The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by the year 2042 U.S. residents who identify themselves as Hispanic, black, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander will together outnumber non-Hispanic whites, meaning that ethnic and racial minorities will comprise a majority of the nation’s population. This has been called a “watershed moment” that shows us just how multicultural we have become.
Just how the United States will adjust to this evolving identity is yet to be determined. Will the demographic shifts lead to greater equality or will they drive us further apart? And what role will students play in embracing the new face of the United States and promoting equality for all people who live in the United States?
“Changing Demographics, Changing Identity, Changing Attitudes” is a four-lesson series that focuses on how the nation’s identity has and will continue to change as we move toward a plurality nation, how the nation responds to that evolving identity, how changing demographics relate to issues of equality, and what we can do to promote equality for all people who live in the United States.
The series is organized by the four anti-bias domains: identity, diversity, justice, and action.
Lesson One: How Does Immigration Shape the Nation’s Identity? asks students to consider what it means to be a resident of the United States, using an opinion piece about the “American Identity Crisis” and several related videos as central texts. They answer a series of text-dependent questions, debate their opinions, write a brief constructed response, and make their own video that reflects their interpretation of “the face of America.”
Lesson Two: Changing Demographics, How Will Our Nation Adjust? asks students to examine current statistics related to our changing demographic and consider how we as a nation adjust to our evolving identity.
Lesson Three: How Will Human Rights Play Out with Changing Demographics? challenges students to consider how the nation’s changing demographic relates, if at all, to social justice and equality as they learn about the everyday experiences of those who are were not born here through the eyes of an undocumented Harvard graduate.
Lesson Four: What Can We Do To Promote Respect? invites students to consider and implement actions that promote respect and ensure equality for all people who live in the United States.
