What Information About Diversity in the United States Has Helped You Better Understand or Relate to Others in Ways That Essay Example

What Information About Diversity in the United States Has Helped You Better Understand or Relate to Others in Ways That Essay The information that I have learned about diversity in the United States of America has helped me better understand and relate to others in many ways. The United States of America is a giant melting pot of several different races, ethnicities, and cultures. What I have learned is that each group has their differences and similarities. With these differences in culture they have taught me how to be tolerant and accepting of them no matter how different from me they appear. By accepting the differences in our diverse society I have learned new thoughts and ideas of living, different perspectives of thinking, and have been introduced to a variety of foods that I have never tried before. All in all, it seems in the end that many racial and ethnic groups are different, but they share one common interest which is to love one another and be happy. The most beneficial thing to our society would be the focus on the main interest of all, instead of focusing on how different we are when compared to one another. Focusing on the differences between one another and judging others based on them was something that was done in the past. However, I had come to realize that focusing on the differences and closing the opportunity to learn about other cultures, races, and ethnicities was hindering me in life. What I have learned about my Irish ethnicity has been quite an experience for me. I have learned that the Irish were put through many years of suffering when they immigrated to the United States of America. The Irish immigrants were considered uneducated and unworthy. We will write a custom essay sample on What Information About Diversity in the United States Has Helped You Better Understand or Relate to Others in Ways That specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What Information About Diversity in the United States Has Helped You Better Understand or Relate to Others in Ways That specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What Information About Diversity in the United States Has Helped You Better Understand or Relate to Others in Ways That specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In many ways the Irish were perceived to be on the same level as African Americans. Irish immigrants were put into slavery, given jobs that nobody else would take, weren’t paid well, and were forced to live in unfit conditions and only with other Irish. The United States population will change in many ways by the year 2050. Since the beginning of the United States, whites have been a clear majority of the country. However, according to the United States Census Bureau projections by the year 2050, minority groups are predicted to account for 49. percent of the United States population. Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans will experience the most dramatic increases between now and 2050. This will happen when the United States population has grown close to 50 percent to reach 420 million. Racial and ethnic changes are happening faster than expected, due to the higher than predicted immigration rates for Asian and Hispanic Americans. Historically, the United States of America h as been a â€Å"white and black† country, but that’s not true any longer and even less true for the future. The reason why I believe this is true is because it is factual information derived from data trends recorded by the United States Census Bureau. A challenge that the United Sates of America faces due to the diversity of its people would be cultural pluralism. In reality cultural pluralism tends to promote anger from the indigenous culture towards the new coming culture. The United States of America needs to get rid of the entire label of hyphen Americans; we are one country and should be one as individuals. Having different ethnic or racial groups segregating themselves creates a â€Å"salad bowl† rather than a â€Å"melting pot†. This leads to animosity and not acceptance. This nation will not foster a climate of acceptance until people shed themselves of the old mantras of the under class or victim class and start seeing themselves as equals. The benefits of a diverse society in the United States are many. For example, diversity in society helps us to grow as individuals and open our minds to different ways of life. When you become exposed to different ways to live, and see how other cultures carry on then you are no longer closed to the idea that we are all different in some way, and those differences can be meaningful in our lives. When it comes to diversity it also promotes more tolerance. In terms of being tolerant that means diversity can help us accept other culture, and even adapt some of their ways into our society. The point is, we are all different. Yet the differences that we have between us can be used to strengthen society as we know it. Diversity enables us to have the opportunity to learn, develop, and understand different ways of living, and experience our lives to the fullest. Without diversity, we are closed or boarded off in our own worlds. But with it, we expand our knowledge and we are no longer ignorant. When you are aware of the differences and embrace them, then you have taken the blind fold off to living differently and you are a better person for it. The key is exposure and using what you learned to increase more tolerance and decrease things such as racism. To foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States of America we must be accepting of other cultures, identities, and nationalities, we must embrace differences, rather than expecting others to conform to our American, English-speaking culture. One way to embrace cultural or language differences is to offer more alternative-language support in public places, such as grocery stores (for example, on price labels or packaging), in public transportation (for example, on buses and trains), and on street signs. To create a climate of acceptance, we must create ways for other cultures to exist in America without having to learn the â€Å"American† way. We can also host cultural-related activities such as parades, festivals, etc. , where both people of other cultures and American can go to express their culture or learn about other cultures. The best way to foster cultural acceptance, however, is to start at the primary level which are teaching our children, in schools, about different cultures, without making suggestions that one culture is better than the other. We must respect and accommodate other cultures in order to create cultural pluralism, rather than the cultural â€Å"melting pot† that we currently have. Stereotyping and prejudice in the media are unavoidable. This is especially true when it comes to advertising, entertainment, and news industries because they need a wide range of audiences to effectively and quickly understand information. Stereotypes used by the media are like codes for the audience to give them a quick and common understanding of a group of individuals usually relating to race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, or occupation. For example, the joke that was made by the KTVU news station about the names of crew members who were on the Asiana airline flight that crashed. Some of these names broadcasted by the news channel were â€Å"Wi Tu Lo† and Captain Sum Ting Wong. Another example of how the media perpetuates stereotyping and prejudice in the media is by always noting the race of an individual who has committed a crime especially if they are from a minority group. I think the media first encourages tolerance of diversity, by introducing us to types of people we may not normally encounter, and then we are later led to a greater appreciation of said diversity. Also, by learning about diverse cultures such as their cuisine, land, customs, or beliefs we may find a common ground or a point which we may find fascinating, leading to our appreciation of that culture. For example, there are many television shows such as Food Network cooking shows like Top Chef that give insight on the diverse foods of various culture, ethnicities, and races. The only way individuals can work together with the United States to reduce prejudice and increase appreciation for diversity is by awareness. Only with an acknowledgment of prejudicial learning can the false or inaccurate information be dealt with in a manner which is likely to bring about change. It’s obvious that if we can’t discuss it, we surely can’t attempt or try to change. To be more inclusive and pluralistic, one could always make a point of thinking things through from other people’s viewpoint before speaking or acting out of impulsion. In particular, trying or attempting to see things from the eyes of people who are from very different backgrounds to your own. Institution and behavior does not change overnight. The process by which successful countries have achieved inclusive and pluralistic institutions has been a long one. The English started in the seventeenth century by allowing representation of only 10 percent of the male population, with laws far from where they are today. This is an evolutionary and revolutionary process. Still, banks can advocate for inclusivity and pluralism and can move beyond business as usual in our programs as we the people deal with the outcome of poorly performing institutions such as weak educational and health care systems. References† Keita P. Gwendolyn (2007) U. S. diversity breakthroughs and challenges. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www. apa. org/monitor/apr07/itpi. aspx CNN (2008) Minorities expected to be majority in 2050. CNN. Retrieved from http://www. cnn. com/2008/US/08/13/census. minorities/ Miller C. William (1976) Fostering a Commitment to Cultural Pluralism. ASCD. Retrieved from http://ascd. org/Default. aspx Jiwani Yasmin (2013) Racism and the Media. Stop Racism and Hate Collective. Retrieved from http://www. stopracism. a/content/racism-and-media Chaves Linda (1997) Fostering Appreciation for Cultural Diversity: Recognizing America’s Changing Complexion. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved from http://www. preservationnation. org/forum/library/public-articles/fostering-appreciation-for-cultural-diversity. html Hawley Willis (2013) Strategies for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Prejudice: Essential Principles for Program Design. Teaching Tolerance. Retrieved from http://www. tolerance. org/supplement/strategies-reducing-racial-and-ethnic-prejudice-essential-pr