Americentrism: Not only a problem for Petrolheads...

         There is a strong emphasis on American history, American government, American economics, and American sociology in the American public school system, but is it too much?  Public school districts start teaching American history as early as 1st and 2nd grade and they continue teaching often until 11th or 12th grade.  Often times students will only get on grading period worth of world history and often that is only ancient European history  I will not argue the importance of teaching this the American way of life to students, but is this encouraging Americentrism.  I don't mean strong American nationalism, I mean ethnocentrism and xenophobia toward any other culture.   Should we be teaching East Asian, African, Australian, and European History at the same time to the same extent as American history?  I don't know the answer to this question, but I do know we are living in increasingly globalized world.  Many people say China, India and Brazil may be the new world superpowers within in the next one hundred years.  If this is case are we as teachers responsible for educating the American youth about these cultures as well as our own?  I think so.