Dennis Carlson

Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community
Dennis Carlson


Carlson argues that the American school system uses many “techniques and apparatus of power” to try to keep “gayness” in, what they consider, “its place”. Moreover, the way the school system has been trying to deal with what they believe to be abnormal, “gayness”, is in some ways marginalizing and taking way the rights from those who have different sex-preference than the rest of the people who are straight and therefore considered to be “normal”.

• “At the level of state educational policy, it is noteworthy that no state currently recognizes gays and lesbians as legitimate minority or cultural groups to be considered in text book adoption or to be included in multicultural education; and a number of states explicitly prohibit teaching about homosexuality.” (Pg. 236)
• “This cleansing of gayness from the literary canon is often defended as an effort to maintain the reputation or “good name” of the authors by not “outing” them. Yet such concern is, of course, another way of affirming that being gay is cause for loss of respect. (Pg. 236-237)
• “One of the effects of this closeting of gay teachers may be an overzealous effort by gay teachers themselves to avoid any class discussion in which gayness may come up, since that presume that to be publicly “out” at school would cost them their jobs.” (Pg. 238)
• “Straight teachers often participate in silencing practices because they are fearful of raising a controversial issue that might provoke conflict in the classroom.” (Pg. 238)
• “These abuses get tolerated because gay teachers and students operate in an environment where they feel afraid to stand up for themselves and because any discussion of gay people continues to be absent in the curriculum so that homophobia is not interrogated.” (Pg. 239)

The quotes mentioned above shows some of the way the rights of gay people are violated inside our school system. As they are part of a minority, they are not part of the “culture of power”, so they have no privilege and feel afraid to speak out and defend their rights. All this quotes remind me of Johnson and Delpit. Because gay teachers and even straight teachers are afraid of speak about the issue, solutions become harder to find. As Johnson argues, we need to use the words and talk about the problem in order to accomplish any change in our society.
It’s sad the way gay people are been treated. As human beings, they deserve the same treatments and have the same rights straight people have.

Aria

Aria
Richard Rodriguez

Rodriguez argues that the best way to help an immigrant student (ESL student) succeed in American society is by only teaching him/her using the “public language” which is English, and not the student’s “private language” which in others words is his/her own native language (L1).
• “What I needed to learn in school was that I had the right – and the obligation – to speak the public language of los gringos.”
• “Fortunately, my teachers were unsentimental about their responsibility. What they understood was that I needed to speak a public language.”
• “With great tact the visitors continued, ‘Is it possible for you and your husband to encourage your children to practice their English when they are home?”
The three quotes above express that even though Rodriguez was just a child he understood he needed to learn speak English so he could keep progressing at school and don’t feel isolated when he was surrounding by English speakers. He thought it was his teachers’ responsibility to help him had fluency with the “public language” and he seemed to be glad about that. The last quote shows the way his teachers helped him. They asked Rodriguez’s parents to help him and his siblings practice English at home.
Personally, I found Rodriguez’s essay very interesting and I agree with his argument. As I’m an immigrant and an ESL student, I’ve been through mostly the same situations Rodriguez had to face during his childhood and his attempt to fit in a society of English speakers. From my own experiences, I can say it is hard when you try to be part of a group or society and there’s an obstacle on your way, in this case would be the language, which keep you back. Unfortunately, my parents neither my teacher put any pressure on me so I practice more my English (my L2). Still today I’m struggling with my English and this is because I don’t speak any English at home but just Spanish. The only time I use my English is at school.
After analyzing Rodriguez’s argument I came to the conclusion that what he states is totally right. The best way and ESL student can achieve to have fluency when speaking American public language is if he/she only speaks English. Then when the student accomplishes to manage the public language he/she can start using both his/her second language and native language.

McIntosh / Muwakkil

White Privilege:
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
Peggy McIntosh

In this article McIntosh argues that “white people have unearned advantages in society due to skin color” and that most of them are not aware of white privilege. McIntosh also states that people are taught about racism and not about privilege. Besides giving her point of view towards “white privilege”, she explains how men are aware of women’s disadvantage and don’t recognize their male privilege, and want to make the effort to improve women’s position but not lessen their own.
There are a few quotes from this article that really got my attention and made me think about the way privilege can pass-through unaware.
•“People benefit from privilege even if they aren’t individually racist or sexist.”
•“Power from unearned privilege can look like strength when it is, in fact, permission to escape or dominate.”
•“Being white and being male involve privilege”
These three quotes make clear how most of the time white people or males don’t need to be racist or sexist to get advantage from white privilege. Furthermore, those who have this kind of privilege and are acknowledged may perhaps confuse it with strength, not realizing that what can open many doors for them actually close many doors for others.
McIntosh seems understand the concept of linking oppression. That’s how gender, ability, age, race, and class status all relate to a person’s oppression.
I found this article really interesting. I like the way the author clearly expressed her points and that makes it easy to understand. And also like the fact that it was written by a white person because it gives me the impression that American society is preparing itself for a big change.


Data show racial bias persists in America
Salim Muwakkil

Muwakkil argues that many white Americans still believe that racism is not part of our society anymore. They think it is finally over and seems not to stop to contemplate the way racism is destroying the lives of many of us.
Muwakkil basically explains how white privilege affects people of color up a great level. The data in this article mention that the biggest percent of people who are in jail because of illegal drugs are black. This doesn’t means people of color are most likely to use drugs, but it shows how white privilege keeps white people from getting in trouble even when they have committed a felony. The data shown in this article are shocking. The way whites get better jobs just because they are whites and people of color don’t, even when they are more prepared, because of their dark skin, make me think of how unjust is our society. I don’t want to offense anyone but it is really sad that still in the 21th century we are dealing with ‘white privilege” which in some way leads to oppression. It’s time to change!!!!