People you know who celebrate Kwanzaa? And does teaching our kids this do us well?

[Farmer_Jane]

@monstro

If Jewish people didn’t push for this kind of advertising, who did? And were they bad for doing this? That is my question to you.

I have no idea who ‘pushed’ for the ‘advertising’, but I don’t think that schools need to bend over backwards to teach Hanukkah. If you have a Jewish kid in your class, then as a teacher, yeah, make them feel welcome. (Same goes for Muslim, Hindu, etc…) That’s part of a responsive education. But in New York, Kwanzaa is part of the actual curriculum. How is that responsive exactly?

My father didn’t sing Hanukkah songs as a kid. And he’s the meanest anti-Semite that I know. I’m not stupid enough to think one caused the other, but maybe if he had grown up knowing SOMETHING about Jewish people, he wouldn’t rely so much on stereotypes and prejudice.

Maybe, maybe not. But do we take it too far? Banning menorahs on public grounds but putting up Christmas trees? Banning Christmas trees and menorahs but having kinaras? There’s clearly some inter-cultural wars going on in December.

Any good teacher includes all of their students. But I’m not sure if kids in Alaska need to be singing “Dreidel, Dreidel” in the name of “multiculturalism”.

As even sven said above, people are constantly crapping on black people’s culture. Or making fun of their lack of a “real” one. Lots of people even deny that black people have a culture of their own. Kwanzaa is not a major part of being black–this is true. But it is one of those things that belong to “black culture”, and it is something that is at least wholesome and positive. If a kid who’s never met a black person can be learn about Kwanzaa, maybe they won’t be so ready to crap on black people when they do get older. I don’t know. Maybe I’m being too idealistic.

Is there such a thing as being too idealistic? While I do agree that Kwanzaa is part of black culture (or Kosher is to Jews, even if most Jews don’t keep strict Kosher, or ____ is to _____, even if it’s not in the majority), I’m not sure why schools have to teach Kwanzaa so they can ‘include’ black people. Because do you want your kids growing up in a world (wait, you don’t want them, okay, nieces) where non-blacks think that all blacks celebrate Kwanzaa? Does it matter? Because I think stereotypes do.

I never mean to “crap” on anyone’s culture. While I don’t find that all cultures are equally valid (eg, cultures in which women are stoned for adultery), I really do question the benefit of reinforcing stereotypes or just teaching things wrong.

I liked this essay here called “The Myth of Multiculture”. But didn’t you scoff at the Obama’s Hanukkah celebration and their Passover seder? Is this any different from my opinon?

@monstro

Why is he celebrating Hannukah in the first place? Why are Jews expecting a Christian to join in their celebration?

I’m surprised the anti-multi-culturalists haven’t used this as an example of PC-ness run amok.

Are you crapping on my culture? I’m confused at this:

@monstro

If the president were Jewish, I wouldn’t expect him to celebrate Christmas or even pay lip service to it. And I’d consider anyone who would expect otherwise to be a profound idiot.

Someone can be respectful of someone else’s traditions without trying to create the image that they are theirs as well. Holidays are supposed to mean something special to those who believe or practice. I rolled my eyes when he did the Passover seder thing as well. Attend one that you’ve been invited to? Sure, go ahead. But don’t throw one yourself and then the following Sunday go to Easter service. I’ve heard of being ecumenical, but that’s a little ridiculous to me.

Of course, IMHO.

@Blackberry

Obviously I haven’t seen the specific stories you’re talking about, but there does need to be a distinction made between teaching about a holiday and celebrating it. If they’re actually not mentioning Christmas at all but are teaching or celebrating Kwanzaa, of course that’s stupid. More likely would be that they’re not CELEBRATING either one, and the type of people who whine about the phrase “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” are having persecution complexes again.

Here’s a Christian Post article about how all winter holidays were banned.

No Santa in Texas school. also here, kids are not allowed to exchange gifts.

A couple of years ago, NYC banned Nativity scenes but allowed menorahs. A court upheld that.

So not only does the the largest education system in the US downplay a major American holiday - Christmas - it allows depictions of other minority religious holidays.

I think it’s cool to teach about other cultures and minority traditions. Definitely. But while not celebrating Christmas is pretty central to Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Muslims, I’m wondering why the teachers have to uphold the myth that Kwanzaa is the Black Christmas and that’s what black folk do.