It's NOT All Or Nothing (cont.)

Dr. Claude Goldenberg, a Stanford education professor, has recently commented that there is very little evidence that culturally accommodated instruction has an impact on English Language or Hispanics. He argues that research has shown that familiar content does promote learning and comprehension but adds that there are lots of ways to make things familiar. Therefore, the question needs to be, "Does familiar material have to be part of the learner's home culture or does it simply mean that the learner has had sufficient experience with the content of the material?"

Goldenberg goes onto share something that is extremely important to remember and that is language of the reading material in relationship to students' language proficiency has more impact on reading comprehension than did familiarity with the content.

Obviously and as Goldenberg notes, even though familiar content will help a learner to learn the language and the academic curriculum at a faster rate, what is familiar shouldn't be limited to what is part of his/her home culture.

All this is not to say, as Goldenberg reminds us, this is not to excuse an educator from becoming familiar with and respectful of a learner's home culture. Being able to make connections for the learner based on his/her home culture is not only good teaching but it's beneficial to the student regardless of the impact it has on student learning per se. Plus, it will be worthwhile for other students to learn about cultures other than their own.

Yet, Goldenberg reiterates that there has not been one study conducted that has shown that culture-based curriculum improved achievement in reading and writing and those that do claim this connection have research design problems. He adds, though, that this is a worthwhile topic for investigation.

Dr. Roland Tharp, a research professor from the University of California Berkeley, says that even though it is difficult to provide empirical research concerning the effectiveness of culture-based instruction, he contends that research in this area needs to be given a high priority. He says that there have been studies that have shown "culture-based education systematically produces greater student engagement, greater parent involvement, better attendance rates, lower dropout rates, and general satisfaction of all participants, as opposed to a standard, traditional program based on mainstream models." Even though studies, according to Goldenberg, haven't shown the connection, yet, it would seem that these outcomes Tharp mentions could influence and improve academic achievement. To know this, we obviously need studies that carefully separate out cultural accommodations for examination as Diane August, a senior research scientist at the Washington Center for Applied Linguistics, recommends.

August asks the all important question, "Is it the cultural accommodation or the teaching that matters?" and then Dr. Luis Moll, an education professor at the University of Arizona, reminds us of the importance not to focus only on test scores as a learning outcome indicator. Doing so could cause us to miss other outcomes such as an increase in student engagement and participation which could be just as beneficial to the student, if not more so.

My note: Lessons learned from this discussion:

1. Research studies need to be conducted that carefully separate out cultural accommodations to better understand the impact they have on student learning as well as other outcomes that are beneficial to the student.
2. Whether cultural accommodations improve student learning or not, teachers who are familiar with a learner's culture can use that knowledge to help make connections for a learner.
3. It is beneficial for students of all cultural backgrounds to learn about other cultures.
4. IMPORTANT: Rather than using only that with which a learner is already familiar, it is important for a teacher to expand and increase a learner's familiar world.

Information for the content in this blog post came from a personal email with Dr. Claude Goldenberg and an article from Education Week entitled Evidence on Effect of Culture-Based Teaching Called Thin by Mary Ann Zehr which was posted and retrieved online on January 8, 2008.


January 8, 2008 on line at Education Week

It's NOT All Or Nothing

A couple of days ago I read an article written in 2003 by Dr. Sonia Nieto who at the time was a professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture in the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. The article entitled Profoundly Multicultural Questions came from the Educational Leadership Journal.

This article resonated with me because Dr. Nieto reminds us about what it means to provide an education that is both multicultural and equitable. Nieto that when the two are not linked, "we may end up with young people who feel good about themselves and their heritage but who have few skills to prepare them for life, or alternatively, who know how to do math and science and read, but who know little about their cultural backgrounds and are even ashamed and embarrassed by them."

Nieto also reminds us how critical culturally responsive pedagogy is for educators so that they view what diverse students bring to the classroom as assets rather than deficits. Yet, we must go further and address the inequities that exist in our schools that are reflected by low test scores, dropout rates, and other indicators, existing in every socioeconomic group.

One of the questions Nieto asks is, "Who's Teaching the Children?" She notes that those teachers working in poor urban schools tend to be those who are less experienced and less prepared. She notes that even though all educators can learn the attitudes and skills to be effective with our increasingly diverse student population. we need more diverse faculties. She mentions studies that have shown that having teachers of color in a school can promote the academic achievement of diverse learners...and at times, even white students.

What Nieto is teaching us through her article is that although there are benefits to teachers being more culturally responsive, we must never lose sight of the bottom line which is: student learning. Yet, student learning must never come about at the expense of a learner having to give up who she or he is. Both are critical if our diverse learners are to reach their potential and become productive and contributing members of society.

"Playing" to the Level of Those Around Us

As I watched the Utah Jazz basketball team the other night lose horribly to one of the worst teams in the NBA I was reminded that all of us more often than not "play" to the level of those around us. Pondering on this brought to remembrance the following:

• If we want to become a better tennis player choose to play with those who are better than we are even though we always lose.
• Take the harder classes from the hardest teachers who push us to be and do more in order to learn more even though we may sacrifice an A and our grade point average.
• Choose peers who have high standards and strive for excellence as we usually attain the same academic level and character level as those around us.
• Seek out those things which are lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy--such as the best books that inspire us.
• Remember that less is more such as being willing to pay a higher price for quality even though it means we can afford less items.
• Seek out the best mentors who drive us to reach our potential.

Third Example of the "Americanization" Danger

In 2001 Dr. Carol L. Schmid wrote an article entitled Educational achievement language-minority students, and the new second generation. In this article she notes some disturbing research findings.

For example she mentions that Rumberger (1995) found that second-generation Mexican-Americans were less likely to drop out of school than were their third-generation counterparts, even though their SES (Socioeconomic status), on average, was lower. Driscoll's (1999) study of immigrant and native Latino youth found that U.S.-born students of U.S.-born parents were more than twice as likely to drop out of high school as were U.S.-born students with foreign-born parents. Furthermore, the third-generation sophomores in her sample were almost three times as likely to drop out as were the immigrant sophomores.

Although the exact cause (s) for this is unknown, Suarez-Orozco and Suarez-Orozco (1995) can provide some insight from what they found in the analysis of their comparison between recent Mexican immigrants and U.S-born Mexican Americans. They found from their primarily qualitative data that recent immigrants often have a "dual frame of reference." Such a frame of reference enabled the immigrants to believe their lives in the United States were markedly better than the lives they left behind. U.S.-born Mexican Americans who didn't have this dual frame of reference saw themselves as marginalized from the dominant culture so they strived to identify with the "dominant American paradigm of adolescent ambivalence." This resulted in recent Mexican immigrants being more achievement oriented than U.S.-born Mexican Americans.

In other words, striving to become "Americanized" resulted in lower academic achievement.

Another Sad Commentary On Becoming Americanized

Dr. June Gordon found that as a general rule, the longer Hispanics are in the U.S. the less respect they have for education.

It seems that even though Hispanics, especially new immigrants, hold teachers and education in high esteem, but the longer they are in the U. S. and start to be infiltrated with American values, the less respect both Hispanic parents and students have.

It's important to understand that the lack of respect for education and teaching as a profession is an American phenomenon. Therefore, in an immigrant's desire to adapt to the American life they adopt the attitudes and values of the mainstream which translates into the fact that the more they become like the dominant culture the less respect they have for education and teachers. In other words, they are reflecting back the American mainstream's attitude.

Again as Pogo would say, "We have met the enemy...and he is us."

The Danger of Becoming Americanized

It is a sad commentary that the more "Americanized" Hispanic immigrants become, the more problems they experience. For example, a new study by Robert Sampson from Harvard that was recently released reveals that first-generation immigrants are more likely to be law-abiding than third-generation Americans of similar socioeconomic status.


Sampson mentions the phenomenon sociologists call the "Latino paradox" which is that even though Hispanic immigrants come into this country with low resources and high poverty which are related to a high propensity for violence do better on a range of social indicators than either Blacks or Whites.


In fact, Sampson was surprised to discover that a person's immigrant status emerged as a stronger indicator of a dispropensity to violence than any other factor, including poverty, ethnic background, and IQ. First-generation immigrants are 45 percent less likely to commit violence than third-generation immigrants, and second-generation immigrants are about 22 percent less likely to do so than the third-generation. Mexican-Americans were the least violent among those studied.


Another important finding of the study was that neighborhoods matter. Sampson said, "Kids living in neighborhoods with a high concentration of first-generation immigrants have lower rates of violence" going on to say, "even if they aren't immigrants themselves."


This data from Sampson that indicate that as immigration increases, "the culture of violence is diluted," should remind all of us that immigration is not our country's #1 enemy. Once again we're reminded of Walter Kelly's Pogo who tells us, "We have met the enemy...and he is us."

Dispelling Hispanic Myth

The Miami Herald quotes Roy Romer, former Colorado governor, "A poll presented at a National Council of La Raza meeting [2007] showed education ranks as the most important issue for Hispanic voters."



The article notes that a poll of 1000 interviewed Hispanic voters in the United States sponsored by Strong American Schools and the National Council of La Raza found that Hispanic voters consider education a more important issue than the other top four issues--war in Iraq, healthcare, jobs, and immigration. Their top education concerns were high drop out rates for Hispanic students and students not receiving enough support at school.

This information obviously dispels the myth that Hispanics don't care about education.

An African American's Africa Experience

A colleague of mine in my BYU doctoral program, Sylvia Finlayson, brought to my attention during a conversation we were having a book called Out of America by Keith B. Richburg written in 1997. Even though I have not read the whole book, yet, I did read a review of the book by Wolf Roder. The contents of this "blog post" are based on that review.

Richburg has been a foreign correspondent for the Washington Post and has won several awards for his international reporting. From 1991-4 he was assigned to Africa and based in Nairobi. Being an African-American who had grown up in Detroit and knowing what it means to be Black in America Richburg was filled with excitement to be able to return to the land of his forefathers.

Although Richburg was hopeful that he would find much good in Africa, but as he "covers the coups, the wars, the massacres, from Liberia to Somalia, he comes to cherish his America heritage more and more." Even though remembrances of the atrocities of the slave trade are painful to recall, Richburg contemplates on what his life might have been like in Africa if the slave trade had not occurred. He comes to realize that he could be one of those anonymous bodies dumped into a mass grave.

Because of Richburg's Africa experience he comes to the conclusion that "he can only bless those unsung ancestors of his who survived capture, the middle passage, and the auction block to become Americans."

My personal comment: In spite of America's dark history as well as the racism and prejudice that continues today, the greatest hope for all people to eventually enjoy true freedom and rights lies within the borders of the United States of America.

Reference
Roder, Wolf (1997). Retrieved February 22, 2008 from the World Wide Web, www.unc.edu/~ottotwoRoderreview.html

Is Good Educational Research an Oxymoron?

As I struggled in a statistics class to learn the language of statistics I came to appreciate the value of statistics and learned that if used properly it can provide us with very useful information when making decisions.

Also, the rigor professors required when writing papers for my doctorate classes has given me an inkling of the time, energy, and money researchers invest in order to help us make wise educational decisions.

Therefore, I am saddened when people discount what statistics and research reveal and make accusations that they are twisted to support one's own point of view. Unfortunately, that does happen, but that would be shoddy research that should be rejected. Yet, if in this process all research is rejected, much excellent scholarly research will be rejected that could benefit learners.

Not only does discounting scholarly research cause us to miss out on some valuable information, it also causes us (and our learners!) to lose too much precious time while we are busy reinventing the wheel.

A problem that we face concerning excellent scholarly research is that we have considerable evidence that those who need to read the results of these studies rarely see them or if they do, they don't heed them. In other words, the bulk of the research results never makes it to the classroom. When practitioners don't attend research conferences and researchers don't attend conferences for practitioners, a disconnect is perpetuated that must not be allowed to exist. The disconnect is exacerbated by the fact that researchers most often only publish their findings in educational journals that a high percentage of practitioners seldom read.

As long as educators, policy makers, and the general community regard good educational research as an oxymoron and use that as an excuse to not give credence or heed to the findings of excellent scholarly research, “quick fixes” and “silver bullets” with no long term benefits for student achievement will continue to be implemented.

Until this disconnect challenge is addressed and resolved we will continually be spinning our wheels and our learners will not be receiving the best education they need and deserve.

The Truth About the Chinese Fortune Cookie

When teaching a multicultural class to some BYU students I gave students a Chinese fortune cookie and told them the story of the cookie to emphasize how important it is not to make assumptions about a culture.

I use the Chinese fortune cookie because we assume they are Chinese in origin. After all, every Chinese restaurant gives us the treat along with the restaurant bill. Yet, the fortune cookie, like chop suey, is a U.S. invention. After much controversy as to exactly when and where they originated in the U.S., it was finally ruled in a 1983 courtroom that San Francisco is the homeland of fortune cookies.

Until recently, fortune cookies were virtually unknown in China. In 1993, Wonton Food Company began producing the treats in China. Yet, sales have not been as high as expected perhaps because baked goods in China are generally lower in sugar.

Despite the controversy over where and when fortune cookies originated, the small paper messages inside them continue to intrigue and fascinate many of us. I've even saved some and taped them in my journal or carried them around with me.

For this reason it is not surprising that an educator, whose name I can no longer remember, encouraged us in a conference speech to write what message we would like to read inside of a fortune cookie in five years describing our professional status. Then we should go about doing what we can to make that message a reality.

Since hearing this speech I've gone through at least 2 five year cycles writing my own fortune cookie message. I highly recommend this powerful way to write our own future.

What Are They Thinking?!?

Even though a recent audit shows that over the last seven years schools were given $460 million by the Utah legislature to reduce class size, class sizes in Utah have not been lowered. Now a new bill has passed committee this year to give schools another $26 million to reduce class size in K-3.

Why would legislation be supported that gives more money towards something in a way that has so far been an unsuccessful effort? Has the situation miraculously changed?

The seriousness of this decision becomes more acute when we are told that even though the audit found that districts were likely using the previous $46 million correctly, most didn't specifically track where the dollars went. This is appalling.

This bill is extremely flawed for the following reasons:

Reason #1: Before giving money to schools, each school should have a comprehensive strategic plan on how it is going to improve academic achievement, especially for those students in greatest need. The plan needs to be based on research. It also needs to include the funds that will be needed to implement each part of the plan giving a rationale as to why this particular implementation would be the most cost effective.

Reason #2: An evaluation component needs to be required to show that resources are achieving the desired outcome which must be student achievement. For example, if class size reduction was part of the plan, the effectiveness of the plan wouldn't be determined by the class size reduction in the school but by the academic achievement of the students. In other words, the end goal, not the means to the end is what is most important.

Not only is this bill putting the cart before the horse--giving money before there is a plan--but it has made class size reduction, not student achievement, the ultimate goal.

Words Matter

Although 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama admits that maybe he should have given his longtime friend and ally, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, credit for the lines he used at his Milwaukee's Founder's Day Dinner on February 16th shouldn't take away from the point Obama was making: Words matter!

What Obama said: "Don't tell me words don't matter! 'I have a dream.' Just words. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.' Just words. "We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' Just words. Just speeches. It's true that speeches don't solve all problems, but what is also true is if we cannot inspire the country to believe again than it doesn't matter how many policies and plans we have... Don't tell me that words don't matter."

Words have power. They can inspire, motivate, encourage, and even challenge us to be better and to take action. Great leadership historically has been about people who could put language to use to do just that.

All of us who want to inspire change must learn to use words in a powerful way--in our speaking and writing.

Making the "rule of law" a god

In my state of Utah we have legislators who justify sponsoring and voting in favor of anti-immigration laws because of their respect and commitment to the "rule of law." Although I, too, understand and value the "rule of law" principle, I become very nervous when it is made a "god." Putting so much stock in man-made laws can be harmful and even dangerous. Looking at all the silly, dumb, and stupid, not to mention the unjust and even unconstitutional, laws that have not only been on the books, but still are, should make all of us more than a little leery of putting all our eggs in the rule of law basket when making decisions.

Rising Above the Clouds

Yesterday I received an email from a friend, Janet Christensen, who is serving with me in a group that is focused on improving the academic achievement of Hispanic learners. Her words, "It is wonderful to be part of a group that seeks to rise above the clouds and help others get out of the clouds as well" made me realize that this is what we need to do. It is only by rising above the clouds that we can see the bigger picture and gain a broader perspective.

Rising above the clouds will also help us not get caught up in all the chaos taking place around us. On an After Words broadcast where Akbar Ahmed interviewed Mark Siegel, longtime friend and former speechwriter who helped Benazir Bhutto write Reconciliation, spoke of the glow Bhutto seemed to have about her in spite of the chaos as well as threats to her life. In other words, because of her focus on a higher purpose she was able to transcend what was happening around her.

Herndon L. Davis who is an author, lecturer, and TV Host gives us some insights into Bhutto's life that can be an example for us as we advocate for Hispanic learners. Davis said of her, "Bhutto could have easily remained safely in self-imposed exile. She could have kept a low profile and remained an observer....But instead Benazir Bhutto chose to become the change that she wanted to see for her country....She allowed her life to be used as a tool for a greater purpose, a greater cause and for a greater calling...Further Bhutto knew that her life was symbolic as a living example of patience, idealism, faith, and determination. (italics mine).

We, too, must not give up the fight for our Hispanic learners even though we are attacked on every side and in spite of the fact that we may not see the fruits of our labor. It never was about us anyway as Mother Theresa's words remind us.

Will Legislators Get the Message?

Because of the LDS church's strict policy of political neutrality on all but what it considers to be an important moral issue, it would be wise to listen when the church chooses to speak.


Even though other churches in Utah had been taking a stand on 2008 Utah legislative bills in regards to immigration, many were hoping that the LDS church would also speak out because of the fact that it is the predominant religion in Utah. Those hoping and even praying for this were not only LDS people, but many non-LDS people as well.


Recently Elder Marlin Jensen did speak out at a symposium held on Wednesday night (2/13/08)at Westminster College. He emphasized at this symposium that he was not speaking solely for himself, but that he had been sent by the LDS First Presidency and was speaking on its behalf. It is extremely important to keep this in mind when considering his following statements:

• "slow down, step back and carefully study and assess the implications and human costs involved."


• "with decisions handing in the balance that have such significant consequences, I believe a more thoughtful...not to mention humane, approach is warranted."


• "immigration questions are questions dealing with God's children," and legislators should "measure twice before they cut."


• "The church's view of someone in undocumented status is akin, in a way, to a civil trespass," relating it to coming on someone's property uninvited. "There is nothing inherent or wrong about that status."

....and Elder Jensen's asking Utah lawmakers to consider proposed immigration legislation with a "spirit of compassion" and to use a more "thoughtful and factual, not to mention humane, approach" to the issues.

Elder Jensen also noted that immigration is not only a political issue but a moral and ethical one as well.

Elder Jensen's remarks came on the heels of a January 11th meeting that a group of lawmakers had held with LDS Apostle M. Russell Ballard and other LDS Church officials. Rep. David Litvack said, "The basic message was that we need to step back, not be so reactive, and let cooler heads prevail." Even though the LDS church remains neutral on the specific action that should be taken on immigration legislation the message was that lawmakers need to listen once again because the legislation could be disastrous for new arrivals, hard-working and generally law-abiding individuals who, like all of our ancestors, are in search of a better life, and make our state a better place.

It is also important to note that Elder M. Russell Ballard is a member of the Alliance for Unity which is a group of civic, business and religious leaders that has taken a strong stand against the bill that would repeal the current law that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition in Utah's colleges and universities. Dr. Alexander Morrison, the leader of this group and an emeritus LDS general authority, said, "We are concerned about not wanting to take away the American dream from these kids, and these kids had come to America as little youngsters, as 2-or3-year olds, many of them, and how can you blame the sins, if there be sins, of their parents on their shoulders?"

The Alliance as a group states, "In our view, making a college education unaffordable to students simply discourages them and will result in their making less than the best of their intelligence and talents."

Dave Ure, the former representative who sponsored this tuition law said that because Congress will eventually have to act on immigration, "it is very short-sighted to repeal this bill."

Taking into consideration all these statements, and especially the timing of them, seem to indicate that the church has some concerns about the direction of some current state immigration legislation. Therefore, it is quite disconcerting and heart breaking at how some legislators, especially LDS legislators, are rationalizing and justifying immigration bills on the table saying such things as:

• "We have taken a very cautious approach." Dave Clark
• "They're [church leaders] just asking us to be deliberate in our process. We are living up to that." Rep. Dave Clark
• "they [church leaders] really want us to remember the human element" when debating the illegal immigration issues. "I do not see anything in this comment that says do not respect the rule of law." "We need to be compassionate but also remember the rule of law."Senator John Valentine
• "I don't know if we are compassionate if we ignore the law." Rep. Glenn Donnelson
• "I don't think there's any lack of compassion. I don't think anyone is rushing to judgment." Senator Margaret Dayton

I am wondering as Michael Clara is when he says, "I'm just wondering why legislators don't get the message."

It also seems that putting aside all immigration proposals and instead supporting Senate Bill 97 being sponsored by Sen. Scott Jenkins that would create a bipartisan "immigration task force" would mesh well with what cool and calm heads are suggesting and advising. Duane Cardall in his Editorial on February 15, 2008 reminds us that this measure has received strong support from Utah's business, manufacturing, and agricultural communities as they realize the unintended negative effect much of the state-based immigration reform could have on the state's economy.

If legislators will rise above all the emotion and rhetoric, exercise some humility, and really take to heart the wise counsel that is being suggested from a variety of arenas, they can concentrate on more important matters and not waste time addressing immigration issues that Congress will need to eventually address...and once they are addressed could very well nullify anything the state now decides.

What's Our Common Ultimate Goal?

Some comments were made in my BYU Ed Leadership law class last night in regards to multicultural education, specifically in regards to our Hispanic learners that have caused me to do some reflecting. I was reminded how important it is to keep in mind the goal we want to achieve for that goal or that vision should then influence all our decisions.

I'm beginning to sense that the reason we can't all agree upon what to do to improve the academic achievement of our Hispanic learners in particular is because we don't have a vision or if we do, we don't have a common one. That is the first hurdle we need to overcome.

If our goal is to improve the academic achievement of Hispanic learners then:

• It's not a "crutch" to provide Hispanic learners with bilingual education and other effective strategies and methods that research has proven works for them. (See NOTE below)
• It's not wrong for educators to focus on how best to teach groups of children as well as individual children. That is the role of an educator.
• It's important to focus on what students need to learn to realize the American dream and to have the skills and knowledge to be a contributing member of America's democratic society.

While improving the academic achievement of Hispanic learners is a worthy goal it is important to never forget the ultimate goal of education which is to build character. Academic achievement will be of little use to our Hispanic learners as well as all learners if all the knowledge and credentials accumulated don't make them better people.

NOTE:

Four studies published in the last two years. Number 4 is from the US government report.

1. Slavin, R. and Cheung, A. 2005. A synthesis ofresearch of reading instruction for English languagelearners, Review of Educational Research 75(2):247-284.

2. Rolstad, K., Mahoney, K., & Glass, G. 2005. The bigpicture: A meta-analysis of program effectivenessresearch on English language learners. EducationalPolicy 19(4): 572-594.

3. Genesse, F., Lindolm-Leary, K., Saunders, W., andChristian, D. 2005. English Language Learners in U.S.Schools: An Overview of Research. Journal ofEducation for Students Placed at Risk, 10(4), 363–385.

4. Francis, D., Lesaux, N., & August, D. 2006.Language of instruction, In D. August & T. Shanahan,(Eds.) Developing literacy in second-languagelearners, pp. 365-413. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

The Wisdom of the Cheshire Cat

The Cheshire Cat Message

"Which road should I take?" she asked the cat.

"Where do you want to go?" the cast asked helpfully.

"I don't know," admitted Alice.

"Then," advised the cat, "any road will take you there."

A conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll

So many people are so extremely busy--most often busy doing good things. The Savior himself "went about doing good..." (Acts 10:38). The Savior also had a vision--a purpose for his doing--and that was "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). Having a vision allowed him to not only do good but also to stay focused on choosing to do the best things amongst all the good things he could be doing.

Without a vision we can be busy doing many good things and never see results. In fact, we won't even know if we have arrived at a desired result. If we don't have a vision of where we want to be--what we want to accomplish--, any road filled with good things will take us to some place although it might not be the best place.

Our Own Personal "Hotel Rwanda"

On January 29, 2008 Paul Rusesabagina was BYU's forum speaker. Rusesabagina --often referred to as the Oskar Schindler of Africa--is the former general manager of the Mille Collines Hotel Rwanda which was made famous in the movie Hotel Rwanda. For 70 days in 1994 Rusesabagina sheltered refugees in this hotel saving the lives of 1200 people.

It is important to remember that these 1200 people were from a different ethnic group than Rusesabagina--people who were being called "cockroaches." Yet Rusesabagina was willing to be called a traitor and to risk losing his own life for them by standing against the prejudice and senseless violence. He felt that it wasn't the majority of people who hated each other so much as it was poor leadership that took advantage of differences in order to divide and conquer.

In his message at BYU he taught the importance of the following that he learned from his own experience:

• Dialogue: "The only thing that can bring people together is dialogue." "Instead of fighting violence and war with more violence, people should strive to increase dialogue." "Words can be the best weapon or the worst weapon in the human being's arsenal." "Whoever opens his or her mouth and is willing to discuss with you, you will always come up with an agreement. You will always come up with a compromise depending on how you deal with the situation." "As long as people don't consider each other, they will never get anywhere. As long as people are fighting for power...they will never get anywhere." Use verbal skills instead of resorting to violence.
• Hope: Never give up on hope.
• Stand up: "Stand up and do whatever you can to save the situation of the world." "Don't stand by. You can do something." "We should be aware of the problems and find our own solutions."

Rusesabagina entitled his presentation "Hotel Rwanda: A story yet to be told" because the story isn't over yet. Each of us can do our small part in making it a better story than it otherwise would be--not only for Rwanda but for our own corner of the world as well. As Rusesabagina says, "Whenever we think this is the end, I tell you, it is never the end. God always has a way to save his people."

Don't Be A Lobster

Yesterday I received an email from a dear Hispanic friend in response to a group we have formed to advocate for the improvement of the academic achievement and graduation rate of Hispanic learners. Her words, "To be honest I have so much hope that this project can bring the unity that is missing that I am even scared at my dream. I am trying not to get excessively excited since I know challenges will come but I have prayed for a long time asking for a miracle," touched my heart.

The word unity stood out. Not only do we need to unite across racial, gender, age, ethnic, and other boundaries, but there also needs to be more unity within. It has broken my heart to see the fighting and accusations that I have witnessed within the Hispanic community in my community.

I'm reminded of a story about lobsters in an open tank in a restaurant. A guest to the restaurant questioned the waiter about why the lobsters didn't crawl out of the tank and escape. The waiter answered that that would never happen because as soon as one lobster started to crawl out, other lobsters would pull him back down. Although we think of lobsters as solitary beings, they are really extremely social---They also hate each other. They are always kicking each other and fighting. Even worse, they are cannibals--they will eat each other!

Barclay says, "It is indeed, more difficult to congratulate another on his success, especially if his success involves disappointment to us, than it is to sympathize with his sorrow and his loss" and Maclaren adds, "To 'rejoice with those that do rejoice' makes a greater demand on unselfish love than to 'weep with those that weep,' because envy is apt to creep in and mar the completeness of joy."

Haven't we all witnessed people who make incredible sacrifices to reach out to those who are suffering who at the same time hurl ugly and painful accusations at those who are succeeding. How sad!

Way too often successful Blacks are called Oreos and successful Hispanics are called Coconuts--"acting white." Whites are not immune to their own kind of name calling. It is critical that we get past this kind of name calling if we are to help our young people of all ethnic backgrounds to enjoy the American Dream. In other words, we must unite and become one in our efforts.

It is also important to remember the words of Marianne Williamson:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

"Wisdom of Our Years" Documentary

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City to see the premiere screening of "Wisdom of Our Years." It is a documentary about the experience of Blacks in Utah--their rich and hidden legacy.

Most of the seven men and women interviewed in the documentary came from the Deep South, escaping the harsh realities of the Jim Crow laws. Still it was hard in Utah because the discrimination and prejudice were subtler in Utah making it harder to know one's place and often didn't know the rules until it was too late. In other words, they had to learn to navigate de facto racism.

Yet, there was blatant discrimination and prejudice as well:

• Blacks were only welcome in Chinese restaurants
• Blacks had to sit in theater balconies
• Blacks could only use the public swimming pools one day a week--the day life guards weren't on duty
• Blacks could only live and buy homes in certain areas because of unspoken restrictions
• Available jobs for blacks were largely in domestic service or the railroads

What impressed me the most in the documentary was the courage, stamina, strength, and spunk of these people who were interviewed. They challenged the injustice. One kept applying for a job as an elementary teacher until she finally was given the job. She was such an excellent teacher parents of all ethnic backgrounds wanted her to be their child's teacher. Another couple purposefully bought a house, with the help of a bank, in an area where neighbors didn't want Blacks.

More than these qualities, though, I was impressed with their insights and advice to the younger generation:

• Trust in God
• Get an education
• Take advantage of all the opportunities now open to you
• Have faith in your own worth
• See opportunities in spite of challenges and don't use obstacles as excuses

My heart was touched as I sensed no bitterness. Rather they had a deep spirituality which probably helped them to overcome any traces of bitterness and that helped them to have this deep well of wisdom.

Phyllis Caruth, the executive producer of the documentary, said that education is the purpose of her film--"I believe that the key is opening your heart to other people, hearing their stories." It definitely educated me and opened my heart. I highly recommend it as a documentary that every Utahn (and people in the U.S.) needs to see.

Note: To request a showing, contact Phyllis Caruth at (891) 414-0501.