Bridgig Multiple Worlds Competecies Reflectio How is the competecy I chose beig supported at my site? What are some ways I ca icorporate the competecy I chose ito my site?
Creatig Affirmig Eviromets for Youg People to Thrive
Bridgig Multiple Worlds Creatig Affirmig Eviromets for Youg People to Thrive Bridgig Multiple Worlds Staff / Writers Jhumpa Bhattacharya, Project Lead Jimea Quiroga Laurie Olse Bridgig Multiple Worlds Iters Roie Giddeo Roxae Isaguirre Roger Moy Editor Carol Dowell Desiger Guillermo Prado, 8 poit 2 Desig Studio Priter Chimes Pritig Califoria Tomorrow, Jauary 2007 Bridgig Multiple Worlds (BMW) years of partership. Particularly, we passio for Bridgig Multiple Worlds. Fially, we give a special shout out to was supported by the Barrios thak Patricia Arabia, Robi Bailer- Your help ad support is greatly our fabulous iters Roger, Roie, Trust, Califoria Edowmet, Cisco Glover (Pricipal), Emma Batte- valued by us all. ad Roxae for all their hard work Foudatio, ad the Butler-Koshlad Bowe, Radall Bustamate, Kevi ad dedicatio o this publicatio ad Fud. We thak these orgaizatios McNulty, ad Elle Salazar for their Thak you to Sergio Arroyo who to BMW i geeral, ad to the 2006 for their support. support, time, ad eergy towards taught ad co-desiged the elective BMW graduates: Sergio Barajas, Ivoe implemetig this program ito class with us. Your passio ad Caldero, Mey He, Atara Hederso, We would like to thak ad their school. We also would like to commitmet to youth ad social Roxae Isaguirre, Irvig Leyva, ad ackowledge the studets ad staff at appreciate ad thak Alicia Romero justice is uparalleled. Keyatta Wilso. We miss you. Madela High School for 3 icredible for her tireless champioig ad Go ad chage the world!
2 Imagie: Youg people strogly rooted i who they are as members of their families, their commuities, ad the world. They are proud ad kowledgeable about their ethicities, cultures, ad histories, ad they uderstad the coectios betwee the well-beig of their ow commuities ad others aroud the globe. Imagie: Teeagers who have access to a rich variety of books ad iformatio about their heritage. They are iterested i learig ad exchagig kowledge ot oly about their ow history but about other people ad cultures i their commuity ad beyod. Imagie: Youg people who fluetly read, write, ad discuss literature ad ideas i more tha oe laguage. They ca fully participate i school discussios i Eglish ad other laguages, ad iteract with family members who offer them guidace ad wisdom i the laguages of their homes. Imagie: Youg people growig more ope to friedships with people who are differet from them. They couteract fears ad stereotypes ad develop ew commuicatio skills that ca beefit relatioships throughout their lives. Imagie: Youg people who act as allies to ewcomers or others they see beig excluded or harassed. They stad up agaist racism ad discrimiatio, ad share with their peers the value of coectig across differeces. Imagie: Groups of teeagers buildig iter-racial alliaces to call political attetio to ijustices i their eighborhoods ad help the people i their commuities. They possess the leadership skills ad sese of empowermet to work together to chage coditios of iequity i their world. Imagie: Youg people successfully bridgig multiple worlds.
If you are a teacher, a youg perso, a youth worker or ayoe who iteracts with youth, as you read these words, hopefully some remarkable youg people come to your mid. For geeratios, youg people o their ow or through strog itetioal support from family, commuity, ad their schools have maaged to fulfill their ow amazig potetial as multicultural, multiligual citizes of the world. The movemets for social justice ad educatioal access ad equity have worked for decades to create ad protect opportuities for youth to develop ito these very kids of people the leaders our society eeds to build a future of peace, justice, ad coectio. But the reality is that despite great efforts ad successes that cotiue today, the majority of youg people especially those from commuities of color, immigrat commuities, ad low-icome commuities still get little or o support to realize this visio, at a time whe it is eeded more tha ever. They are o their ow to fid their way through a world of pervasive discrimiatio ad exclusio, a daily oslaught of egative messages about their ethicities ad cultures, a still too-arrow school curriculum i which their experieces ad commuities are ivisible or margialized, ad persistet iequities i access to ecoomic resources ad political represetatio. The curret reality is that far too may youg people still drop out or disegage from school, hold fears ad miscoceptios about people who are differet, ad struggle with the wouds ad scars of livig i a society that devalues them ad their commuities. The curret reality fails our youg people fails to provide access, to hoor basic huma digity, ad to help them develop the skills eeded i the world they are iheritig. But educators, youg people, youth workers ad parets ca joi i the ogoig movemet to udo this reality. Schools ad youth programs ca ad must take resposibility for creatig affirmig eviromets that support all youg people to thrive with the skills for fully participatig i society. This publicatio describes a ispiratioal ad crucial approach called Bridgig Multiple Worlds that both schools ad youth programs ca adopt with support from Califoria Tomorrow to take o these challeges. Photo by Jhumpa Bhattacharya 3
4 Photo by Jimea Quiroga
I leared to respect ad accept my culture. I ow realize how importat my race is ad how much we helped i the creatio of this coutry. My self-esteem is a little bit higher because I kow more about where I come from ad that I come from a race of strog ad self-determied people. - Atara Hederso The Importace of Bridgig Multiple Worlds At the foudatio of Bridgig Multiple Worlds is a set of strog core competecies (see pages 6 ad 7) that all youth eed to thrive ad lead i a diverse society, ad that all schools ad youth programs ca cotribute toward helpig studets achieve. How this takes shape through activities, curriculum, ad relatioship buildig will differ from site to site, but urturig the Bridgig Multiple Worlds core competecies is always the goal. The geeratio comig of age i the Uited States today is marked by uprecedeted cultural, liguistic, ad ethic diversity. No oe is more aware tha youg people that diversity is a reality. The media brig iformatio ad popular images ito eve the most isolated ad segregated pockets of the coutry from all over the world. I the halls of public schools, youg people brush agaist peers from every cotiet ad hudreds of cultures. More youth of this geeratio tha ay other are multiracial, livig i families that ecompass two or ofte several differet cultures. There is great promise i a diverse society that authetically draws o the best of everyoe ad fially puts a ed to the degradatio ad margializatio of some commuities. But racial ad ecoomic separatio ad ijustice still persist, ad people ad istitutios i this coutry have far to go to achieve that promise. Iter-group dyamics are more marked by ethic ad racial iequities, separatio, fear, misuderstadig, disrespect, ad outright hostilities. For cotiues o page eight 5
Strog cultural idetity The Bridgig Multiple Worlds Core Competecies: Strog Cultural Idetity Youg people eed kowledge, pride, ad self esteem about who they are ad where they come from, had-i-had with the ability to reject racist ad prejudicial messages from maistream society about their ethicities ad cultures ad those of others. This requires they be supported to fully develop the laguage ad cultural skills to appreciate ad cotribute withi their families ad commuities, ad the skills to upack ad resist forces that degrade them or make them ivisible. 6 Kowledge Leadership Skills to Act for Chage Youg people eed the tools, kowledge, ad cofidece to speak out ad itervee agaist acts of ijustice aimed at themselves or others. As the coditios that produce social disparities ad iequities persist i their commuities, youth of color, low-icome youth, ad immigrat youth must lear ot oly about the roots of ijustice, but ways to take actio. With such leadership skills ad motivatio, they ca develop ito positive forces for their families, commuities, ad society, workig with others to create chage. Critical Thikig Skills Youth must develop critical thikig perspectives ad aalysis for lookig at issues facig their commuities ad the world. I a itercoected global society, they eed to be able to critique iequalities ad uderstad the dyamics of power ad privilege i relatio to their ow lives. Critical thikig gives youg people a awareess of multiple perspectives ad helps them aalyze diverget views o curret ad historical evets. It helps them recogize ad ame prejudice ad stereotypes i their ow behavior ad i the behavior of others. Studets who are critical thikers apply those skills i the classroom ad i their approach to learig ad iteractig i the world. Critical thikig allows youth to become fully egaged citizes i society. Biligual skills Cross-cultural Skills Youg people eed to uderstad the cocept of culture, ad to be sesitive ad adaptive to iteractig with people from differet ethic/cultural backgrouds tha their ow. This ivolves learig how people s perspectives ad ways (icludig their ow) are shaped by their lived experieces, as well as the social, political, ad ecoomic cotexts i which they live. As youg people develop awareess of ad respect for their ow idetity group ad others, the ext step is better commuicatio. I eighborhoods strugglig with tese itergroup relatios, cross-cultural skills are fudametal ad ca help youg people mediate coflicts whe they arise. Uderstadig of oe s commuity Cross-cul C
7 Kowledge of history ad social justice movemets Leadership skills to act for chage Biligual Skills Youg people eed their biligual skills to be supported as a valuable asset to themselves ad society. For youth whose families speak a laguage other tha Eglish, this is a core way to hoor who they are ad what they brig. But i today s climate, may youg people are ot gettig this support; more ofte they are made to feel that they must choose Eglish ad let go of the home laguage. Beig biligual eables them to commuicate with ad participate fully i their ow families ad commuities, as well as i the maistream domiat society. Mooligual Eglish-speakig youth, too, must be supported to lear other laguages. For all youg people, mastery of two or more laguages is ot oly i high demad throughout the labor market, it is oe of the most crucial leadership tools for workig to uite people to create positive chage i the world. Kowledge of History ad Social Justice Movemets Youg people eed truth ad ispiratio about the log history of social justice activism i this coutry ad the world. They eed to kow about the coditios, people, ad movemets that have brought commuities together across differeces. Immigrats ad youg people of color especially eed to kow about the leaders from their ow commuities who have stood up agaist ijustices through the geeratios. They eed models ad lessos leared from the past ad awareess of curret struggles that directly coect to their ow lives. Learig about global dyamics, key evets, ad specific examples of leadership ad activism through history ca ispire youth about their ow potetial to make chage i their commuities ad the world. Uderstadig of Oe s Commuity Youg people eed to kow how ad why their commuities have evolved over time. Over the past decades, may eighborhoods have udergoe demographic ad ecoomic chages that impact huma relatioships alog with cultural ad political dyamics. It is importat that youg people ot oly be aware of these chages, but uderstad the implicatios for their daily lives. Learig about the history ad experieces of the differet cultural groups amog their eighbors ca help cotextualize the chages youth see takig place i their commuities. Biligual ritical thikig skills tural skills
cotiued from page five youg people to egotiate their way i this diverse society, to thrive, to lead, they must lear to uderstad ad appreciate their ow cultures ad those of others, to feel comfortable ad respectful of people differet from themselves, to feel empowered to act agaist ijustice ad exclusio, ad to bridge atioal, racial, cultural, ad persoal divides. For may youg people, the ability to fid commo groud across racial ad laguage lies has become a matter of survival i eighborhoods strugglig with tese relatioships betwee ethic groups, as well as betwee immigrat ewcomers ad log-time residets. The Bridgig Multiple Worlds core competecies are crucial for all youg people. For youth of color, immigrat youth, ad low-icome youth, they cotai a special urgecy for couteractig the power of racism ad social iequities o their developmet ad potetial. Like all youg people, who they are ad how they relate to the world is deeply shaped by the customs, traditios, ad experieces of their families ad commuities. They fuctio i both their ow cultures ad laguages ad i the domiat maistream Eglish speakig society, learig the codes ad ways of all. But as they pick up messages that their commuities are lesser or ivisible, it is ot surprisig that they ofte do ot feel safe or ope to learig ad participatig. The Bridgig Multiple Worlds core competecies provide a alterative, positive foudatio for youg people to prepare for the great challeges of a diverse society ad their future roles i life. Before beig a part of Bridgig Multiple Worlds, I did t care about other cultures, but ow I wat to lear more about them. I ve leared ot to criticize them, just respect who they are. - Mey He 8 Photo by Frak Muñoz
The Bridgig Multiple Worlds approach ca be customized aroud the iterests ad eeds of ay youth servig establishmet, from the school to the classroom to after-school ad commuity programs. Begiig o page 11 we tell the story of how oe high school, Madela High School i East Oaklad, Califoria, implemeted the Bridgig Multiple Worlds competecies i their school. I partership with Califoria Tomorrow, Madela High School tackled questios like: What does it take to create a empowerig pedagogy ad affirmig eviromet i a school or commuity? How do we go about supportig ad hoorig youg people s cultural idetities, home laguages, ad heritage? What does it look like to develop ad deliver a curriculum that is iclusive ad that prepares youg people for the challeges of a diverse society? How do we support youg people to build the skills, courage, ad collective relatioships to play a role i couterig the iequities they face i their world? Through this partership ad the process of ucoverig aswers to these questios, Madela High School ad Califoria Tomorrow ultimately ifused a Bridgig Multiple Worlds framework throughout the school commuity. I uderstad so much more ow I do t blame my commuity aymore. Istead I look for ways to chage it. - Irvig Leyva Photo by Moe Nadel 9
11 Madela High School: Pilotig a Bridgig Multiple Worlds Approach I the summer of 2003, a ew small high school, Madela High, was coceived i East Oaklad, Califoria. Prompted by persistet uderachievemet, high dropout rates, ad serious iter-group tesios i the eighborhoods surroudig its large comprehesive high schools, Oaklad Uified School District embarked o a major reform iitiative to break the schools ito smaller autoomous oes that would be more persoalized ad coducive to supportig studets. Madela High was oe of five small schools that emerged out of Fremot High School. Madela High School is tremedously diverse. I the 2005-06 school year, 25% of its 354 studets idetified as Africa America, 12% Asia, 2% Filipio, 58% Latio, 2% Pacific Islader, ad 1% White. Of this populatio, 64% spoke a laguage other tha Eglish at home, ad 39% were desigated Eglish Learers. The school serves a primarily low-icome eighborhood with 79% of the studets qualifyig for the Free or Reduced Luch program i 2005-06. Like all the schools i the iitiative, Madela s jourey to becomig a small school bega with the assemblig of a desig team to determie the approach, theme, ad curriculum emphasis. Familiar with the work of Califoria Tomorrow, the Madela desig team elisted the orgaizatio s staff to help create a high
school dedicated to developig future leaders with the skills, awareess, ad kowledge to bridge cultural differeces ad to participate ad thrive i a diverse society. Durig a two-day retreat to desig a program based o this visio, the Madela team ad Califoria Tomorrow staff podered: What would a school look like where youg people s cultures were hoored ad ackowledged as a asset? How ca we foster healthy cultural ad liguistic idetities for our school s youg people? How ca we desig our school to brig together studets across differeces i race, laguage, ad culture? As the dialogue wet o, the Bridgig Multiple Worlds cocept took shape. I do feel proud of my culture, proud of beig Latia ad beig a woma. Learig about Latia writers, actors, ad activists made me feel proud ad it ecouraged me to cotiue beig a part of such activities. - Ivoe Caldero Over the course of the ext three years, the Madela staff i partership with Califoria Tomorrow would develop ad ifuse eight compoets supportig the Bridgig Multiple Worlds visio throughout the school. The goal was to offer studets multiple ways to lear key cocepts ad competecies, ad also the opportuity to amass work towards a ew Bridgig Multiple Worlds Certificate upo graduatio from high school. Madela High School s Eight Bridgig Multiple Worlds Compoets The Bridgig Multiple Worlds After School Club This was the very first Bridgig Multiple Worlds compoet to be implemeted at Madela ad it validated for school staff how iterested studets were i opportuities to focus o these issues so core to their lives. Created as a bi-weekly after school leadership club, participats explored the Bridgig Multiple Worlds cocepts of idetity buildig, social justice issues, ad cross-cultural awareess. They leared about differet cultural ad ethic forms of music ad how they ifluece each other, created iformatioal ad fu bulleti boards aroud the school commemoratig cultural ad ethic holidays, recruited other studets to participate i Bridgig Multiple Worlds, made presetatios i Advisory classes, ad coducted school-wide surveys to illicit fellow studets ideas ad desires related to creatig a iclusive climate o campus. It was through such a survey that the after school participats leared that Madela studets wated to have the cotet of the after school club expaded ito a elective course. With the results of the survey i had, the studets approached the school admiistratio ad lead the effort to istitute the Bridgig Multiple Worlds elective course described ext. The Bridgig Multiple Worlds Elective Course A year-log elective course was desiged ad offered to studets to immerse them i academic study, dialogue, reflectio ad experieces core to the 12
Bridgig Multiple Worlds competecies. The curriculum focused o explorig persoal cultural idetity ad developig awareess of others cultures ad laguages; learig about historical ad cotemporary examples of activism ad movemets for cultural rights, civil rights, ad social justice ot taught i most history or social studies courses; developig cross-cultural skills ad applyig those skills i the school ad commuity; ad developig a critical les to examie the coditios i the studets commuity ad society as a whole alog with strategies to create chage. The course egaged studets i readig, research, keepig jourals, writig papers, field trips, critical aalysis of videos ad films, art projects, ad discussio. Through participatio i the four-uit sectios of the course, studets were able to complete materials required for their Bridgig Multiple Worlds portfolio (see later descriptio). The respose to the class was overwhelmigly positive, as the quotes throughout this booklet reveal. Califoria Tomorrow staff co-developed ad taught the course i the first year, with Madela faculty takig the lead thereafter ad adaptig the curriculum as the school evolved. Bridgig Multiple Worlds Elective Course Curriculum Outlie Created for Madela High School, Oaklad, CA Uit Oe: IDENTITY Uderstadig ad examiig the role of culture i our lives Lookig at the role ad importace of laguage i our ow lives Uderstadig dyamics of laguage ad culture ad how these eter ito oppressio of people of color i the U.S. Learig about laguage rights struggles Reflectig o how we perceive ad shape our idetities Examiig stereotypes Reflectig o the power of the media i shapig stereotypes ad our idetities Decostructig ad examiig the cocept of race Explorig ad defiig atioality ad citizeship Uit Two: FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS FOR UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL JUSTICE Defiig levels of power: istitutioal, structural ad iterpersoal power Explorig cocepts of oppressio ad privilege The ISMS: sexism, ageism, ableism, heterosexism, adultism, racism Uderstadig capitalism ad its effect o poverty ad crime Defiig ad uderstadig globalizatio Reflectig o ad defiig what it meas to be a ally The cocept of uiversal Huma Rights The Priso Idustrial Complex Uit Three: MOVEMENTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Slave Rebellios Pueblo Rebellios Marcus Garvey Zoot Suiters Filipio Farm Workers Uio Movemet Malcolm X The Black Pathers The Crusade for Justice/ Chicao Movemet The Youg Lords The Fight for the Iteratioal Hotel TWLF (Third World Liberatio Frot) The America Idia Movemet, the takeover of Alcatraz ad Wouded Kee Japaese Reparatios The Youth Movemet of the Uit Four: TAKING ACTION Coductig a commuity survey o issues ad problems facig the commuity Coductig a survey o what people feel that solutios to these problems could be Participatig ad helpig pla a Commuity Violece Forum Creatig a orgaizatio for social chage ad justice Research projects: Ispirig Latios, Asia Americas, ad Africa Americas Learig about how everyday people ca help make a differece Youth Paels to help iform the commuity ad others of issues relevat to youth 1990s Arab ad South Asia commuities workig agaist 9/11 backlash 13
A Bridgig Multiple Worlds Advisory Curriculum All studets at Madela atted a 40-miute school-wide advisory period four days of the week. Califoria Tomorrow developed a 6-week thematic curriculum to be taught durig this advisory period o the themes of culture, laguage, family history, idetity, stereotypes, ad demographics. Activities i the curriculum icluded defiig what culture ad idetity are comprised of, explorig ad uderstadig the demographics of Oaklad, ad uderstadig the harms of usig stereotypes. I have a little brother ad I ve bee tryig to teach him the stuff I ve bee learig i class so that he ca uderstad thigs like racism, sexism ad stuff. The other day he told me that he was tellig his frieds that some of the stuff that they say are racist ad they should stop cause it s ot right. -Sergio Barajas Ifusio of Bridgig Multiple Worlds Cocepts ito Existig Courses ad Curriculum Each teacher at Madela was give the opportuity to meet with Califoria Tomorrow staff to either create ew uits ad assigmets or alig their existig course curriculum to foster the Bridgig Multiple Worlds competecies amog their studets. For example, i 10 th grade Eglish, the teacher assiged studets to write a paper o a historical act of oppressio for their required persuasive essay. Similarly, a autobiographical paper required i the Eglish Laguage Developmet class was reframed to focus i part o cultural idetity. I Social Studies, the teacher icorporated a ew uit o huma rights durig Iteratioal Huma Rights Moth. Durig Africa America History Moth, the art teacher itroduced a activity o creatig Africa masks, amog other activities throughout the school. All of these efforts helped to ifuse Bridgig Multiple Worlds cocepts throughout the school, while the studets who completed the assigmets could use them to fulfill various requiremets i their Bridgig Multiple Worlds portfolios. Commuity Service Califoria requires high school studets to complete commuity service hours i order to graduate. This fit well with the Bridgig Multiple Worlds emphasis o youth developig leadership skills ad cotributig to their commuities. I order for studets to be eligible to receive the Bridgig Multiple Worlds certificate at graduatio, Madela istituted a requiremet that they complete half of their commuity service hours i a placemet usig crosscultural ad/or biligual skills, ad the other half servig their ow cultural commuities. 14 Travel It has log bee a accepted educatioal priciple that studets gai valuable cross-cultural ad liguistic skills through travel. It is commo to hear of higher icome studets travelig all over the globe, but may public high school studets rarely have a chace or the meas to leave their
eighborhoods. Studets i the Bridgig Multiple Worlds After School Club ad elective course traveled to Agel Islad i Sa Fracisco Bay to lear about the history of Asia immigratio to Califoria. Aother trip took them to schools i a earby wealthier commuity where they were able to compare ad cotrast their lived experiece with their peers i more resourced areas. Studets also participated i a two-day Farm Worker Justice Tour arraged through Global Exchage; here they traveled to rural Salias, Califoria to lear more about evirometal justice cocers such as the plight of laborers i the fields, the differeces betwee orgaic ad traditioal farmig, ad the efforts of labor uios to improve ad protect workig coditios. Upo retur from each of these trips, studets wrote reflectios to isert ito their Bridgig Multiple Worlds portfolios. Bridgig Multiple Worlds Portfolio The Bridgig Multiple Worlds Portfolio was istituted at Madela for studets to compile activities ad assigmets completed over the course of their high school years. Studets preset their portfolios as seiors to become eligible for the Bridgig Multiple Worlds Certificate o their diploma. Assigmets i a studet s Bridgig Multiple Worlds portfolio might iclude, for example, a traslatio piece to demostrate biliteracy, a idetity collage, a essay o a example of oppressio, write-ups of cultural evets atteded, reflectios o travel, ad a autobiographical essay. Bridgig Multiple Worlds Itership Califoria Tomorrow created a Bridgig Multiple Worlds itership withi the orgaizatio for three Madela studets i the last year of collaboratio with Madela High. The goals of the itership were for the studets to develop ad implemet three meaigful school-wide cultural evets, research ad produce the Commuity Service Directory with iterestig placemets for studets to use cross-cultural ad biligual skills, pla a special Bridgig Multiple Worlds graduatio ceremoy for the first graduatig class, ad cotribute to the developmet ad writig of this publicatio explaiig Bridgig Multiple Worlds. The Bridgig Multiple Worlds iters plaed a school-wide Africa America Jeopardy Touramet i hoor of Africa America History Moth, created a studet friedly iformatio sheet with importat facts regardig the recet Immigrat Rights Movemet, ad a Advisory Activity aroud uderstadig ad celebratig Luar New Year. Perspectives o the Bridgig Multiple Worlds experiece writte by these three youth iters appear startig o page 18. 15
Over the course of the three years of the Califoria Tomorrow/Madela partership, almost all studets took part i at least oe of the compoets of Bridgig Multiple Worlds. Bridgig Multiple Worlds studets had the opportuity to be a part of a learig commuity where they were ot see just as learers, but also as teachers themselves, where the kowledge they brought to the classroom was valued, ad where they were ecouraged to share their life experieces ad thoughts. I Jue of 2006, Madela High School celebrated its first graduatig class of some 40 studets, icludig 8 seiors who proudly eared the Bridgig Multiple Worlds Certificate, havig amassed a body of work ad experieces testifyig to their mastery of the Bridgig Multiple Worlds Core Competecies. Crucial to the success of Bridgig Multiple Worlds at Madela was that it was tailored aroud the uique iterests, goals, ad populatio of the school. The strogest picture of the impact ad potetial of Bridgig Multiple Worlds educatio ca be foud i the voices of the youg people who have had the chace to participate. The quotes throughout this booklet are those of studets who participated i the Madela Bridgig Multiple Worlds elective course, icludig seiors who completed years of work qualifyig them to receive the Bridgig Multiple Worlds Certificate with their diploma. Bridgig Multiple Worlds helped me fid a lot of aswers to the questios I always had but ever dared to ask. Questios like, Why are there so may drugs i places where people of color live? or Why do people of color get represeted i bad ways o televisio? ad Why do wome get so disrespected? It made me realize all the problems i the world stem from moey ad greed ad that there s better thigs tha moey thigs like culture, family, ad friedship. Irvig Leyva 16
Photo by Jimea Quiroga Studet Perspectives o Bridgig Multiple Worlds 17
Roxae Isaguirre, Bridgig Multiple Worlds Iter A stregth that I gaied through Bridgig Multiple Worlds is kowig more about my culture, learig more about third world coutries, famous activists, writers, ad actors. I leared the issues ad problems America has ad how they are coected to the problems of third world coutries. I leared about famous people that help chage ad ecourage youg people to fight ad stad for their rights. - Ivoe Caldero Before beig a part of Bridgig Multiple Worlds, I used to thik that I was quite aware of the issues people were facig. I was strogly opposed to racism ad sexism because I thought these were the major problems that people from my eighborhood were facig. Racism was of course o my list because I grew up i a commuity of miorities ad I am a miority. Sexism was also a importat topic for me because I grew up i a household where my sister ad I had to do chores such as vacuumig ad iroig clothes, but my parets would ever ask my brother to do these thigs. After beig ivolved with Bridgig Multiple Worlds, however, I leared that there are so may more types of isms that we practice everyday without kowig it. I ve leared about oppressio ad what others have doe to stop it from happeig. That is really importat to me to lear about thigs people have doe i the past to fight agaist oppressio. It gives me hope, like I ca do the same. I also ever kew why poor coutries were so poor, or why it was so hard for them to get their ecoomy goig, but Bridgig Multiple Worlds made it more clear to me. My parets are origially from the Philippies, so of course I was aware of the struggles my family i the Philippies were dealig with, but my parets would sed them moey whe eeded ad it was ever a huge cocer of mie. I did t realize how big a impact poverty had i other coutries. I the Bridgig Multiple Worlds class, I leared about the World Trade Orgaizatio (WTO) ad how the wealthy coutries would let poor coutries borrow moey oly if they agreed to 18
certai trade agreemets ad other regulatios which put them more i debt, basically ever allowig poor coutries to ever get wealthy. The essetial thig about me learig about the WTO was learig how igorat I really was about the outside world. Without critical thikig, it makes it harder for oe to kow that they should ask questios ad fid thigs out o their ow. For myself, I kow I questio thigs a lot more tha I used to ow, ad I look more idepth to facts or opiios headed my way. Bridgig Multiple Worlds opeed up my eyes to thigs that I did t kow existed. I thik there is a resposibility i teachig what I have leared through Bridgig Multiple Worlds because what we have leared affects my whole commuity. The message I am leavig with is to fight ijustice, ot to suffer i silece, ad that I ca make a differece. Power to the people! I thought that ormally there was oly oe laguage i oe coutry, but leared that through imperialism by mostly Europea coutries may other places ot Europea have laguages based o the coutry that took over them. Atara Hederso Roger Moy, Bridgig Multiple Worlds Iter Bridgig Multiple Worlds is all about what the ame says bridgig worlds together ad learig about differet cultures as well as your ow. Whe I started this program though, I realized, how ca I lear about other people s cultures whe I do t eve kow about my ow culture? I was ispired to thik about my ow culture a bit more ad wated to uderstad my Chiese culture. So, I started to take a Madari ad Catoese class offered at a commuity college ad leared so much about my laguage the differet ways of writig, the differeces betwee the laguages, how writte Chiese ca be differet from spoke Chiese, ad it was beautiful to me. The class taught me a lot about how laguage ad culture are closely related. Now beig Chiese has become a cetral factor i my life ad I have become more i tue with my culture. I watch shows relatig to ad of my culture ad I recogize that my Chiese iheritace is a big part of my life. Beig Chiese is ot just a part of me, it makes me who I am today. Bridgig Multiple Worlds has also helped me get alog with people from differet cultures ad ethicities. It has helped me lear ot to stereotype people. It is importat to ot have stereotypes of others because it is ot fair to the perso to predetermie somethig about them beforehad. How ca you decide how you feel towards someoe whe you do ot truly kow them? Sometimes, you thik somethig about someoe just because of a thought that you have, which probably started because you 19
heard this or that. I, myself, have leared ot to pre-judge people by their ethicity or culture, but by gettig to kow someoe. Stereotypes are sometimes created from lack of commuicatio ad uderstadig of oe aother. With effective commuicatio I do ot thik these stereotypes will happe. Differet backgrouds ad cultures are a part of huma life. It gives people a uiqueess about them ad their ow idividuality. Hoestly, before beig a part of this program, I oly talked to Black people ad was like ad thought, If you ai t Black the do t come ear me. A lot of that was because I stereotyped people. Especially after 9/11, I thik I was feelig like a lot of people felt about Arabs or people from the Middle East that they were bad people who like to fight us all the time. After takig this class, I see that I was wrog, that s just a stereotype. This class has helped me with uderstadig where stereotypes come from ad why they are t true, ad I realize ow that it s importat to lear about others cultures ad ot distrust them. I ever used to worry about other races, what they re problems were ad stuff, but after takig the class I really started to uderstad why that was importat. It s a part of critical thikig ad uderstadig what is goig o aroud me ad my family. Critical thikig meas where you ca read a book ad uderstad what s goig o ad seeig more the just what the book is tellig you. It s lookig at yourself ad seeig what you really are or seeig what you are becomig. After this class my self-esteem has bee boosted up ad if I had a chace I would take that class agai. Roie Giddeos, Bridgig Multiple Worlds Iter Bridgig Multiple Worlds ispired me to chage the commuity ad myself by teachig me what was goig o aroud the world, like about the Black Pathers, Cesar Chavez, ad other powerful people that they do t really talk about i the textbooks i the schools. Plus this class gave me a better uderstadig about the govermet, which was somethig that I really did t care about til after takig the class. I ever thought about votig till after this class. My resposibilities have chaged sice I took the class, my life has chaged sice I had the class. It s like this oe class chaged my life from goig dow a bad road to goig dow a good road. To tell the truth I would be dead or i jail somewhere, if I did t have this class. 20 I have ever regretted beig what I am, but BMW made me proud of my culture eve more by teachig me how to ot let people put me dow with ay stupid commets about my culture. Sergio Barajas
21 Photo by Jhumpa Bhattacharya Become a Bridgig Multiple Worlds Parter...
A Ivitatio to Youth Programs ad Schools Bridgig Multiple Worlds ca be adapted ito ay youth servig settig or school that seeks to create a affirmig eviromet where youth are empowered, ackowledged for the skills ad expertise they brig, ad give a safe space to develop their uderstadigs about the world ad the roles they ca play i it. The core competecies for thrivig i a diverse society that studets attai through Bridgig Multiple Worlds are relevat to their lives, ad help them to become successful members of their families ad leaders i their commuities. Califoria Tomorrow is lookig for parters to brig Bridgig Multiple Worlds to more youg people i youth programs ad schools. Califoria Tomorrow will work with your school or program ad its youg people to determie your priorities ad iovate the best ways to icorporate Bridgig Multiple Worlds ito curret or ew activities. If you are iterested i brigig Bridgig Multiple Worlds to your site, please cotact Califoria Tomorrow. Califoria Tomorrow 1904 Frakli St, Suite 300 Oaklad, CA 94612 510.496.0220, ext. 373 www.califoriatomorrow.org 22
Our missio Califoria Tomorrow s missio is to help create a just ad iclusive multiracial, multicultural, ad multiligual society by promotig equal access to social, ecoomic, ad educatioal resources ad equal participatio i major istitutios, ad by embracig diversity as a great stregth. We provide visio, leadership, research, customized strategies, ad ogoig support to commuity orgaizatios, schools, policymakers, ad advocates workig toward a more equitable, iclusive, multicultural society. We help trasform istitutios so that they are better able to serve a broader, more diverse public. 23
I memory of Ala Watahara, who passed away o October 29th, 2005. A reletless warrior for childre of all races ad cultures, he was oe of Califoria Tomorrow s first Fellows, a log-time colleague ad fried, ad for six years served o Califoria Tomorrow s Board. We miss him dearly. 24
RAININGROCKS GradeLevel:9 12 Purpose: Discoverhowtouse peoplepower tocreatechage Exploreaduderstaddifferetwaysforcreatigsocialchage Materials: DifferetWaystoCreateChagechart(hadout) DifferetWaystoCreateChagefacilitatorseditio RaiigRocksstory(hadout) Blakchartpaper Markers SetUp: Explaithattodaywearegoigtobeexplorigthedifferetwayswecacreatepositivechageiour commuitiesbyusig peoplepower. Itisimportatforustokowthatweasordiary,everyday peoplecacreatechageiourcommuitiesadtodaywewillbelearighow.wewillbegoigover differetstrategiesadtypesoforgaizatiosyoucabeapartoforcreatetohelpyourcommuity. Procedure: 1. Begibyputtigupthedefiitioofpeoplepowerotheboard: Thecapacityofagroupofpeopletodecidewhattheywatadtoactiaorgaized waytoachievetheirgoal. 2. Askstudetstothikofexamplesthattheykowofpeoplepower(ex:wiigthe wome srighttovote,creatioofmiimumwage/socialsecurity,civilrights Movemet,AmericasWithDisabilitiesActof1990,etc.) 3. Nextexplaithatowwewillbegoigoverthedifferetwaysyoucausepeople power,likefolksdiditheexampleswejusttalkedabout. 4. Passoutthe DifferetWaystoCreateSocialChage chartadgooverthedifferet chagemethods(leftcolumofchart).makesureyougivethemtheo facilitator versio!asyougothrougheachmethod,giveexamplesoforgaizatiosorcategories oforgaizatiosthatstudetskowtohelpthemuderstad,adaskthemfilloutthe examplescolum.thefacilitatoreditioofthecharthasexamplesfillediforyou.
5. PassouttheRaiigRocksstory.Haveavoluteerreadthestoryoutloud.Youcaask oepersotoreadthestoryoutloudordoitpopcorstyle.afterthestoryisread,ask thegroup, WhatistheproblemiSwisstow? (youwatthemtosaythatthe problemisthattherearerocksbeigthrowothepeoplebymr.richbaksadhis friedsihopesthattheywillmoveout.) 6. NextexplaithatwearegoigtobebraistormighowtohelpthepeopleofSwisstow byusigthe DifferetwaystoCreateSocialChage chart.splitthegroupupito6 smallgroupsadassigaspecificmethodofchagefromthe DifferetwaystoCreate SocialChage charttoeachgroup. 7. Givestudetsthefollowigistructiosfortheirsmallgroups: a. Takealookatthe DifferetWaystoMakeChage hadoutadfidthe methodofchageyourgroupwasassiged.readthroughthedescriptioto uderstadwhattypeoforgaizatioyourgroupwillbecreatig. b. CreateaorgaizatioadactioplatohelpthepeopleofSwisstowwith theirproblem.makesuretoameyourorgaizatioadhave3 4stepsthat yourorgaizatiowilldo.baseyouractioplaothestrategiesthechart idicatesyourtypeoforgaizatiowoulduse.preparetosharewiththewhole group. c. Discussthefollowigquestiosiyourgroup:Howwillthesituatioi Swisstowchageiftheyfollowyourpla?Whatelseeedstohappeto completelydealwiththeissue? 7.Asstudetsareworkigitheirsmallgroups,walkaroudadcheckiwitheachgroup tomakesuretheyuderstadthedirectiosadthemethodofchagetheywereassiged. Ifeeded,helpthembraistormtheiractioplabygivigthemsomeexamplesofthigs theycado. 2. Afterabout20 30miutes,askthelargegrouptocomebacktogetheradhaveeach smallgroupsharetheirorgaizatioadactiopla.ecouragethestudetstoask questiostothesmallgroupsaftertheypreset. 3. Aftereachgrouphaspreseted,havethefollowigdiscussio: a. Whatseemslikethemosteffectivewaytoaddresstheproblem? b. Isthereolyoewaytoaddresstheissue?Whatwouldhappeifolythe grassroots/orgaizigfolkswerearoudadtherewereodirectservicepeople tohelphealthewouded?whatwouldhappeifitwasviceversa?(ecourage studetstouderstadthatoftemorethaoeofthesemethodsofsocial chagemustbeusediordertobethemosteffective,adthattheyallplaya importatrole.) 4. Thakeveryoefortheirgoodwork!
RAINING ROCKS STORY (adapted from SOUL) Oce upo a time there was a little tow i the moutais called Swisstow. It s a ice little tow where everyoe gets alog well ad people are happy. Oe witer, a villager takig a walk i the hills fids a ma lyig i the sow he has bee hit by a fallig rock. The villager, beig a very carig perso, uses her jacket to badage the ijured ma ad carries him back dow ito the village. The ext day fallig rocks hit two more people ad other villagers rescue them. The day after that, four people are hurt, the eight, ad the twety. Life becomes very dagerous for all villagers because rocks keep fallig dow. A couple of villagers seak up the moutai ad discover that a millioaire, Mr. Richbaks, ad his frieds are throwig the rocks. Although they already ow a few busiess ad restaurats i Swisstow, they ow wat to build a luxurious hotel ad golf course there to make more moey. This ew golf course ad hotel will spa the etire area of Swisstow. They are throwig the rocks hopig to get rid of the villagers so they ca take over the etire tow ad the lad. Your job: Take a look at the Differet Ways to Make Chage hadout ad fid the type of chage your group was assiged. Read through the descriptio to uderstad what type of orgaizatio your group will be creatig. Create a orgaizatio ad actio pla to help the people of Swisstow with their problem. Make sure to ame your orgaizatio ad have 3-4 steps that your orgaizatio will do. Base your actio pla o the types of strategies the chart idicates your type of orgaizatio would use. Prepare to share with the whole group. Discuss the followig questios i your group: How will the situatio i Swisstow chage if they follow your pla? What else eeds to happe to completely deal with the issue? *ThisstoryisadaptedfromSOUL s(schoolofuityadliberatio)buildigpower,sharpeigmidscurriculum. Theycabecotactedat:http://www.schoolofuityadliberatio.org/
Differet Ways to Create Social Chage (facilitator editio) Type Goals ad Objectives Strategies Who would oppose it? Examples Direct Service Directly serve the people through hads o help. Provide basic services (food shelter, drug abuse cliics etc.) to help those i eed. Taxpayers (whe govermet fuded), homeowers ear the service America Red Cross Meals o Wheels Homeless shelters, drug abuse cliics, etc. Policy ad Advocacy Commuity/ Grassroots Orgaizig Work withi the curret system to impact laws ad policies to help society. Brig ad uite everyday people together to create direct chage i people s lives. Advocates for the creatio of ew policies ad laws or chagig existig policies or laws to help a bad situatio get better. Believes i a groud up philosophy ad uses the collective power of a uited people to challege the power structure. Ofte uses strategies such as walkouts, protests, boycotts, ad physical actio. Special iterest groups, policymakers Those i power, other orgaizatios who do t agree with tactics NAACP (Natioal Associatio for the Advacemet of Colored People) MADD (Mothers Agaist Druk Drivig) ACLU Civil Rights movemet Obama campaig Gadhi s idepedece movemet i Idia Uited Farm Workers PICO (People Improvig Commuities Through Orgaizig) Electoral Use votig power to impact chage Elect officials ad laws that are resposible to the eeds of the commuity Other cadidates/parties Statewide propositios Electig cadidates that support your viewpoit. Educatio ad Awareess Raise kowledge about issues so people ca have a better uderstadig of what is happeig Coduct ad read research o a specific problem ad iform ad educate people about their fidigs. Those beefitig from the issue, those who disagree with the aalysis DARE Truth campaig Medical associatios like the America Cacer Society
Differet Ways to Create Social Chage Chart Type Goals ad Objectives Strategies Who would oppose it? Examples Direct Service Directly serve the people through hads o help. Provide basic services (food shelter, drug abuse cliics etc.) to help those i eed. Taxpayers (whe govermet fuded), homeowers ear the service Policy ad Advocacy Commuity/ Grassroots Orgaizig Work withi the curret system to impact laws ad policies to help society. Brig ad uite everyday people together to create direct chage i people s lives. Advocates for the creatio of ew policies ad laws or chagig existig policies or laws to help a bad situatio get better. Believes i a groud up philosophy ad uses the collective power of a uited people to challege the power structure. Ofte uses strategies such as walkouts, protests, boycotts, ad physical actio. Special iterest groups, policymakers Those i power, other orgaizatios who do t agree with tactics Electoral Use votig power to impact chage Elect officials ad laws that are resposible to the eeds of the commuity Other cadidates/parties Educatio ad Awareess Raise kowledge about issues so people ca have a better uderstadig of what is happeig Coduct ad read research o a specific problem ad iform ad educate people about their fidigs. Those beefitig from the issue, those who disagree with the aalysis