Last year, I attended an event at one of our elementary schools in Boston. The theme was "Celebrating Diversity." The occasion was Chinese New Year. The event was managed beautifully, and everyone—parents, students, and school staff—participated in a whole pageant of activities celebrating the many cultures represented in the school. Very few of the audience members knew that behind the seamless and excellent production was a subtext of raging controversy.
The Boston school in question has a very diverse student body. Over 30 percent of the students are Chinese American. Over 40 percent are black, over 20 percent white. The school is located on the edge of Chinatown. Over the years, the school has gradually organized its entire curriculum around the idea of celebrating diversity. The school has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Chinese New Year is one of the major events on the school calendar, and the climax of the New Year's celebration is the Lion Dance.
The Lion in the dance actually looks like a dragon. I'm sure you've seen pictures of the creature: a giant, frightening head, followed by lots of little feet. The Lion snakes around the stage in a very dragonlike way. The traditions surrounding this Lion are complex, and the school's children are experts in it.
The controversy was a test case regarding the importance of multicultural education. The school got a new Lion costume. It was made in China especially for the school and shipped before the pageant. It was paid for by a local bank that is a partner for the school, as part of the City's famous Boston Compact. Apparently, the arrival of this Lion was an important and meaningful event for members of the Chinese community and their children. The instructor who choreographed the dance was trained in China. Needless to say, this was a very correct Lion Dance.
The problem emerged when the school set a process for picking the dancers, and an African-American student was chosen to dance the head of the Lion. The process was fair, the students competed, and a talented boy from Roxbury (the same Boston neighborhood where Louis Farrakhan grew up) was chosen.
The Chinese-American community was upset. The instructor—who was also the school's music teacher—considered canceling the event. Many Chinese people, or at least a lot of outspoken ones, felt that this was a sacrilege—a high honor on the most important of days, going to someone who wasn't Chinese. It was okay that non-Chinese were in the dance. They just didn't want the one who carried the head to be non-Chinese. "There are so many good Chinese students that the school could have chosen wisely," the community said. The principal, who was also Chinese, should not have let this terrible, humiliating situation occur, according to one view.
Even in elementary schools, educators have to worry about political correctness. The school community—after a long, long debate—made a decision, democratically. They made the right decision—primarily because they made it. They asked themselves how they could have a celebration of diversity and keep the Lion a symbol of something separate?
The black student from Roxbury carried the Lion head. And as you would expect, he did a wonderful job. If you looked at the shoes of the dancers, you would have seen a lot of traditional Chinese slippers, but also pairs of Nikes, Adidas, and Bass Weejun loafers. Even the footwear was diverse.
I was in the audience that day, and like most of the guests I had no idea of the subplot. Yet, in a way, knowing the subplot is more important. On one level, the performance was very enthusiastic, upbeat, and full of life. But knowing the whole context actually enriches the experience. The struggle was worthwhile too. The music instructor, the dancers, and the community learned a valuable lesson about celebrating diversity. None of the tradition was violated; instead, a greater diversity emerged. The tradition was enhanced.
From now on the Lion Dance will be more inclusive. The paradigm has changed, and the experience is richer for everyone. No one had to compromise their roots. They just define them now more broadly.
After the Lion Dance, a white Jewish 1st grader came up to her mother and said, "I can still do the Lion Dance, Mommy—even though I'm African-American."
Her mother looked startled. She whispered to her daughter, "No, you're not. You are Jewish."
The child shook her head emphatically and said, "We're all from the same place, Mommy—Mess the Potamia."
This young girl expresses the essence of celebrating diversity. She could be an ASCD member.