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well. .. growing up on Long Island and very near to NYC I can tell you that I do know alot about cultural diversity. I'm grateful for having had the experience of living and working with and near people of different races and cultures. I once had a job, in my early 20's , with a company that was run by Hasidic (spelling?) Jews . I can tell you that I can't describe that experience without identifying their race or religion or culture.. because everyone's culture is so much a part of their life and makes them who and what they are. It's also what makes them unique and allows them to be remembered in your mind for the rest of your life. That job opened my eyes to a new and interesting culture and I dispelled some of the "myth" that as an outsider to an hasidic community..I had heard. It was a pleasant experience.
I don't think talking about someone that you know and identifying them as your "black" friend, your persian friend, your asian friend or your indian friend is a bad thing.. after all .. I'm their "white" friend, right?
As far as living with like people.. I don't care what race my neighbors are ,as long as they are clean, quite good neighbors that have respect etc. .that's the kind of "likeness" I look for. I don't want to live near any people that have a different set of moral values that directly collide with mine.. if they do, no matter what race, we won't get along and I won't want to live near them.
I have also had the opportunity, once again in my early 20's, when I got lost in what was considered a "bad" neighborhood because of crime. Let's just say I stuck out like a sore thumb. And.. I was petrified. But then a van pulled up.. with lots of graphiti and I thought "oh.. now I'm going to get kidnapped , killed, etc".. instead the man asked me if I was lost and I said yes (figured I have nothign to loose it was obvious anyway) and he proceeded to ask me where I was trying to get to and gave me directions. I can tell you I felt so ashamed for having judged this person as I did and I make a concious effort never to do that again.
And my husband is European originally.. so I've been exposed to yet another great culture. Yes.. he has a much different background then I and sometimes that makes us butt heads.. but I'm glad that my child will have the diversity (although he is white like myself) of his culture and mine as well as the diversity of the many different cultures that live in and around L.I.
Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
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TristansMommy: well. .. growing up on Long Island and very near to NYC I can tell you that I do know alot about cultural diversity. I'm grateful for having had the experience of living and working with and near people of different races and cultures. I once had a job, in my early 20's , with a company that was run by Hasidic (spelling?) Jews . I can tell you that I can't describe that experience without identifying their race or religion or culture.. because everyone's culture is so much a part of their life and makes them who and what they are. It's also what makes them unique and allows them to be remembered in your mind for the rest of your life. That job opened my eyes to a new and interesting culture and I dispelled some of the "myth" that as an outsider to an hasidic community..I had heard. It was a pleasant experience.
Good post! Having grown up back east, also, and having Hasidic Jews in my neighborhood, plus having taken a class at UB (University at Buffalo) from an Hasidic Rabbi, I can totally understand. You're so right in saying that you can't describe the experience unless you identify certain aspects of their race or religion -- because they are an integral part of who they are. That was one of my main points.
Identifying someone by their culture, race or ethnicity has nothing to do with whether or not one accepts them (who you are as an individual will readily make clear if you do, indeed, accept) -- it is a means of descriptive expression. I have some rather funny stories that involve people of different races and ethnicities and I would be hesitant to relay them here because I'd have to -- in order to understand the context of why they were funny -- identify the backgrounds of the individuals involved. By not giving them a description, we also deny them their natural heritage -- so by "ignoring" their heritage, we in effect, ignore them. Of course, these same people know the experience, and they relate it with their own ethnicities because it is what makes it humorous. But others would judge, although the individuals involved do not. That is where the "politically correct" challenge comes into play.
We are people of all kinds of backgrounds. It is those backgrounds that give a beautiful visual description of a story, of a place, of a person -- of love, of caring, of humor, of family. We weave our heritage into ourselves and our world. To pluck out a strand here and there because we are afraid to give it a name, would make the entire fabric eventually fall apart.
Thank you, TristansMommy for explaining that so well -- and with so few words!!
Diversity is great. It is when people don't assimilate into what country they live in is when problems are started. I don't believe in Multi-culturalism.. the melting pot can be argued as well. I believe it is ones socio-economic status that determines what one does and how one acts.
Diversity is great. It is when people don't assimilate into what country they live in is when problems are started. I don't believe in Multi-culturalism.. the melting pot can be argued as well. I believe it is ones socio-economic status that determines what one does and how one acts.
Yes, diversity is wonderful, as well as interracial relationships.
The thing about culture is that it is multi-faceted. However, many people react initially to race or ethnicity. Other cultures to which we may belong, and that bear significant weight on how we perceive ourselves and the world around us, include sexual orientation (i.e. the gay/lesbian culture), the physically challenged culture (i.e. the deaf culture), the culture of the aged, the young, the educated, the poor... there's also the culture of one's profession, such as the physician culture, the police culture, the culture of teachers... Sometimes the best predictor of behavior and attitudes are economic background rather than one's race or ethnicity.
Personally, I enjoy meeting/working with people from different cultural backgrounds from me, and find that having different perspectives truly enhances the work team. I also enjoy being with people of my same background. I've found personal attributes such as a positive attitude, willingness to work, team-orientation, and creativity are much better indicators of whether we will get along.
I LOVE to learn about other cultures, getting to know people of other cultures, ect.
I think it makes life more interesting. My kids are more tolerant and accepting than I was as a child because they are exposed to different types of people in positive ways.
We had gone to a WalMart in an urban area, and were one of the very few white/American families there...when we left my daughter said "wow that was weird" ...my husband initially said something like "don't worry, I was uncomfortable too, we won't go there again" and her response was "why? I think we should".
There are so many perspectives to view life from, I want to know how people see things and why they see it that way. No not every facet of a culture will be positive...but then not every facet of OUR culture is either. Don't you realize that there are things about Americans that Europeans (for ex) shake their heads at? Take the best, learn from the rest.
I'm used to live in a culture that is not mine since I was brought up in a white culture while my family and I are brown.
I don't find skin colour or culture important at all, although I try to understand cultural differences. I don’t believe that one culture is more important than another. I do not consider myself Dutch or Indonesian since I consider myself a nation of 1. I am not eastern nor western, but probably in-between (which is the story of my life).
Last edited by Tricky D; 02-26-2008 at 01:47 AM..
Reason: grammar
It is annoying that it's been broken down into a cult syndrome -- you're right -- it's a natural order of things to have diversity. It's too bad people have made it a separate order instead of a natural order of nature/life.
I don't like having to ***** (cat)-foot around and play politically-correct games when people are just people -- we just happen to look different at times -- on the inside we still have the same stuff. If we could just see that we like some people and we don't like some people (it's what's inside that counts -- not the outside!), we have certain tastes in music, food, environment, etc., and that is what culture is about. I think that the different appearances in people, food, location, the sounds of languages, the terrain are all amazing in various parts of the world, and sometimes our own neighborhoods. The world is a big smogasbord and I don't understand the hostility toward generalized stereotypes.
This is an eye-opener for me because I'm surprised more people haven't commented on how cool it can be to experience something new. Maybe most people just aren't adventurous or are scared or something -- I haven't figured that part out yet -- the xenophobia part -- but it does seem to be there. This is good feedback. Thanks.
No, just because someone doesn't like something doesn't mean they're afraid of it...that's just a cheap shot. I happen to find those of my own culture fascinating, interesting...people I can learn from. They are as varied as the rainbow...I refuse to worship at the feet of someone BECAUSE they have a different culture or come from another country.
"Different" isn't necessarily better.
Then again not being 'different' isn't necessarily better either.
If a society is not diverse it will look like North Korea were everything is dull grey and no one is allowed to stand out (= be different).
I've always been the token member of diversity in my community. Without diversity, would I just cease to exist? :P Part of the way I define myself is having grown up being the one person of a different belief system, different ethnicity (though not so obvious phenotypically), different culture, and different point of view. Growing up, it was horrible because I was the ONLY one... but it would have been more horrible had I grown up surrounded by only people just like me.
I relish multiculturalism now because for so many years of my life, I was IT. In my room, my artwork is Mexican, my posters are Tibetan, my figurines are Indian, and I have images of the Virgin de Guadalupe, Shiva, Ganesh, and the Star of David with equal prominence. They might not all be MY culture, but they're still a part of me. I don't ignore racial, ethnic, and religious differences- we don't live in a colorblind society. Recognizing those differences is part of acceptance.
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I do not consider myself Dutch or Indonesian since I consider myself a nation of 1. I am not eastern nor western, but probably in-between (which is the story of my life).
