Breaking the cycle of discrimination by educating our students early

By Alyssa Ambrosio
College of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
October , 2010

Today’s class was extremely interesting. After discussing all the stereotypes we were able to ask questions about each of the other cultures discussed in class. Learning about other cultures was stimulating. It is always good to learn new things about fellow classmates. Learning how stereotypes and other ethnic beliefs affect learning is tremendously important. Some beliefs or traditions may affect a students learning. It is not necessarily important to cater to a student who is different, but to understand where the student is coming from is imperative. No two students, regardless of culture view the world in the same way. All students are different and tackle tasks, accept and handle things entirely different.

What I found extremely thought provoking was the video we began to watch. Even though it is out dated I believe that the results would still hold true today. Younger children are extremely vulnerable to racism. They do what they are told and mimic the things they see. The children in the movie discriminated against children with different colored eyes because their teacher taught them that other colored eyes was wrong. They believed their teacher because that was what they were taught. That their teacher knows best and would never lie. This is how racism begins. One person in power, one person well respected, teaches other people and makes them believe that it is wrong to be different. Stopping racism starts with the individual. Our generation needs to teach the younger generation, and our children and so on and so forth that it is not wrong to be different. The cycle needs to be broken.