Our Representations, Their Futures

            Taylor Mendes’ article was one of my favorite readings of the year thus far.  This information will be extremely important and applicable once I begin teaching.  In addition, Taylor-Mendes caused me to pause and critically think about things that I never considered before.  One of my most important questions involves whether or not textbooks are accurate portrayals of culture.  According to most of the opinions in this article, they are not.  The reading measures the attitudes of teachers and students in Brazil towards their EFL (English as a Foreign Language) textbooks.  The students and teachers were to analyze if some groups are shown in a more positive light than others and if some groups are consistently ignored or fail to be shown in examples or illustrations.  11 students and four teachers are used in this study.  Each participant was given an opportunity to voice their opinion, questions, and concerns during personal interviewers with the researchers. 

            The introductory comments of a student named Fatima on page 64 represents much of the sentiment expressed in this article.  Fatima describes the differences in how black people and white people are represented in textbooks.  She wonders why black people are usually depicted as poor and desperate while white people are portrayed as powerful and happy.  Based on depictions in textbooks, some students may wonder if black people are capable of succeeding and if white people can fail.  Unfortunately, textbooks and other classroom resources, and even teachers, can convey these false stereotypes to even elementary school students (65).  For example, a white elementary student may consistently see white people portrayed as rich and powerful and black people shown as poor and helpless.  This white student may begin to think that all white people are rich and all black people are helpless.  These false beliefs often turn into racist attitudes and even discriminatory actions. 

            On the top of page 67, it is briefly mentioned that some people hold the belief that certain groups or people own English and should be responsible for teaching it.  Once again, this idea can be traced back to the use of textbooks and classroom materials.  How often are non-whites shown teaching English?  Why are all of the students learning English children of color?  No group of people is better English speakers than others.  Teachers—especially at the elementary level--need to be aware that their choice of textbooks and example resources could influence how their students view other social and cultural groups. 

            The study in Brazil concluded that white people dominate the positive images in textbooks while black people are typically represented unfavorably.  As teachers, it is hypocritical for us to preach about equality, fairness, and opportunity but then consistently show images of one group being superior to others.  If the given textbooks consistently demonstrate negative stereotypes, it is our duty as teachers to utilize outside resources that portray all groups in a favorable manner.  This goes beyond hanging up posters of Michael Jordan, Malcolm X, or Martin Luther King.  Minority groups need to be able to see themselves as doctors, lawyers, and teachers them.  These images could have powerful impacts and encourage them to pursue higher educations.  Negative images of certain groups will only lead to racism and negative self-fulfilling prophecies.