During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian violence in the United States has risen significantly. Many Asian American students have been disproportionately harassed in schools and fear resuming in-person learning. Thus, educators must resist returning to the old normal. Instead, they can reimagine the pandemic as a portal to justice for Asian…

Imagery and sounds from television, film, music, the Internet, and other media bombard American youth; dictating to them how they should act, think, or what they should believe. They often do not realize that they find much of their identity and belief systems in messages put forth to them by popular culture (Du Gay 1997; Hall 1997). Young people…

If we are to aim toward a genuine democracy, we must be willing to look at the uncomfortable topics that continue to sabotage what we aspire to as a society. This article aims to problematize the ways we conceive of and implement the social studies. To do so, I investigate the social studies in K-12 practice through critical theoretical lenses,…

In the months following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC, there were hundreds of incidents involving violence, intimidation, and discrimination aimed at Muslims or people who "looked" like Muslims (Gollnick and Chinn 2006; Levin and McDevitt 2002). People of color or individuals speaking with an accent were…

Provides examples of a "counter-stereotype" approach for use in secondary U.S. history courses to dissipate ethnic stereotypical thinking among students. The essential elements of this approach are to cite prominent personages of atypical accomplishment and to stress the lesser known attributes of the masses of a particular culture. (RM)

Argues that current history textbooks present a distorted view of immigration in order to promote civic values. Calls for the teaching of immigration based on original accounts, autobiographies, statistics, and documents in order to present a more realistic picture of immigration in the classroom. (BSR)

Curriculum specialists have devised ethnic studies programs without giving serious thought to the basic issues which should be considered when curriculum changes are made. (Author)

Explores the influence of textbooks and teaching practices on the self-concept of Chinese, Japanese, and Jewish children during the periods 1880-1920 and 1966-1976. From 1880-1920, Asians were detested and segregated into separate schools in some states. Jews were also considered unassimilable. During the period 1966-76, most textbooks showed only…

This article analyzes three incidents in pre-Civil War history; Crispus Attucks and the Boston Massacre, John Brown and the raid on Harpers Ferry, and Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. The article examines how these incidents have been distorted into myths and stereotypes and offers more correct historical interpretations. (DE)

Evaluates children's tradebooks for their multicultural content. Examines three categories: general, illustrations, and narrative theme. Presents the findings of the Carter G. Woodson Book Award Committee's examination of nonfiction tradebooks published in 1986; reports the researchers' investigation of the submitted books to the committee; and…

Argues that the inclusion of ethnic folktales into a social studies unit can reinforce stereotypical assumptions unless it is balanced with accurate and insightful social and cultural instruction. Summarizes and discusses a number of Latino folktales and how they could be used as springboards for appropriate instruction. (MJP)