I have throughly enjoyed this class. I was eager to go to class and discussion every week, knowing I would learn something new about American history and our culture. Before this course, I was one of those people who thought naively that Americans do not have a concrete culture, basing this on the fact that I could not think of rituals or customs that we partake in as a nation. I see now that our rituals are not as obvious, but need to take a further in-depth look to see them. I think they are less obvious because we have struggled and maybe still struggle with a national identity. There are so many other races and ethnicities in the United States bringing their own culture with them. Over the years the 'we' of the US has made the mistake of dehumanizing such minorities instead of learning and embracing their cultural behavior, because of fear.
This class really opened my eyes to the world around me. I knew that minorities faced hardships in this country, but I had to idea the extent they actually endured. The saying goes, "history repeats itself," but I believe if you have the educational background, the negative aspects of our history should not be repeated. Since everyone does not go to college, I think it imperative to teach some of the more heart wrenching facts in high school.
We as Americans have a lot of work to do now. We are currently in a time of hardship and need to work together to get out of such a rut. We have seen collaboration efforts succeed before, and I have no doubt it can happen again.
It's cool that this class inspired you so much. I agree that education for high schoolers should be more critical.
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