ESL Class: Reflection 2

E.D. Hirsch and I don’t agree on what is necessary for an American to know. Based on the portion of his writings with which I am familiar, I would concede only to the extent that the things he suggests as ‘essential’ are more realistically things people need to know in order to be accepted into particular groups existing within the culture and society. People choose the groups they are drawn to being accepted into, and therefore set for themselves a path of knowledge based upon that which they respect and desire, working towards their own concepts of America as portrayed by those whom they revere and look to as role models in some way.

I particularly have never been one to feel the need to be accepted into groups in which pop-culture is important knowledge in order to be accepted. I cannot relate to the comments made in class, for instance, that my awareness of The Simpsons and The Family Guy and their distinctions are essential to my being an American. It is extremely insignificant to me and to my life—and what I feel to be the driving factors of the functionality and success of my life and as an American—and, candidly, seems rather shallow that considerations along those lines are even discussed with any tone of seriousness.

These are the things I consider to be of greatest importance for an American to know, in no particular order: 1) work skills to add value to the marketplace as well as to earn money, 2) how and where to locate food, 3) process of health care, 4) progression of education and its processes, including enrollment, 5) social conceptions of personal space and belongings, 6) transportation modes and accessibility, 7) our culture’s concept of time and it’s measurement (clocks/calendars), 8) communication of ideas, 9) lines of authority and leadership, 10) knowledge of laws and codes of conduct.