“Variety is the spice of life” and that’s exactly what a multicultural society is like. Layers upon layers of colors, flavors, rituals, personalities and celebrations make a multicultural society not just the ideal dwelling for a free and bohemian soul but the citizen of the world as well.  But such vibrancy can only survive in a tolerant society, where racism and prejudice are seriously discouraged. This can only be possible if each generation nurtures a sprite of tolerance and understanding in the generation following it.  Which is why teaching multiculturalism to children is important.

However, Patricia Morgan, a celebrated author on family and education recently revealed through her research that, children who are taught anti-racism in the classrooms tend to be more racially intolerant. She points out that when racial differences are pinpointed on such a public platform, children feel victimized and tend to be more racially vindictive.

On the other hand if class discussions are more focused on multiculturalism in society, children tend to be more accepting of other ethnic groups and cultures. So if you want your teens to be more socially diversified and tolerant its time to stop rapping about racism and start talking about a multicultural society which embraces difference, rather than shuns them.

Benefits of Activities

But before you embark on acclimatizing your teens with the joys of living a multicultural existence, ask yourself why you want to do it? Is it because it’s the done thing these days? Or is it because it is important to be comfortable and accepting of the world around you? If this is the case then you are on the right track. Remember that your teenager is at that stage when they will be venturing out into the world on their own and some of the people and places they come across may not be familiar. Teaching them about multiculturalism will help them accept these different people and places easily and become tolerant and productive part of such societies.

So here are a few activities which will help get you started in painting a vibrant rainbow of different cultures in your house, neighborhood or just your teenager’s life in general.

Volunteering

Encourage your teen towards volunteering; this will expose them to different people of varying faiths and cultures.  Many schools have volunteering programs running with the help of the city administration, ask your kid to get into these programs by talking to the school guidance counselor. Choose activities which serve your purpose best, like volunteering at a preschool for bilingual children or get in touch with representatives of a faith different from your own and volunteer to help them in the up keeping of their place of worship. In short pick on any activity that puts you in direct contact with people who are from a different culture, faith, ethnicity from you.

Reading and Writing

If your teen is a reader, all the better, because the literary world is full of  books dealing with or highlighting multicultural society. Introduce your teen to the fiction and non-fiction literature of various cultures. Books like Elie Wiesel's "Night," could open up a whole world of culture and issues related to it for your teen. Instruct your teens to keep a journal regarding the thoughts, feelings and questions which popped up in their minds while reading these real life accounts of the Holocaust. Later on you can use these recorded thoughts as a means of having meaningful conversation about how hard it is face up to the world in spite of your differences

Community Exhibits

Another great way of helping your teen get a taste of the world is by visiting exhibits about varying cultures. go online and find out as much as you can about the cultural diversity in exhibits at your local museums. Get to know about their backgrounds and where they originated from. Later visiting these exhibits with your teen and telling them all about them would not just prove to be your teen window into the world, but a great bonding experience too. 

Learn a Language

What could be better than this? Don’t just try to experience a culture by its artifacts, food and rituals but learn the language too. Nothing makes people connect with a culture better than to learn its native language. So go ahead, enroll with your teen in a foreign language course and get a real taste of the world beyond your backyard.