This work is inspired by several educational projects and research carried out in Brazil, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia during the first decade of the 21st century, and whose focus lies in scientific education that recognizes cultural diversity. The interest of the analysis is not to report the trends and emphases of the productions made in this period. The analysis seeks an interpretative and comprehensive framework that links cultural diversity in science teaching (as an educational and didactical problem) with social integration (as a historical and political problem). In conclusion we can highlight: (a) the importance of the cultural contexts in which educational proposals are made and the need to understand them from the standpoint of national histories; (b) the importance of overcoming the local/global polarity, through viable projects that integrate knowledge, interests and justifications from different cultural backgrounds; (c) the identification of diverse possibilities of dialogues between different knowledge systems (for instance, school science and traditional/local); and (d) the need for more research to develop public policies that favor the recognition of cultural diversity in science education.