Page 9 Portland Observer May 11, 1989
MULTI-CULTURAL EDUCATION: Are we on target?
AFRO-OREGON
AMERICA
SPEAKS
Part I
Betty G arn e r is a native o f P o rt
land, Oregon. She has won numerous
aw ards in her com m unity and state.
Some o f which include M s. Black
Oregon, Elks O rato ric al State Com
petition, The Oregon State Sheriff's
Association President’s Special Award
for recognition for commendable serv
ice tow ard better law enforcement.
She is presently C hairw om an Sabin/
Irvin gto n Heights Neighborhood
Association. H er present occupation
is a teacher at Roosevelt High School
in N orth Portland and her assigned
duties this year entailed, G lobal Stud
ies, Speech, Basic L ite ra tu re , C o m
position, Economics and Government.
(She is concerned about our leader
ship in the C ity o f Portland and is
seeking com m unity support for M u l
ticu ltu ral leadership in social, politi
cal and economic reform .
Note: B etty G am er w ill be announcing
her candidacy fo r c ity co u n cil in 1990.
Introduction
T his a story that must be told and
read i f we arc going to save ou r children
from further degradation and corru p
tion. It is a story that must give people
hope and a fu ll understanding o f w hy
we have so much apathy in Portland. It
is a story that should shed lig h t on w hy
our children do not achieve in the P ort
land Public School system and w ill give
d iffe re n t vie w points on M u ltic u ltu ra l
education. A nd fin a lly it is a story that
cries out fo r leadership w o rth o f our
childre n and w orth o f those seeking to
continue to strive fo r equality p o liti
c a lly , so cia lly and econom ically.
M any educators w ho study psycho
lo gica l and sociological foundations o f
education break our learning patterns
dow n in categories o f age. D u rin g these
tim es effective in stru ction depends on
the integration o f p rin cip le s from v a ri
ous perspectives. In this a rticle we are
lo o kin g to explore the m u ltic u ltu ra l
perspective.
The obvious stimulating factors come
from fa m ily , com m unity, and educa
tion. It is these areas that one m ust look
at when considering the organizational
context in w h ich cultu ral learning oc
curs. F am ily m otivation, com m unity
m otives and educational interpretations
become the m ajor focus fo r adjustment
to a society in w hich we live.
In relationship to the categories o f
age one w ill fin d that usually during the
0-7 year span, the fa m ily builds the
characteristics o f gradual language de
velopm ent, recognition o f objects and
fa m ily view points. In other words de
velopm ent is stim ulated by inform ation
produced in the home and gained through
senses from actions and body m ove
ments. C h ild ren usually observe the
objects and people appearing and dis
appearing. Perhaps this is where our
sta b ility develops. Perhaps it is during
these years that our self-confidence sets
in. Perhaps it is during these years that
representation o f what is good o r bad
has been introduced. Perhaps this is
where one determines how th e ircu ltu re
is a ffixe d to the real w o rld.
In an e ffo rt to present a more clear
ove rvie w as to w hat teachers and par
ents thin k, this w rite r interview ed some
o f them w ho expressed the fo llo w in g
opinions.
Q U E S T IO N :Is there d e finite c o n ti
nu ity in the childs m ind during this
stage as it relates to fa m ily observa
tio n s” ? Do children adapt to the k in d o f
thinking presented to them by their family
from your perspective durin g the 0-7
stage?
E V E R G IE
H A R R IS,O ccupation:
Presently site supervisor fo r ch ild re n ’ s
program .
Yes, I believe there is a d e fin ite con
tin u ity durin g this stage as it relates to
values adapted from fa m ily observa
tion. Starting from b irth to three years
o f age, I w o uld say that the c h ild is
basically m olded in to patterns o f what
they are going to be like. T h e ir altitudes
and personalities are examples o f what
I mean. They also have learned rejec
tio n and acceptance.
D evelopm ent o f culture is preva
lent, their desire fo r certain foods, love,
etc.
From the periods between three years to
seven years when they come in contact
w ith others in another environm ent
m ixed feelings are developed, fo r ex
am ple they alm ost always begin to act
lik e some other c h ild they admire. Then
when they return to the home, parents
again restate the ir values.
. E V E L Y N SMITH,Secretary for Local
La w Firm
Yes, I believe kids learn from their
environm ent. A ll children come in to
the w o rld the same, in terms o f em o
tions, curiosity, etc. I t ’ s after they get
here, that you see the change from
whatever influence that enters their lives.
I l ’ s environm ent. They do not know
fear, prejudice etc. A ll Teddy Bears
lo o k the same.
. A D A R EED , Occupation: Local
Com m unity Fam ily Counselor & School
fa cilita to r.
O f course children adapt to fa m ily
observations. W hy? Because they are
products o f their e n viro n m e n t They
are products be it visual o r auditory. I f
you notice, what they watch on T .V .
can b u ild a foundation. B asically I thin k
that the question speaks fo r itself. W hat
they see, what they hear, is what they
w ill be about in the environm ent we
liv e in.
. The next stage 2-8 years,centers
around the educational environm ent
whereby gradual language developments
are increased toward the a b ility to think.
A sym bolic form is raised in the minds
o f the young. A m ayor runs the c ity , a
governor runs the state, a com m issioner
helps the m ayor. Some logic is devel
oped here, perhaps in one direction.
M ost o f the educators in m y school are
Euro-A m erican. There are very few
people that look like me in ou r text
books.
Q U E S T IO N :W h y aren’ t our c h il
dren proud o f our heritage?
LO IS M A R IE L E W IS , Occupation:
Poet & Teacher.
Because we bought in to the concept
o f Black. There is no such thing. I f there
was anything o f distinctio n between the
species then B lack and w hite could not
mate and produce offspring.
C O LO R E D /C hanging Names
D uring C O LO R E D
I was not yet bom
I traveled a long sojourn
in M E X IC O A T NEG RO
A rriv in g on the Oregon scene
w ith afro-am erikin
1 wonder i f they reNamed
the....COW ?
A t phases o f black,
I took a crayon o f the same
M arking upon refined Tree-Pulp
Raising m y head searching
the veiw. There is no likeness
seen o f either hue
B L A C K /W H IT E - ha, ah, ha.a.a
Bearing this w ith a grin I became a
Human -B E IN G
Refusing to degrade my
personage O n o rb itria ry w him
Those applications Changing Name
T h e y’d send it back again
D e -M an-D -IN G ...Id entity
I W rote: A frica n
N ative Am erican, W hile
Some French and Ita li-N
I f females pinch
Hispanic, Indian,, U nknown
W hat w ill you Re-Name IT when
F in a lly settled on always been
H U M A N ...........
Q U E S T IO N : W hy do our A fro -O re
gon Am ericans emulate the prostitute
and pim p rather than seeking to become
Subm itted by Betty G arn er
W hy o u r children become in volve d in
part o f the problem .
prostitution is a tough question. Possi
bly because we have never related to
them w ell. M y feelings are that it is
partially because we are not giving them
what they need. Everybody talks about
youth at risk but no one is really com
m itted. W hat about getting them in a
room and concentrating on what they
really need.
One must surmise that this is a d if f i
c u lt stage fo r a ch ild . For the ch ild
leaves a cultural background (the fam
ily ) and heads to a new educational
form at. A n in stitu tion fo r further devel
A N IT A HEN SO N .Occupation: A s
sistant C losing C oordinator fo r a local
Real Estate firm .
For years 1 have been appalled at the
United Stales, let alone the Portland
Public School system, fo r not preparing
their children to be m ulticu ltu ra l. We
are a nation o f many peoples. We liv e in
a universe o f diverse cultures. We need
to get w ith the program.
As fo r the second h a lf o f the ques
opm ental learning. A n in stitu tion de
signed to create a sense o f education
that helps the ch ild grow and adjust to
the w o rkin g e n viro n m e n t
It is during this tim e that the ch ild
w ill m ost lik e ly have d iffic u lty th in k
ing through problems. I f the adult edu
cator says do it lik e me, they are more
apt to adapt to that given way.
. Q U E S T IO N : When you send your
ch ild to the Portland Public School
system, is there concern about his/her
developm ent m u lticu ltu ra lly? D o you
expect it to be easy fo r you r ch ild to see
the w o rld from someone else’ s perspec
tive?
. B E T T Y G A R N E R , O ccupation:
Chairwoman o f Sabin/Irvington Heights
tion, I d e fin ite ly think that it w ould be
easy for m y son to sec others perspec
tives. I w ill not tolerate ignorance when
knowledge is available. T h ird k n o w l
edge should be firs t and forem ost in our
school systems. Instructors should be
equipped w ith the knowledge to dispel
the prejudices, the biases and the fear o f
the unknown.
A N N E T T E PETETT,O ccupation:
Secretary fo r a Local U n io n ,& member
o f A . P h ilip Randolph.
First o f a ll, I believe that the teachers in
the Portland Public School system have
no idea w hat m u lticu ltu ra l education is
about. As an A fro -A m e rica n group as a
w hole , I do n ’ t thin k that we rea lly
know it. W e stand at a guessing game o f
do we rea lly know it, o r do I kno w it?
O ur childs present cultu ral values has
come through his fa m ily. B ut the ques
tion is, do we rea lly know in ou r c ity ,
I see a lo t o f fragm entation. People
aren’t focusing on g iv in g much thought
to the future. I th in k that’ s w hat leader
ship is a ll about. I think that w e’re kind
o f caught up in a crisis: Drugs, crim e,
etc. I thin k that its too bad we d id n ’t
Neighborhood Association & teacher
at Roosevelt H igh School.
I am concerned about sending my
children to a school where name c a ll
ing, fig h tin g and im proper language is
running rampant. A c h ild can only be as
educated as their environm ent. For
centuries children o f m u lti ethnic back
grounds have been called slang terms or
derogatory names. T his induces h o s til
ity to most. Schools should make a
ru lin g that this type o f language w ill not
be tolerated.
state, and nation what the m u lticu ltu ra l
person is? L e t us all go to school and
learn this again. W e have got to go
together to conquer this!
. T o define M u ltic u ltra l education as
a whole , one must lo o k at the total
makeup o f Am erica. In general, it is the
influence o f a ll cultures that has made
our country what it is today. To define
what cultual education w ill do fo r our
country as a whole; it can be summed
up t o :
lo o k toward the future.
W e have some progressive leaders,
such as governor G oldschm idt: H o w
ever, often people and many A fro -O re
gon Am ericans w ill try to destroy ideas
that could be very good for our c ity and
m any w ill try to destroy the process just
because they were possibly overlooked,
o r they were’ nt notified . So there goes
what m ig ht be a successful operation
fo r a ll those involved.
I am sure that m y children can see
anothers po in t o f vie w , because I use
the concept or re v e rs ib ility when I
educate m y ow n. The perspective,
however, is long lost in our schools.
M ost people are too tired o r have heard
these words so long u n til it does not
phase them. I f you are using this type o f
language in your home, i f you a llo w it
to go on in your classrooms, children
w ill emulate. Then you have become
ljp ro v id e positive id e n itty to the
contributions o f a ll cultures in
Am erica.
2) 11 w ill help diffuse racism fo r it
allow s cultures to be studied to
alleviate prejudices, biases or
myths.
3) I t w ill expand dialogue and
prom ote ju stice whereby real
solutions can be discussed to create
a safe environm ent.
a com m issioner, m ayor o r legislator? Is
it because they do not see m u lticu ltu ra l
people in this role?
P A U L M C C O Y , O ccupation: Pied
m ont Neighborhood Association Vice
Chairperson.
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