Our Discussions
the new salad bowl, not the old melting pot
1 (a mother)
(continued from "sleep-over" discussion.
... as a mom who tries
on a daily basis to assuage the gap between cultures and religions, I have
found being pro-active the most viable means of assimilation. I have thrown
"balegh" parties at my daughters' schools to allow their friends the
information and celebration of what is important to us. We have invited the
social studies teachers to our home for lunch to discuss the teaching of the
chapters on the Middle East and Islam at different grade levels and just
yesterday, I played host to a group of teen girls who all came to me "Eid-e
danee", and included Christian European/Americans, Jewish Russian/Americans
and Muslim and Christian Iranian /Americans. The sounds of their laughter and
the sight of their bonding, gave me hope. Welcome to the new salad bowl, not
the old melting pot. We can each treasure and keep our traditions and beliefs,
if we do so with respect and consideration for those of others.
2 (a madar)
I am also against the old melting pot, and really like the term salad bowl
for what I prefer in the sense of mixing with other cultures without
losing identity. I don't know where the idea of melting pot started (was
it in 60's ?) but it sure is not acceptable to many people anymore.
I too invite my children's teachers to our home at least once a year. my
children are still very young, but it gives them a sense of pride to
introduce their culture, food, etc. to their teachers and helps the
teachers see us better in our cultural context. Fortunately, so far my
children see their cultural heritage positively and something that they
can proudly talk about. Considering the fact that they know they look
different and are different, I am glad that they feel good about their
differences and I hope it continues this way.
Please send
your replies and/or opinions regarding this subject to
madar-pedar@surya.eecs.berkeley.edu.
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