MUNCIE, Ind. - Growing up, learning American history in the United States means two things for most people.
First, history is limited geographically to North America. Second, history is limited culturally to white accomplishments. We all learned the European explorer Christopher Columbus founded the colonies; George Washington, Ben Franklin and associates formed the government, and Abraham Lincoln, with the help of Ulysses S. Grant, freed the slaves.
As we get older and become more educated, we eventually realize that events in American history are not as cut-and-dry as our high school teachers said.
However, knowing that Columbus did not in fact "discover America" and Lincoln did not completely free the slaves is just the tip of the iceberg in regard to knowing the real history of this continent. You can only add so much filler in history books to complement the declared heroes before the book starts turning into a perfect example of what is wrong with our celebrated American history.
The big problem here is that American school systems lack sufficient minority education. For white children, finding an idol to look up to is as easy as attending a one-hour history class; for a minority it's a matter of stepping outside the classroom and doing personal research.
Thousands of schools don't have history classes that focus on Mexican, African-American or Native American culture - three of several minority groups that had a significant impact on the shaping of this country.
Forty-two years before Jamestown, Spaniards and American Indians occupied land in Florida and Asian-Americans had been living in California since the 1700s, according to www.thestate.com.
Also, minority groups have participated in every American war fought here and overseas. More than 150,000 African-American soldiers fought in the civil war and many lost their lives. According to www.Navajocodetalkers.org, more than 400 Navajos participated as code talkers during World War II - a job that utilized their unique native dialect to quickly transmit secret information over radios and telegraphs. After WWII, African-American, Hispanic and Native American soldiers returned home to a racist nation to realize their commitment and sacrifices did not gain them equal rights. Their reaction was to push for civil rights movements, which eventually unfolded in the Civil Rights Movement of the '50s and '60s in America.
Again, during the Korean and Vietnam wars, minorities fought to protect a country that still would not recognize them as equals - if that's not patriotism then I don't know what is.
Yet the names that many of us hear associated with the militaristic success of this country are those of the white presidents and generals who made the decisions.
The famous presidents who led successful battles deserve recognition. However, history books could squeeze a chapter or two in about the thousands of minorities who managed to battle racism at home while defending this country overseas. There are also a number of important minority inventors in history who are overlooked.
According to www.Enchantedlearning.com, George Washington Carver was a former slave who was also a scientist, an inventor and an educator. Carver invented hundreds of products from foods that greatly improved the agricultural output and health of southern farmers. His inventions included dyes, adhesives and pigments.
Dr. Charles Richard Drew, an 18th century African-American surgeon, created blood banks and came up with the idea for preserving plasma. George Crum, a Native American and African-American chef, invented potato chips - thank you, Crum.
The list goes on and on. It's not just the duty of minority groups to find inclusion in American history; it's every American's responsibility to recognize the impact of individual minority accomplishments.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better."
-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to letters@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed - include your full name, major and year in school.
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