Teaching Diversity: Introduction

2008 January 31 by: Scott

Janet Gonzalez-Mena is an internationally recognized expert on the role of culture and child development. Many parenting child experts would agree with this author’s guidelines, helpful hints and encouragement for parents to begin to hold discussions with children at an early age on this important topic. This article will get you started, “A Place to Begin,” in helping your child succeed in a country that celebrates diversity.

Diversity

We all want children to grow up in a world free from bias and discrimination, to reach for their dreams and feel that whatever they want to accomplish in life is possible. We want them to feel loved and included and never to experience the pain of rejection or exclusion. But the reality is that we do live in a world in which racism and other forms of bias continue to affect us. Discrimination hurts and leaves scars that can last a lifetime, affecting goals, ambitions, life choices, and feelings of self-worth.

How can we best prepare children to meet the challenges and reap the benefits of the increasingly diverse world they will inherit? We can raise children to celebrate and value diversity and to be proud of themselves and their family traditions. We can teach children to respect and value people regardless of the color of their skin, their physical abilities, or the language they speak.