Multiculturalism in Today Society

Abstract

Cultural diversity in U.S. schools has deepened considerably during the last two decades.  The aging of the mainstream population and influx of immigrants to the United States since Immigration Reforms Act of 1965 have resulted in a rapid rise in the percentage of ethnic, cultural, language, and religious minorities in the nation’s schools where One of out of three U.S. students is an ethnic minority.  Multicultural education is an idea, an educational reform movement, and a process whose major goal is to change the structure of educational institution so the male and female students, exceptional students, and students who are number of diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural groups will have an equal chance to achieve academically in school[4]. This paper describes different meaning of multiculturalism.  The paper discusses the approaches can be used to teach multiculturalism education.  The paper discusses reasons why multicultural education is needed in U.S.  The paper mentions that teachers must have a better understanding of other cultures so that they can provide an optional education for all of their students, regardless of their cultural backgrounds [5].  Furthermore, because we live in a culturally diverse society, it is critical that students not only develop an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, but that they also possess skills that will enable them to function within diverse societies whether at home or abroad [14].