[swilliamsny]

Hooray that the kids are back in school. Then along comes homework. We've had our share of minor troubles already, but not bad. This one isn't as bad as the teacher that made a kid write 'I am willing to sacrifice freedom for safety', or whatever that was, but it still would have raised my blood pressure a tad. (This is written by a family member, but they said I could share.)

I Am an American | The Many Adventures of Me

 

[cgrutt]

Nice! My paternal grandmother did a family tree and history of her side of the family back in the late 70s. Apparently I've got a lot of relatives going back to the early settlers. When people ask me where the family is from I usually say America...

 

[Darthgamer138]

Not entirely sure I understand the rage.


Care to explain?

 

[Pissed Off Patriot]

Nice! I had this thought just the other day when my son texted me from High School to ask what country our ancestors from. It was for class, he said. That common core is taking over our kids. I'm going to have to re-educate him again.

Do Italians say their ancestry is Roman? Do the Russians or Chinese say their ancestry is Mongolian? Do Mexicans say their ancestry is the Aztecs? So when do U.S. citizens get to say their ancestry is American? When we are extinct?

 

[Darthgamer138]

I don't know guys.

I don't got to an American restaurant to order pizza and pasta, then to an American restaurant to get fome fried won-tons, then to an American restaurant to get Tacos and frijoles, then to an American restaurant to get a pint of guinness and Irish stew.

We do realize that America is made up of so many mixed ethnicities that saying "I'm American in heritage" seems silly?

Again, outrage went right over my head.

 

[cgrutt]

Again, outrage went right over my head.

Perhaps because there is none? Just saying...

 

[swilliamsny]

It seemed pretty clear that the intent was to have the kid choose something other than American as an ethnicity, but when you have to go back so far the kid can't identify. Let's say the kid decided to put German (or Norwegian, or whatever). It satisfies the requirements of the assignment, but does the kid really think of herself as German? Of course not.

Outrage might be a bit strong, but like Patriot says, at what point do we get to say American?

 

[Darthgamer138]

It seemed pretty clear that the intent was to have the kid choose something other than American as an ethnicity, but when you have to go back so far the kid can't identify. Let's say the kid decided to put German (or Norwegian, or whatever). It satisfies the requirements of the assignment, but does the kid really think of herself as German? Of course not.

Outrage might be a bit strong, but like Patriot says, at what point do we get to say American?

But it says "ethnic background."

Perhaps because there is none? Just saying...

Well I agree, but it seems to have people, including the author of that blog post, in a tizzy.

 

[cgrutt]

It seemed pretty clear that the intent was to have the kid choose something other than American as an ethnicity, but when you have to go back so far the kid can't identify. Let's say the kid decided to put German (or Norwegian, or whatever). It satisfies the requirements of the assignment, but does the kid really think of herself as German? Of course not.

Outrage might be a bit strong, but like Patriot says, at what point do we get to say American?

We get to say American right now. As our ancestors did yesteryear. Don't let them pull you down.

 

[Pissed Off Patriot]

I don't know guys.

I don't got to an American restaurant to order pizza and pasta, then to an American restaurant to get fome fried won-tons, then to an American restaurant to get Tacos and frijoles, then to an American restaurant to get a pint of guinness and Irish stew.

We do realize that America is made up of so many mixed ethnicities that saying "I'm American in heritage" seems silly?

Again, outrage went right over my head.

It's an interesting philosophical discussion. And btw, I think my GPS does have American for a restaurant type, iirc.

My ancestry is mostly English and Dutch, but I am an American and proud of it. I don't feel English. Or Dutch. And I wouldn't want to.

There are those who wear their ancestry on their sleeves as if it is more important than being an American. In the closest city to me, Albany, there used to be the Italian sections, and the Irish sections, etc., and there used to be some rivalry between these communities. Not anymore, as those residents got old and passed away and the city homogenized. Now it is mostly just the ghetto sections vs. the rest, it seems. Except for the upper ghetto vs. the lower ghetto, or the South End vs. Arbor Hill. Senseless violence now, instead of what used to be ethnic pride.

 

[swilliamsny]

If a school wants to teach about other cultures, that's fine but lately, and it seems with Common Core in particular, we're bending over backward to be inclusive, with the emphasis on every nation but our own. Plus, a school's curriculum doesn't need to be about the individual student. My husband's reaction to "What is your ethnic background?" would be to write 'none of your business'. And I'd love to see one of those papers come back with, "I'm adopted. How would I know?" written on it.

As far as ethnic background being part of who we are - just because one of my relative was Scottish, it doesn't mean I eat haggis. Neither did my parents, grandparents or great-grandparents. One grandmother is French, but we don't celebrate Bastille Day.

It's great that they want the kids to learn about diversity, but (imo) we should just teach and quit trying to rethink the wheel.

 

[Bob11]

I always say I'm American. Damn proud of it too.


Despite all of the flaws in government.

Schools are going after this "all inclusiveness" so no kid feels "left out."

 

[grumpyolegoat]

Nice! My paternal grandmother did a family tree and history of her side of the family back in the late 70s. Apparently I've got a lot of relatives going back to the early settlers. When people ask me where the family is from I usually say America...

Our fambly tree don't gots so many branches.?!