Cultures present perspectives
Last December, I had the oppor
tunity to display my acting tal
ent as a bit part in UNL’s pro
duction of a “Christmas Carol.” And
when I say it was a bit part, I mean it
was a bit part I’m sure most people
who payed„the $20 to see the play
wouldn’t even be able to recall my
presence on the stage. But, that’s OK,
it was a learning experience to just be
able to stand on the Lied Center stage.
I was also pleased to see a few brown
faces amid a sea of white faces
promising a few specks of diversity in
our cast
out, my excitement about being in
“A Christmas Carol” fizzled when
during our first dress rehearsal, a fel
low actor came into our dressing room
with some disturbing news. The actor
told us that the directors were trying to
put white make-up on an Asian actor
who played as one of Bob Cratchit’s
sons. From the directors’ points of
view, it seemed natural to make this
actor fit in with theresloftheCratchit
family by making him appear as white
as the other white actors. I, as well as
many of my fellow cast members, saw
it as stripping that actor of something
that the directors could not nor should
not change — his race.
That incident clouded my faith
that I once felt for the theatre depart
ment Perhaps the directors forgot
that it was just last summer that the
Nebraska Repertory Theatre did a
production of David Hwangs “M.
Butterfly.*’ Perhaps the directors for
got that theatre is an art that doesn’t
necessarily reflect reality who cares
«■ if one of the Cratchits was Asian.
Perhaps the directors forgot that the
atre at times can reflect changing
reality, minorities do not want to be
Step-in-Fetch-it-Bruce-Lec’s any
more.
So what does this have to do with
anything? The point is that this inci
I II
Multicultural educa
tion Isn’t just about
seeing things from a
different perspective
— It’s about present
ing things from all
perspectives. And
who is able to de
nounce the value of
that?
dent was caused oy tne directors
ignorance on the role that minorities
now play in theatre. But the directors’
ignorance is just a reflection of all
peoples’ ignorance about the role that
minorities play in life. That is where
education plays a vital role in how we
perceive each other.
Multicultural education shouldn't
be about presenting (me race as supe
rior to another, but rather, should be
aboulpresenling the truth. If we, as
Americans claim to be proud of our
diversity, then w hy can ’ t our di versi ty
be reflected in our classrooms?
For example, not too long ago 1
took an Advanced Placement Litera
ture class that was supposed to help us
explore general literature from a more
“scholarly” point of view. However,
when the year was almost through, I
confronted my teacher about why it
was that every author we studied was
a white male.
Somehow, my teacher left out
women and minority authors. It wasn’t
that the authors that we read weren’t
good, most of them were brilliant
writers, it’s just that the class, which
was supposed to be a general litera
ture class, was presented from a bi
ased perspective. We missed out on
the whole picture of what literature is.
Of course, there is also the argu
ment that if we are going to have
classes such as Native American Lit
erature whydon ’ t we have classes such
as White American History? The rea
son why is because we already have
White American History, it’s just
under a different name — American
History.
It a student taxes a typical Ameri
can History class, chances are the
student will study great men such as
George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.
Undeniably these are great men to
study and they should be studied. But,
they are all white.
What about the role that Native
Americans played in the Revolution
jay War, or the role that blacks played
in the Civil War? Why should we
deny these people the recognition of
the roles that they played in American
history?
Multicultural education imi i jum
about seeing things from a different
perspective — it’s about presenting
things from all perspectives. And who
is able to denounce the value of that?
By the way, the Cralchits could
have very well have had an Asian son.
My parents are white with an Asian
daughter. My brother, who is also
white, likes to read Rush
Limbaugh’s opinions on multicultural
education to me from the dinner table.
Like I said, it’s about presenting things
from all perspectives.
Stock Is a sophomore secondary English
education m^jor and a Summer Dally Ne
braskan columnist.
What do you think of the decision to wait to repair Memorial
Stadium until after football season?
“I personally think it should be
fixed before because they’re going to
lose a lot of revenue from seats that
aren’t there. Maybe the University
needs to take time out and examine
the whole stadium."
Andy Budeli
Political Science
Junior
“I don’t think its that big of a
problem. I don’t think seating will be
that much of a problem if they don’t
fix it— I don’t thinkil’s a problem if
it’s fixed afterwards.lf they are going
to use their own money, they can fix
it whenever they want.”
Lisa Valentine
Broadcasting
Senior
‘Tin very anti-Big Red. But t immc
it should be fixed before the season
starts ... it’s only logical.”
Randy Watson
PhD in English
Graduate student
Compiled by Stacie Hakel
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opinion about an article that appears in the newspaper, let us know. Just write
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Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, or stop by the office in the basement of the
^ Nebraska Union and visit with us. We’re all ears.
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