Over the past decade; Critical Race Theory (CRT) scholars in education have produced a significant body of work theorizing the impact of race and racism in education. Critical Race Theory Matters provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of this influential movement; shining its keen light on specific issues within education. Through clear and accessible language; the authors synthesize scholarship in the field; highlight major themes and assumptions; and examine strategies of resistance and practices for challenging the existing inequalities in education. By linking theory to everyday practices in today’s classroom; students will understand how CRT is relevant to a host of timely topics; from macro-policies such as Bilingual Education and Affirmative Action to micro-policies such as classroom management and curriculum. Moving beyond identifying problems into the realm of problem solving; Critical Race Theory Matters is a call to action to put into praxis a radical new vision of education in support of equality and social justice.
#365995 in Books J Guglielmo 2003-08-16 2003-09-18Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .78 x 6.00l; 1.01 #File Name: 0415934516344 pagesAre Italians White How Race Is Made in America
Review
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Very informativeBy GileyI learned so much about the Italian -American experience here in this country. Great stories about the italian experence from differenct people.15 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Major flaws; not much new by way of Italian American studiesBy LavendulaIn Are Italians White; Jennifer Guglielmo and Salvatore Salerno edit a collection of essays that vary in interest; relevance; and overall content. For a student of Italian American history; in light of what has been out there for many years now (particularly the work of Robert Orsi; George Pozzetta; Donna Gabaccia; etc.) the results achieved by Guglielmo and Salerno are average at best. To be sure; there are some great moments: Vincenza Scarpaci's essay on Italian immigrants in rural Louisiana; Caroline Waldron Merithew's essay on the Spring Valley Race Riot of 1895; Gerald Meyer's essay about a 1945 incident in New York City; as well as a few others. These are seminal pieces that ALL students of American history should know and understand. Some of the other stuff; particularly the essays contained in the final section; "Toward a Black Italian Imaginary" seem to scrape the bottom of the barrel in terms of inspiration; skill; and relevance. Overall; however; its greatest disappointment is that it buys completely into the flawed premises established by whiteness studies pioneers such as David Roediger (who writes the afterward) and as a result it barely skims the surface of Italian American history; agreeing on a set of conclusions even if the evidence does not suggest them. Ultimately; for an Italian American; it is therefore an unsatisfying read; for other readers; the lack of context may make it fall completely flat.There are several critical flaws in this book. First; it never really clearly defines the racial terms it throws around. It simply begs the question throughout. Just looking at the other reviews here (taken with a grain of salt; of course); there are people who seem to think that race is defined in genetic terms or in social terms or in some agreed upon physical terms; there are those (among the reviewers) that are offended at the mere suggestion that such a question could be raised about Italians; and those who pump their fists in the air; and say; of course Italians aren't white.This begging of the question is a fundamental flaw in so-called whiteness studies in general. Race has been understood in many ways in the United States; though two primary ways stand out: legally and socially. In the legal sense; the government defines White as anyone whose ancestors come from Europe; North Africa; or the Middle East. Socially; however; race is very much in the eye of the beholder: who looks white; who looks black; etc. Socially race in America has also historically been cast in terms of language; customs; culture; etc.The text never really parses out these varying definitions. The one except might be Thomas Guglielmo's essay; in which he accepts the strict legal definition; and by extension naturalization laws. Yet; he does not even seem to have a good sense of the legal definition when he states that Middle Easterners faced barriers to naturalization; which is not; as rule; true. They were legally white and granted citizenship. He also fails to consider that many immigrants from Latin America; as well; were white and faced no barrier to citizenship (though it seems that whiteness scholars are too timid to discuss Latin Americans and Middle Easterners). Nor does he seem to understand that the myth of hard work which he ascribes to Italian American ethos is actually a sentiment shared by many immigrants vis a vis the native-born population.Along with Roediger; these scholars make the mistake of not discussing the experiences of Italian Americans alongside other immigrant ethnic groups with whom they share much in common: Mexicans; Chinese; Syrians; Lebanese; Puerto Ricans; etc. A critical flaw of whiteness studies is that it fails to incorporate many of those groups; despite the overwhelming similarity of their experiences; shared neighborhood geographies; shared physical features; etc. It allows itself to get bogged down in only investigating groups directly from Europe.The biggest flaw; however; is that it leaves Italian Americans without a usable history. Rather unfortunately; this book blindly follows the mandates of Roediger and other lily-white scholars who use the experiences of Italians and other southern or eastern Europeans in this country to make a political point. These scholars don't care about the actual lived experiences of their subject matter; don't respect them in the least bit; but rather use them to draw false conclusions. Like Roediger; Guglielmo and Salerno essentially say: Italian Americans were considered non-white by the average American; were paid less than white workers; were discriminated against in federal immigration policy; and received poor treatment as a matter of course; etc. - all provable fact - but all that happened 80 or 100 years ago and it no longer matters. How unsatisfying is that?At the end of the day; perhaps it all is of no consequence. Aside from a few critical ethnic pockets in the northeast; the average "Italian America" is four or five generations removed (Richard Alba has already declared that we no longer exist); and much like Ms. Guglielmo: only part Italian; growing up divorced from Italian culture; language; ritual; and far beyond the ethnic neighborhood. Can we even consider people who are Italian in name or ancestry only alongside with people who actually live an Italian American experience on a daily basis?1 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Consciousness RaisingBy Annie Lanzillotto author of L is for LionI learned a great deal from this collection of essays and stories; and I was fortunate to hear the editors and contributors read in person at Casa Italiana; NYU; in New York City. An important companion book is "White on Arrival: Italians; Race; Color and Power in Chicago; 1890-1945 by Thomas A. Guglielmo; brother of Jennifer Guglielmo; the co-editor of "Are Italians White." Interesting to ponder how siblings arrived at similar scholarly research quests....Important questions are raised which can educate the bulk of Italian Americans toward an understanding of the grey areas in social racism that have affected their forbears and possibly themselves.Consciousness raising.I rely on such texts to educate myself about my peoples' history; my family's history; so when faced with a debate in current events; I have more intellectual fuel for the fire.forever;AnnieAnnie Lanzillottoauthor of "L is for Lion: an italian bronx butch freedom memoir" SUNY Pressand "Schistsong" BORDIGHERA Presswww.annielanzillotto.comL Is for Lion: An Italian Bronx Butch Freedom Memoir (SUNY series in Italian/American Culture)Schistsong (Via Folios)Blue PillCarry My Coffee (Live)Eleven Recitations
