Summary Of The Book 'Hearts Unbroken'

Globally, people everyday experience hatred due to their skin tone, race, ethnicity, or culture. Social injustice has become a huge problem in the modern world. Hearts Unbroken written by Cynthia Leitich Smith portrays the rough life of a Native American teenager navigating through high school. She experiences many hate crimes and questions her self-worth. Being discriminated against because of race doesn't just happen at school, it happens everywhere and needs to be addressed to prevent further discrimination. By incorporating social justice and cultural studies in schools, students can understand the way of life of others and positively affect the world to become a better place. Dedicating a class to teaching young minds about how other

Cynthia Leitich Smith wrote an impactful book named Hearts Unbroken. The novel centralizes around the idea of a Native American navigating through her youthful years while experiencing racism towards her culture. Lou, the main character, had been getting notes saying “There is no place like home, go back to where you came from” which are seen as a threat to her and her family. She searched for the person who wrote the letter but had inconclusive outcomes. She says she was “searching for signs of guilt, but people like that, they don't feel guilty, right? They think they’re on the side of the angels. They think they’re justified” (Smith 158). Lou described how people at school view her as lesser and treat her like she doesn’t belong. She shows how uneducated young minds are and how hurtful they can be. Schools teaching students about cultures and racism would deepen the understanding and such bullying would be prevented. Merrimack College released an article titled “The Importance of Social Justice in the Classroom and Curriculum Design” in which it states how impactful a social injustice class would be. They wrote “Over time, students learn to look at current and historical events – even their own actions – through the lens of social justice. They spot discrimination and inequality” (“The Importance of Social Justice…”). Teaching students about different

But this could be alarming for some. Professor J. Martin Rochester released an article that stated “ Schools should not aspire to be churches or social work agencies” (Rochester 1). The professor only argues that schools cannot make students believe in one thing. Social justice is not a belief. Teachers educating students about treating people right isn't something to believe in, it's the right thing to do. Discrimination towards different races/cultures happens every single day. It's not an issue that could be kept hidden forever. Educating students about different cultures/ races/ beliefs is not the same as making them believe one certain thing. It opens an opportunity to be the better person in the world and create a more equal