United States, Intercultural/Intergroup Education in

Intercultural education in the United States began in the early 1930s as a movement grounded in values of cooperation, respect, and acceptance of others. Intercultural educators were committed to reducing intergroup tensions, prejudice, and discrimination directed toward immigrants and racial and ethnic minorities. A major goal of intercultural educators was to reduce the fears and misconceptions of mainstream Americans about new immigrants, improve intergroup relations, and increase the social status of immigrant children who were known as the “second generation.” This entry describes the context in which intercultural education developed, projects and programs developed by intercultural educators, and ways that intergroup educators linked schools to communities.