Patriotism And Racism Essay - 1412 Words

Patriotism in history class can and does contribute acts of racism in our society. By not covering the histories of oppressed people in depth and with the respect it deserves, those who are privileged do not understand what is happening when they see minorities protesting injustice or advocating for civil rights. This leads to feelings of anger and hate towards minorities, and even acts of retaliation. Racism has always been an issue in American society, but perhaps today it is more important than ever. Increased acts of racism are being reported, and white supremacists and neo-Nazis are becoming more emboldened. Some even feel as if they are the targets of discrimination, as evidenced by the appropriation of the statement ‘Black†¦show more content†¦[†¦] Opposing this form of patriotism is ‘democratic patriotism’ in which students are taught to laud the principles— like liberty and justice—on which the US government is founded. (20 15, p.264-265) Both approaches to patriotizing history are not appropriate for history curriculums, and contradict the historiographic methods used to examine history. Traditional patriotism in the history curriculum is not nearly as prevalent as it used to be in the past, but has made a recent comeback in our society. This form of patriotism blatantly suppresses questioning, which stamps out any form of critical thinking that a student would normally use to analyze historical events. Questioning the past is an essential part of historical analysis, and without it a history class turns into a nationalistic brain washing session. Kissling, when studying Rugg and Krueger’s elementary school textbooks notes that even while they had patriotic overtones the textbooks were still criticized by some at the time for not being patriotic enough, showing how forced patriotism was back in the 1930’s. (2015, p.271) This is the kind patriotism today is taught in places like North Korea. What i s more prevalent in American society today is democratic patriotism. While much more inclusive that traditional patriotism, democraticShow MoreRelatedWhat It Means to Love Ones Country774 Words   |  4 Pages1 My View on What It Means to Love One’s Country Patriotism, according to Merriam Webster, is defined as â€Å"devotion or love for one’s country.† I believe this definition does not capture the true essence of the meaning of patriotism. This definition would be outstanding if there were no other conditions factored in this complex equation, but it seems that patriotism is a double-edged sword. The word patriotism strikes a lot of mixed emotions in people all over the United States. SomeRead MoreAmerican Culture And Its Impact On The Nation1509 Words   |  7 Pagesthroughout history through patriotism, capitalism, and racism. 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