Education for cultural and linguistic diversity in the United States in hard times

Abstract

In this article, we share our perspectives on the education for cultural and linguistic diversity in the United States in an era of intolerance, violence, hatred, fear, and injustice. We begin with a snapshot of the increasingly multicultural, multiethnic, multilingual, and multiracial world landscape and an overview of the landscape of education for cultural and linguistic diversity in the United States. We particularly focus on discussing the challenges and possibilities for education for cultural and linguistic diversity in the United States in Hard Times. We call for educational researchers to work with other researchers, educators, teachers, administrators, parents, students, community workers, policy makers, and other educational workers to “hope radically, imagine creatively, and act inspirationally” (Ball et al. 2017, p.2) to invent a landscape of education for cultural and linguistic diversity where “creative, harmonious, associative, joyful, and worthwhile” (He 2016, p. 36; also Goulah & He 2015; Schubert 2009) learning, teaching, and living are possible for all in a highly contested and impossible world.