1

Theories and Models of Multiculturalism

Kristen Nese
CUR/518
April 20, 2015
Gary Weiss

Theories and Models of Multiculturalism

The United States Census Bureau, specifically the Quick Facts segment paints a picture
of Pennsylvania as a diverse state with multinational residents. Born and raised in Pittsburgh I
am fortunate to have been involved in various celebrations, gatherings, and activities of various
cultural groups. My familys moral compass includes acceptance of the personal standards and
customs of all persons. Pittsburgh has a variety of avenues to explore multiculturalism including
an Annual Arts Festival, Carnegie Historic Museums, Science Center, Andy Warhol Museum,
and much more. Although the history books I remember from High School did not refer to
Pittsburgh as a Melting Pot I feel the definition fits.
Residence in Pittsburgh enables the desires of almost any individual to be met; aligned
with the multicultural model of Acculturation. Individuals who interact over a period with those
of another culture is a simple explanation of Acculturation. I readily associate my career as a
teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools with a high degree of acculturation. I began my career
in 1988 just out of college. I was young, nave and convinced I could save the world "one child
at a time." I quickly faced the reality that teaching Pre-Kindergarten children in an inner city
school required me to develop "thick skin." I could not rely on good intention and kindness;
realizing my cultural surroundings quickly misinterpreted the qualities as fear. My first year was
full of trial and error and quite honestly a lot of adaptation. I dont recall teaching much subject
matter and spent the majority of that first year adjusting to the expectations of my students
parents and my surroundings. The neighborhood exists of people from the African American
culture and is predominantly low-income, single parent families. Each year I have twenty
students in my classroom including at least ten students being raised by a grandparent or legal
guardian. The majority of the fathers of my students are either not involved, unknown or
deceased due to gang involvement. I recall feeling astonished that the generation cycle of the
community was between fifteen to twenty years. For example the parent is twenty, the
grandparent is forty, and the great-grandparent is sixty and so on. I grew up with the realization
that a grandparent is at least sixty years old, retired, and available to spend quality time with
his or her grandchildren.
Throughout the readings and research for the Theories and Models assignment I spent a
lot of time attributing the models to my experiences. I readily associate the first ten years of my
teaching career with the Assimilation Model; absorbed in my cultural (occupation) surroundings.
Instead of shock and awe I wanted to learn as much as I could about the community and my
classroom families. I welcomed the knowledge and personal characteristics my families were
willing to share; allowing me to grow. I remember in my first class in 1988 a little boy named
Cardell. He captured my heart, and his parents were accepting of me as I was the minority;
others did not open up the trust channels as much as Cardells family. Although I was eager to
adapt to my new surroundings by acculturation; the lack of acceptance by my classroom parents
allowed me to assimilate the culture merely. In retrospect, I genuinely sought knowledge not

acceptance; as I was employed to teach. A level of trust was necessary to my classroom

"community" and myself and with time came trust.
A very delicate subject for me to discuss is the fact that my upbringing in such a way that
I did not realize people were of varying decent until Pittsburgh Public Schools hired me. I say
this because I became the individual who faced discrimination, and it was not a settling feeling; I
did not appreciate suffering for the mistakes of others. Never before did I have a formal title for
my position; today I learned about Pluralism. Pluralism occurs when a small society or single
entity remains true to her values; incorporating them with the individuals around her. In other
words, I learned how to retain an open mind while at the same time remain patient. I previously
referenced a student named Cardell; his family taught me life lessons I continue to instill in my
career and personal life. Twenty years after Cardell left my Pre-K classroom I received a copy of
his college diploma from Duquesne University with a note attached. The message read This
diploma is as much yours as ours; you were a part of the village it took to raise our son. The
compliment validated each struggle and hurt feeling I endured throughout the first couple of
years in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
The Bachelors of Science Degree I earned in the 1980s included a dual degree and
double major. I received certification in Early Childhood and Elementary Education; allowing
me to teach birth through eighth grade. Voluntarily I have chosen to stay in the Pre-K classroom
as I feel it is my niche. The daily rewards outweigh the struggles as the four to five-year-old
student's attitude is full of positive energy. The Early Childhood School where I work has fifteen
classrooms for a total of three hundred students. Enrollment fluctuates for the first month as
personality conflicts arise, and child-transfers occur. A common occurrence is a classroom not
being fully enrolled. However, I have had a waiting list for my class for the past fifteen years,
and I am consistently fully enrolled on the first day of the school year. I have earned a
respectable reputation and name for myself in the Homewood Community. I attribute my
success to the way I treat the students and families. I teach with my mind, but I follow my heart.
The nightly news, unfortunately, overloaded with gang activity, violence, shootings, and
sadness emanating from Homewood. The statistics referencing gang-related violence should not
resonate familiarity; unfortunately it does. I find it extremely difficult to integrate myself with
the students and their families during the day and "leave it to work" when school ends each day.
In all honesty, I have never been successful at separating myself from becoming emotionally
attached to the majority of my students and their families. Attending funerals, birthday parties,
or weddings, not supported by the administration of the Pittsburgh School District. However, I
have chosen to attend countless activities throughout the years; contributing to the respect two
very different cultures have for each.
In the year 2001 The No Child Left Behind Act became an important part of the
Pittsburgh Public Schools Early Childhood Program (PPS/ECP). Unfortunately, the Early
Childhood teacher had not always received the appropriate respect not to mention the district's

support. Specifics of the NCLB Act do not designate much funding for Early Childhood
Programs; primarily affected by the previous governor of Pennsylvania. Fortunately, the act
protected the Early Childhood teacher creating initiatives and funding; providing support for
future advances. The ECP program at PPS has evolved over the past few decades affecting
academic focus, technology advances, and documentation requirements. The teaching staff
qualification requirements are precise, the advocacy support staff is prevalent, and administration
representatives are knowledgeable. I believe the evolution and success of the Pittsburgh Public
Schools Early Childhood Program are due to no longer having homogeneous communities as the
sole educators. Educators like myself are pursuing secondary education and furthering career
options, to prepare better for any multinational student body imaginable. Technology, awareness,
acceptance, and moral advances attribute to the success of Early Childhood Classrooms across
the nation.
Writing this assignment proved difficult in part due to my leaving the Early Childhood
Classroom. I have reached a plateau of sorts, in my current teaching position. I feel restraint
from teaching a level the students deserve. Repeatedly I have been told that I am "teaching my
students too much." No matter what cultural background a student evolves, every child deserves
an unmeasurable quality of education. I am looking forward to the next twenty-five years of my
teaching career to include adult learners from an infinite amount of backgrounds, needs, and
challenges. I will honor each of them by offering my awareness and acceptance of diversity.

References
Acculturation - Cultural pluralism and multiculturalism. (n.d.). In Psychology
Encyclopedia.<a href="http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/5/Acculturation.html">Acculturation Cultural pluralism and multiculturalism</a>
Assimilation International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. (1968).
In Encyclopedia.com.
United States Census Bureau. (n.d.) Retrieved from
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/4261000.html