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Sep. 17th, 2009
Got a question for you.
Sep. 17th, 2009 01:24 pm
It's not... it's not something horrifically bad, because I wouldn't ask about that. But I'm wondering if I'm right to be concerned, and whether or not I should make my sister say something. (Or say it myself, but I don't like to usurp.)
This is the first week of school, and Ana's first grade homework is all basic review. Okay. This week, her reading homework consisted of worksheets reviewing initial short-vowel sounds. There are eight pictures, cut them out. Paste the six that start with the short vowel of the day (going in order from a to u, of course) in ONE row and the two that don't in the OTHER row.
Now, I have a couple of quibbles about this right off the bat, starting with how it's a little basic even for basic review and ending with the fact that the pictures are blurry and hard to identify, but Ana managed it without any complaint, so if all she accomplishes is learning how to do silly worksheets I'm not too concerned.
Now, on Tuesday they did the short E sound. And one of the short E words was a picture of a guy in a fringed parka - an Eskimo. Now, I know the term Eskimo is sometimes (but not always) considered pejorative, and the whole thing bugged me for some other reason I couldn't identify, but since I couldn't work it out I decided to let it go. Didn't bring it up with my sister or the teacher.
On Wednesday they did the short I sound. And continuing the fine tradition of cultural sensitivity in our schools, the picture was of a man in a feathered headdress and a woman with a single feather. Yes, random Indians.
And the problem with the term Indian is similar to the problem with the term Eskimo in that some people whom it effects say it's offensive while others don't, but after thinking on it a while I realized why this bugged me.
This woman would never have used "Hispanic" to illustrate the initial-sound H, and if she did (as a Hispanic woman herself) she would surely not have chosen a picture of a mariachi band, understanding that not all Hispanic people listen to mariachi music and that for those who do it's reserved for special occasions and not every day, that people don't dress like that all the time and never did. She also wouldn't use a comic leprechaun to illustrate the long-I sound and so on. It just wouldn't happen.
I don't think it's appropriate for outdated and stereotyped images to be used at all, and I also don't think it's appropriate to use people as things. Only exotic "others" are used in this sort of exercise, creating the image that these people are either all gone (like knights or pilgrims) or that they're not really people. Or both.
But am I overthinking? It's easy for me to do that, and what do I know? I'd especially appreciate input from people who have some experience in this area.
While posting this, I looked up this guy - the first Native American in space. And I just know what vowel would be associated with that picture - a! For astronaut! And if we took off his spacesuit it'd only be m for man. I just know that to the worksheets of the world he can't be i-for-Indian (or ch for Chickasaw) unless he's wearing ceremonial garb (that may not even apply to him, I don't know) all. the. time. That's not cool, right?
This is the first week of school, and Ana's first grade homework is all basic review. Okay. This week, her reading homework consisted of worksheets reviewing initial short-vowel sounds. There are eight pictures, cut them out. Paste the six that start with the short vowel of the day (going in order from a to u, of course) in ONE row and the two that don't in the OTHER row.
Now, I have a couple of quibbles about this right off the bat, starting with how it's a little basic even for basic review and ending with the fact that the pictures are blurry and hard to identify, but Ana managed it without any complaint, so if all she accomplishes is learning how to do silly worksheets I'm not too concerned.
Now, on Tuesday they did the short E sound. And one of the short E words was a picture of a guy in a fringed parka - an Eskimo. Now, I know the term Eskimo is sometimes (but not always) considered pejorative, and the whole thing bugged me for some other reason I couldn't identify, but since I couldn't work it out I decided to let it go. Didn't bring it up with my sister or the teacher.
On Wednesday they did the short I sound. And continuing the fine tradition of cultural sensitivity in our schools, the picture was of a man in a feathered headdress and a woman with a single feather. Yes, random Indians.
And the problem with the term Indian is similar to the problem with the term Eskimo in that some people whom it effects say it's offensive while others don't, but after thinking on it a while I realized why this bugged me.
This woman would never have used "Hispanic" to illustrate the initial-sound H, and if she did (as a Hispanic woman herself) she would surely not have chosen a picture of a mariachi band, understanding that not all Hispanic people listen to mariachi music and that for those who do it's reserved for special occasions and not every day, that people don't dress like that all the time and never did. She also wouldn't use a comic leprechaun to illustrate the long-I sound and so on. It just wouldn't happen.
I don't think it's appropriate for outdated and stereotyped images to be used at all, and I also don't think it's appropriate to use people as things. Only exotic "others" are used in this sort of exercise, creating the image that these people are either all gone (like knights or pilgrims) or that they're not really people. Or both.
But am I overthinking? It's easy for me to do that, and what do I know? I'd especially appreciate input from people who have some experience in this area.
While posting this, I looked up this guy - the first Native American in space. And I just know what vowel would be associated with that picture - a! For astronaut! And if we took off his spacesuit it'd only be m for man. I just know that to the worksheets of the world he can't be i-for-Indian (or ch for Chickasaw) unless he's wearing ceremonial garb (that may not even apply to him, I don't know) all. the. time. That's not cool, right?
Banal can be pronounced both the way I say it (baNAL) and the way Jenn says it (baynl, rhymes with anal).
Yes, I had to go look this up. MY pronunciation comes first in the dictionary, though.
Yes, I had to go look this up. MY pronunciation comes first in the dictionary, though.
Here's another pic
Sep. 17th, 2009 10:14 pmHelp us Obama-wan Kenobi! You're our only hope!
Just yesterday, I saw a guy at Union Square wearing a Boba Fett mask and playing a medley of Star Wars tunes on an accordion. This is relevant, but I wanted to say it.
Just yesterday, I saw a guy at Union Square wearing a Boba Fett mask and playing a medley of Star Wars tunes on an accordion. This is relevant, but I wanted to say it.