This quiz was very tough for me. I was freaking out as soon as I looked through the questions, since I was not that familiar with other history besides Japan or a little bit about Asia. I felt ashamed that I could not answer to some of the ethnic names.
The easiest ethnic group for me to come up with was definitely Asian, especially male Asian. Since I lived in Japan for more than twenty years and was educated in Japan. The history class at school was mainly about our own history and sometimes the relationships with other countries. Of course, it’s easy to remember their names because it’s in my first language. Also, still there are TV dramas which describe historical people, so it was easy to think of them. The next easiest group was Asian female. The main reason is the same as Asian male, but it was harder to come up with female before 1700s. Whereas we learn many female historical people related to politics, women could not attend political events then. More females are recorded historically than female. Therefore, I didn’t have much knowledge about them like I do about Asian male.
The easier ethnic groups besides Asia were white and black. Japan has had a relationship with America since a long time ago, and we learned it at school. I could still remember some of people I learned. However, for black people, I came up with a person for only 2000s and 1900s. I know them because they are very famous of their working for human rights or job as a president. They were revolutionary in a long history. On the other hand, black people before 1800s didn’t cross my mind at all. I think this is because people were used as slavers and couldn’t attend political events.
I feel so embarrassed that I couldn’t answer at all for people of Latin and Middle East. All I know is a terrorist from Middle East. I don’t know any female from those areas. I think it’s because simply I didn’t learn about them much at school and because of my lack of interest.
I wasn’t educated in America and I studied history from Japanese side, so I don’t really know the history of the United States. However, I guess it was pretty much about white people including America itself and Europe since many people came from Europe. I suppose that Black ethnic group was not talked much until lately when some black people stood up for their rights. African Americans were forced to work as slavers and were discriminated as well. The mainstream of America was white Americans. Maybe people might have had not think it was important to know about them.
This quiz made me think of reviewing the rest of world history besides ethnic groups that I’m familiar with. There should be many important findings that I still don’t know.
Questions: I want to know what it was like to study history in the United States at school. Was it mainly about America? Did you also learn about Latin America or North America as well?
What do you think about differences between ethnic groups which were taught and were not taught at all at school? Do you think you would be interested if you needed to take classes about other ethnic group history?
School in America, did focus almost exclusively on American history. The first opportunity to learn about the rest of the world came in my sophomore year of high school, and it was a college level class. In that class we learned mainly about Asia and Europe. The only reason we got such an extensive covering of Asia was because that was what interested our teacher, and he pretty much skipped South and Central America altogether. The middle east got covered in the crusades and scientific advances.
返信削除We were essentially taught that the only differences in the ethnic groups were slight pigment differences and that all intolerance had been ended by Martin Luther King Jr. In high school the teachers finally stated letting on that, no injustice and intolerance still existed today. For the most part the subject was simply not dealt with or told to teachers that it could not be dealt with as it was "controversial." Ignoring a problem is never a good solution.
Yes, I would be very interested in taking classes to learn about the history of other ethnic groups.
In American schools, I feel that while there is more emphasis on American history there is time devoted to World history as well. At work, my 7th grade students learn World History and my 8th grade students study US History. In high school, history classes go on to geography, US and world, and American government. My students spend a great deal of times studying other countries histories. However, I feel they are very focus on only past events and not current struggles.
返信削除I think a classes on the history of other ethnic groups would interesting as well as a valuable tool for bridging gaps in intercultural communication.
In my grade school classes, we focused on general topics of US History in the lower grades and more World history in the higher grades. When I got into High School, the classes were more focused on the details on World and US history. We did about 75% US and 25% World History in High School.
返信削除We learned some history of other countries, but the majority of the history classes that I had growing up were about US history. I don’t feel as though a lot was taught about the different ethnicities. I don’t know that I learned about the differences that are quite necessary to be aware of, for effective communication to occur until I was in college. I would be very interested in learning about the histories of other ethnic groups. In doing so, I would gain a much greater understanding of the differences that exist between people and how that can often lead to problems in our world when people are not accepting of such differences.
返信削除I feel growing up it was alot about America, like in the elementary school ages. I dont think their were alot about other ethnicities or other countries unless is had something relating to the US. I think with age we started to learn more about other countries but not alot. I think it would have been interesting to learn more about other countries and ethnicities growing up.When we had to sign up for elective history classes, I took a few about other countries, I loved it. It was just fun to learn about what other countries do and how other countries work.
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