U.S. History textbooks date back to 1836 with the invention of the McGuffey Reader. Their sole purpose is to assist teachers so that they can better the knowledge of their students. Every year, textbooks are updated with newer information and corrections to old information. Although changes occur yearly, there has been an overdue and unaddressed question when it comes to our U.S history textbooks, which happens to be: Why are our textbooks so focused on the White-European aspects of American history?

U.S history textbooks focus on what the writers and historians deem to be important. There is a quote my grandmother told me as a reminder while writing. She said, “people will speak and write about what they sincerely care for”. This statement makes me wonder if writers and historians only incorporate what they see are necessary for the students to know into our textbooks. Simply saying, the makers of our textbook are inherently biased. As a writer, I tend to write about topics that interest me, also making me biased. The makers of our U.S History textbook do not discuss, in detail, other ethnic groups as much as they discuss the White-European history. The sections in the book that discuss African-American, Mexican-American, and Native-American history are not as long or positive as those relating to European history. Other race groups, who contributed to the foundation of American history, are left out of our textbook. Asian-Americans are among the many ethnicities excluded, all of which have incredible histories and beautiful cultures that have been major contributions to American society.  

This situation poses a dilemma when students badger their teachers about the content they are learning in classes. However, in all reality, teachers have a set amount of content they need to teach their students. Therefore, students need to realize the lack of diversity within our class material is not our teachers’ fault but the makers of our textbooks and those who assign course material to our education providers.

This issue is an eye opener to how tunnel-visioned our textbooks are, and it brings awareness to the necessary changes. Students should write letters to the makers of our textbooks about their concerns regarding diversity. My letter would ask the writers to include how the Native-Americans helped the Americans and how the African-Americans invented items still used today. What would your letter include?

– Mahogany Miles