The history classes students receive in my high school are just about European history and geography; world history is not offered. Additionally, students are surrounded by people who had a very similar cultural upbringing to them. There are virtually no students of color in my school. This is no one's fault. However, I think there is a need for students to learn more about other cultures outside of Western Europe, to improve their cultural competency and global citizenship positionality.
As a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, I am considered both an English Teaching Assistant and cultural ambassador of the U.S. In my lessons, I attempt to speak about different experiences people have in the U.S. and the many cultural communities that exist within the U.S. While I cannot speak on behalf of certain communities, I can at least provide students with an awareness that holidays like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Ramadan are celebrated by millions of Americans. I devoted a whole lesson to Black Lives Matter, to enrich students' information that they have gathered solely from TikTok and Instagram. While I only see some of my classes every two weeks or even once a month (remember my schedule is chaotic!), I do what I can. I'm no savior or cultural expert by any means. However, if we are to build a more culturally tolerant and accepting world, this begins with education. I cannot change my students' minds about diversity, but I can provide them with the cultural awareness that 1) not all Asian or Latin American countries are the same and 2) while there are few people of color living in Ourense, racism is still a massive problem worldwide. Some things are not out of sight, out of mind.
