N.C. In 1987, there were only two Hispanic children in the Chaham County School System. Surrounded by factories, Siler City Elementary is located in a thriving manufacturing hub within Catawba County. Many of its students come from working families, drawn by the county s diversified industrial base. Something in Common focuses on the steps Siler City Elementary has taken to deal with diversity issues and highlights how the school has embraced and celebrated its growing multiculturalism One year ago, an anti-immigration rally in Siler City led by former Klansman David Duke contributed to racial tensions in the area. Something in Common captures Principal Randy Johnson response to the recent anti-immigration sentiment within Chatham County and how it affects students at Siler City Elementary.
People have misconceptions about what goes on here.
Because the growth in the Latino population has been so rapid and the local response so divided, Siler City Elementary has enlisted the aide of the Latin American Resource Center. Center staff work in the classroom and after school using art as a means to help children express prejudice and as a means of learning about different cultures. In the documentary, Aura Camacho Maas of the Latin American Resource Center discusses the benefits of employing a multicultural curriculum within such a diverse environment. It is an opportunity. By addressing the needs of the Latin American students and the conflicts of the needs of the larger community, there are solutions that are coming about for every group in the presence of a newer group.