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Asians and American Education
| Article
# : |
12322 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
Date : |
1 / 1987 |
5,943 Words |
| Author
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Diane Pikcunas
Diane Pikcunas, a principal at Komensky School in Berwyn,
Illinois, School District #100, is completing a doctorate in
education with focus on studies in curriculum, supervision,
early childhood, and ethnic group schooling. |
The United States has long been known as a melting pot because of the mixture of various nationalities that settle within its borders. The public school system serves as an important factor in assimilating these new groups into American culture. One of the fastest growing groups in recent years has been Asian-Americans. This demographic change has great importance for an educational system that must now deal with groups that have cultural backgrounds significantly different from the Anglo-American heritage. This situation offers educators the challenge of learning more about those new Americans whose roots originate from the Far East.
Although Asian culture is different from Anglo-American culture, there also exist pronounced differences among Asian cultural groups. We cannot overgeneralize and state that because they are different from us, they must all be alike. Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Filipinos, and Indochinese have distinct and highly diverse backgrounds. There are, however, certain characteristics of Asian-Americans that we can identify and that are important to know as more and more of their children enter our school system.
The growth of this population is also important as U.S interests grow in Asia. The United States first attempted formal contact with Asians when the Empress China sailed to China in 1785 for the purpose of trade. Asia was an important focus in three of the most recent wars in which the United States engaged - World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. U.S. aid was significant in the post-World War II reconstruction of Japan, Korea, and the Republic of China on Taiwan. All three are now significant trading centers. The United States opened diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of
... (1995 of 39180 Characters)
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