Diversity and Multiculturalism in Postmodern Educational Organizations that Positively Impact the Cambodian American Students' Formal Education in the United States

Abstract

Diversity and Multiculturalism are postmodern concepts in organizational theory that are no longer a myth but a reality in our current globalized economy (Obiakor, 1992, p. 2). Multicultural education as a postmodern open system has been an effective tool in addressing the critical issues affecting the formal education of the naturalized and non-naturalized Cambodian American students in the United States. To understand and grasp multicultural education in this perspective, I define and explicate multicultural education as an open system that naturally affects the Cambodian American students' learning styles and social interconnectedness in the focus school environment. Relatively, I highlight the cultural and social capitals that the Cambodian American students bring with them in the learning environment as significant sources of the rich energy input in the multicultural education classroom. Additionally, I rationalize the incorporation of such capitals in the design and implementation of the multicultural education curriculum and instruction specifically intended for this student population.