fear transformational training and expe- so we can create remedies to . rience. improve the overall success rate of • Experience shows us that while a our children. "sensitive" health professional may The greatest resource be the best-trained surgeon, nurse or Our educational systems are the psychiatrist, without the cultural greatest resource we have for instill- competence to understand the ing democratic values to our chil- patient's history, customs, practices, dren and ensuring our economic lifestyle and symbols of respect and health. We must help ourselves and dignity, the health providers can - ensure that our present investment • cause greater harm by misdiagnos- in education yields the future ing or misunderstanding the root returns required to achieve the cause of the patient's condition. same. In the same vein, unless our educa- If we do not act competently and tional systems are designed to dis- - soon, we will condition ourselves to cover the students' symbols, histo -: =''' . see the children left behind as the ries and processes of learning and price of doing business while seeking respond with effective organization our own "life, liberty and the pursuit al, counseling. teaching and mentor- of happiness." ing strategies, they will fail the stu- dents by not understanding them. We must be intellectually and Celebrating not enough morally honest and do the right Celebrating cultural activities is thing at the right time — now. p Let us not be driven by fear of the not enough. School systems must unk manage the diverse cultures coming stead, to school and make it a priority for Instead, we should be culturally themselves and for institutions of mobile and be led by a spirit of love, higher education to produce cultural power and wisdom . ly mobile educators and administra- tors. In turn, our schools will then produce successful and culturally _ mobile students through culturally relevant programs, policies and prac- tices.