Misleading American History Textbooks - Research Paper Example

On January 2012, the states of Arizona and Alabama banned ethnic studies and over 100 books including Rethinking Columbus and Shakespeare. Biased, political and emotionally charged scenarios were the reasons behind the banning of ethnic studies. This is because the government wants its citizens to believe in what they have propagated and not the actual truth. This is the reason why misleading textbooks continue to grace the curriculum requirements in the United States. According to Yoshino, a study to investigate the relationship between self concept and achievement revealed that students’ math related self concept was positively associated with their achievement.

This was the case in two countries Japan and the United States, however, even though students in Japan showcased higher achievement, they were found to have lower math self-concept than American students. This is because of the different cultures that students in the two countries embrace. Despite the fact that other influential factors existed such as the parent’s education and the amount of books that exist in the student’s households, it was found that self concept was positively connected to achievement (119-219).

Therefore, the various books that are prescribed to be used in the American curriculum are not really helpful for the American students. In-depth interviews with 42 US Korean high school students brought to light the fact that these students are diversified in the subject of ethnicity. In addition to this, the lack of research on Asian American historical perspectives and inattention to global migration patterns by the American history textbooks. These are key factors to students understanding of history yet they are overlooked.

For the American curriculum to bring out the full potential that American students have, they should inculcate all these aspects to the History books that are used (Sohyun, 763). Whatever is contained in the books in use at the moment is all doctored to suit what the American government wants its citizens to know. One Newsweek’s magazine article, How to get Smart again by Ferguson Niall, brings out one interesting fact in that 38 percent of a representative sample of Americans failed the test that immigrants applying for US citizenships are required to take.

This is simply a representation of the state that most Americans exist. Most of them do not know much about the history of the country that they call theirs (Ferguson, 1). The contents of various declarations, authors of important papers and the existing presidents at some of the most significant events are haphazardly known. At the same time, only one in four Americans know what the Cold War was all about. This is despite the fact that there are various voluminous History textbooks that students are required to read and most colleges require students to take at least one history course.

In addition to this, there is an entire cable television network, the History Channel while some cities have historical museums (Ferguson, 1).The big question is why most Americans know very little