Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

I'm not Jewish but I really loved the PBS special on the history of the Jewish people here in America. Growing up, my mom always educated us on the culture and history of others unlike ourselves and I find that knowledge very useful as an adult.
Do you educate yourself and your children on the culture and history of other groups outside of your own (race, religion, ethnicity,etc) or do you basically just teach them your own history and culture?

When I moved to Long Island in the 8th grade, a lot of people were making their confirmation and they asked me about making mine and my party and I wasn't making my confirmation. I'm Protestant and while some branches of Protestantism do that, mine doesn't. When I said, no I'm not Catholic I was VERY surprised by all the students who then responded with..."so you're Jewish?" No, I'm Protestant I said. None of them had a clue what a Protestant was because I lived in Massapequa which is mostly Catholic and Jewish and while I get not being a certain religion or living around others of a different religion, I feel at 13 you should have at least learned what a Protestant was, right? That's just one example. There are so many other times when I'm like...a parent didn't teach their kid about so and so group? Even if it is not my own. Like major moments in history...like the Holocaust thread a few weeks ago how a lot of college kids hadn't heard of it. That stuff blows my mind. Idk, maybe because I majored in History and I just have a passion for all that stuff or maybe because having majored in it I realize the importance of knowing the history of this type of stuff so it doesn't repeat. Not sure, but I feel sad when people aren't educated about others. Like when I hear about attacks on Sihks because people think they are Muslim. Not that it's okay to attack a Muslim for any reason but not only are you are moron because you attacked someone because you thought that they were the same faith as a person who bombed us because that makes things better right...idiot BUT the person you attacked wasn't even Muslim and if you knew a little bit about history, you would know that.

Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

this is part of the reason my son's middle name is that of my uncle. my uncle was/is like a father to me. he's the first person who took me to the library, he's the person who taught me english, he's the first person to take me to a museum, etc, etc.

i still remember, like it was yesterday, the day he read us a children's version of the biographies of martin luther king and malcom x. he taught me that not everyone is like us.

i love learning about different peoples, different cultures, different world views.

my son has a mild learning disability, although i talk about these things and watch things like the pbs specials with him... it doesn't always "take." i'm ok with that. i know that he's being exposed to people being different and that no one is made fun of in our house.

Re: Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

I don't find it odd that someone wouldn't know the specific history or background of other cultures. I know for me personally, I probably couldn't really tell you how being a Protestant is different from being Catholic.......even though I'm technically Catholic, because religion isn't a big part of my life and never has been. While I am very tolerant of any other race, ethnicity, religion, etc. and I'm interested in getting to know someone on an individual basis I don't really have a strong interest in learning about all cultures and people on a very deep historical level just because history doesn't interest me very much.

Growing up I was always taught that not everyone is the same but that doesn't mean you treat anyone differently. My parents always taught us to get to know someone, appreciate people's differences, and to form opinions of people on an individual basis. Just because you meet one person who sucks doesn't mean everyone of that ethnicity, race, religion, etc is the same way. But as far as actual historical background information, my parents didn't get into that...........any history I know I learned in school and that's about it but I think it was enough to give me a general sense of the world around me.

I don't think there is anything wrong with someone not having specific historical knowledge of people, races, religion...........I think how you treat people is really what is most important. You don't need a strong knowledge of history to be a good person and treat others with respect IMO.

Re: Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

Posted by Hofstra26

I don't find it odd that someone wouldn't know the specific history or background of other cultures. I know for me personally, I probably couldn't really tell you how being a Protestant is different from being Catholic.......even though I'm technically Catholic, because religion isn't a big part of my life and never has been. While I am very tolerant of any other race, ethnicity, religion, etc. and I'm interested in getting to know someone on an individual basis I don't really have a strong interest in learning about all cultures and people on a very deep historical level just because history doesn't interest me very much.

Growing up I was always taught that not everyone is the same but that doesn't mean you treat anyone differently. My parents always taught us to get to know someone, appreciate people's differences, and to form opinions of people on an individual basis. Just because you meet one person who sucks doesn't mean everyone of that ethnicity, race, religion, etc is the same way. But as far as actual historical background information, my parents didn't get into that...........any history I know I learned in school and that's about it but I think it was enough to give me a general sense of the world around me.

I don't think there is anything wrong with someone not having specific historical knowledge of people, races, religion...........I think how you treat people is really what is most important. You don't need a strong knowledge of history to be a good person and treat others with respect IMO.

Message edited 11/4/2013 11:35:57 AM.

Re: Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

Posted by 2BadSoSad

Posted by Hofstra26

I don't find it odd that someone wouldn't know the specific history or background of other cultures. I know for me personally, I probably couldn't really tell you how being a Protestant is different from being Catholic.......even though I'm technically Catholic, because religion isn't a big part of my life and never has been. While I am very tolerant of any other race, ethnicity, religion, etc. and I'm interested in getting to know someone on an individual basis I don't really have a strong interest in learning about all cultures and people on a very deep historical level just because history doesn't interest me very much.

Growing up I was always taught that not everyone is the same but that doesn't mean you treat anyone differently. My parents always taught us to get to know someone, appreciate people's differences, and to form opinions of people on an individual basis. Just because you meet one person who sucks doesn't mean everyone of that ethnicity, race, religion, etc is the same way. But as far as actual historical background information, my parents didn't get into that...........any history I know I learned in school and that's about it but I think it was enough to give me a general sense of the world around me.

I don't think there is anything wrong with someone not having specific historical knowledge of people, races, religion...........I think how you treat people is really what is most important. You don't need a strong knowledge of history to be a good person and treat others with respect IMO.

same, word for word.

Message edited 11/4/2013 1:00:14 PM.

Re: Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

Posted by Hofstra26

I don't find it odd that someone wouldn't know the specific history or background of other cultures. I know for me personally, I probably couldn't really tell you how being a Protestant is different from being Catholic.......even though I'm technically Catholic, because religion isn't a big part of my life and never has been. While I am very tolerant of any other race, ethnicity, religion, etc. and I'm interested in getting to know someone on an individual basis I don't really have a strong interest in learning about all cultures and people on a very deep historical level just because history doesn't interest me very much.

Growing up I was always taught that not everyone is the same but that doesn't mean you treat anyone differently. My parents always taught us to get to know someone, appreciate people's differences, and to form opinions of people on an individual basis. Just because you meet one person who sucks doesn't mean everyone of that ethnicity, race, religion, etc is the same way. But as far as actual historical background information, my parents didn't get into that...........any history I know I learned in school and that's about it but I think it was enough to give me a general sense of the world around me.

I don't think there is anything wrong with someone not having specific historical knowledge of people, races, religion...........I think how you treat people is really what is most important. You don't need a strong knowledge of history to be a good person and treat others with respect IMO.

Re: Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

Posted by 2BadSoSad

Posted by Hofstra26

I don't find it odd that someone wouldn't know the specific history or background of other cultures. I know for me personally, I probably couldn't really tell you how being a Protestant is different from being Catholic.......even though I'm technically Catholic, because religion isn't a big part of my life and never has been. While I am very tolerant of any other race, ethnicity, religion, etc. and I'm interested in getting to know someone on an individual basis I don't really have a strong interest in learning about all cultures and people on a very deep historical level just because history doesn't interest me very much.

Growing up I was always taught that not everyone is the same but that doesn't mean you treat anyone differently. My parents always taught us to get to know someone, appreciate people's differences, and to form opinions of people on an individual basis. Just because you meet one person who sucks doesn't mean everyone of that ethnicity, race, religion, etc is the same way. But as far as actual historical background information, my parents didn't get into that...........any history I know I learned in school and that's about it but I think it was enough to give me a general sense of the world around me.

I don't think there is anything wrong with someone not having specific historical knowledge of people, races, religion...........I think how you treat people is really what is most important. You don't need a strong knowledge of history to be a good person and treat others with respect IMO.

same, word for word.

Re: Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

I am obsessed with History! OBSESSED! ALways loved, ever since I was a kid! So , basically any historic fact I hear of or pick up somewhere makes me want to learn more.

I am currently reading The Kite Runner (an absolutely amazing book, btw) and as I read I am constantly looking up things about Afghanistan, the Russian invasion, Taliban take over and all the other historic facts that occurred on that land, that I really only knew very little about.

I find it all completely fascinating!

Re: Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

For my profession, I have to be culturally sensitive to others.

If I don't know something, I will also just be the person who comes out and asks instead of making any kind of assumptions.

I have an Orthodox Jewish student I am providing field instruction to at work right now and it's been really interesting for both my clients and myself to learn from him.

There are also so many assumptions about just that culture alone that are false, imagine the assumptions we make about other cultures ;).

Re: Spinoff to my Jewish Americans post....do you take time to learn about the history and culture of others?

Posted by Goobster

Posted by 2BadSoSad

Posted by Hofstra26

I don't find it odd that someone wouldn't know the specific history or background of other cultures. I know for me personally, I probably couldn't really tell you how being a Protestant is different from being Catholic.......even though I'm technically Catholic, because religion isn't a big part of my life and never has been. While I am very tolerant of any other race, ethnicity, religion, etc. and I'm interested in getting to know someone on an individual basis I don't really have a strong interest in learning about all cultures and people on a very deep historical level just because history doesn't interest me very much.

Growing up I was always taught that not everyone is the same but that doesn't mean you treat anyone differently. My parents always taught us to get to know someone, appreciate people's differences, and to form opinions of people on an individual basis. Just because you meet one person who sucks doesn't mean everyone of that ethnicity, race, religion, etc is the same way. But as far as actual historical background information, my parents didn't get into that...........any history I know I learned in school and that's about it but I think it was enough to give me a general sense of the world around me.

I don't think there is anything wrong with someone not having specific historical knowledge of people, races, religion...........I think how you treat people is really what is most important. You don't need a strong knowledge of history to be a good person and treat others with respect IMO.

same, word for word.

This is exactly how i feel and what I say.

I hated history and geography as a student. That never changed. I have no desire to know much about history, just doesn't interest me. My DH tells me it sounds ignorant to say that but it's just me. Science always was much more interesting to me. So therefore, I don't take the time to know about much, I barely remember my own religious beliefs the way they were taught to me as a child.

That's not to say I don't want to know if a friend has a certain custom or tradition, but aside from that, history in any form just does not interest me. I also do not have any interest to travel to foreign countries and will likely never leave the US. That stems from my lack of interest in history and geography. LOL. I am embarrassed to say that I don't know all the presidents and don't know all of the states and capitals. I assume I zoned out for this part of grammar school b/c I don't know much of it. My DH tells me I should learn, but it doesn't interest me enough to think about it. I don't see anything wrong with that, just as I love learning about the body, science, nature, the way our brains work, etc, and it doesn't interest him in the same way that it interests me.

ITA.

Message edited 11/5/2013 5:01:32 AM.