Born during the turbulent years of the 1960s, multicultural education has attempted to help students acquire a more sophisticated understanding of the pluralistic populations of the United States. And as the United States becomes increasingly multicultural, it is necessary for students to learn to live and work effectively with members of different racial and ethnic groups. Each state's experiences with multicultural education vary, and states have emphasized multicultural education to greater and lesser degrees. This reference book is a guide to multicultural education initiatives in the 50 states.
After an introductory essay on the development of multicultural education programs, the volume presents alphabetically arranged entries on the status of multicultural education in each state. Because the programs in each state have developed in response to the particular characteristics and experiences of the state's population, each entry begins with a brief history that places special emphasis on the state's cultural groups. The second section discusses the state's educational system, since the system provides a framework for the state's multicultural education initiatives. The third section analyzes the state's creation and implementation of multicultural education policies and programs and draws on responses to a questionnaire. Each entry closes with bibliographic references, and the volume concludes with a selected, general bibliography.