What does it mean to be an American? We are all different in this world, diversity includes everyone. Diversity refers to all of the ways in which people are different. The diversity of the United States society is increasing dramatically, due to high rates of immigration. America is built of people coming together from different races, nationalities, religions and sexes. This includes individual, group, and traditional differences. Diversity is a major role on impacting the the United States character, history, and tradition. Diversity made america what it is today. Can our society deal successfully with these changes?
The United States of America is a perfect example of cultural diversity. Starting with the Mayflower landing in Massachusetts Bay in 1620, to the Great Migration from 1915 to 1930, to the continual immigration into our country today this country has seen its culture grow and reshape itself over the years. The culture of the United States is diverse but understanding and appreciating various cultures does not always exist within today’s classroom or in today’s society. Understanding or even defining cultural diversity , identifying the challenges cultural diversity brings, or how to face cultural diversity are all issues educators face in today’s classroom.
For over two centuries, the United States has a been a religious haven for anyone and everyone, regardless of religious belief. America has only been able to remain a powerhouse for this vast period of time because of their ability to accept and thrive upon diversity. Opportunities given in the United States allow and promote diversity, which brings forth understanding, perspective, and wisdom. Unfortunately, immigrants from certain religious backgrounds are not receiving the same opportunities that our forefathers believed each and every one of us are entitled to. Based upon the free exercise clause and the establishment clause of the first amendment, as well as section one of the fourteenth amendment, it would be unconstitutional to require immigrants to take a religion test.
Diversity exists all across the United States. It is defined as the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. Along with the ever-growing diversity in America, brings along intercultural communication. Intercultural communication can be defined as a situated communication between individuals or groups of different linguistic and cultural origins. Due to the limitless amounts of diversity and intercultural communication across the United States, misunderstandings and clashes between cultures are bound to occur. These clashes have been as extreme to be used to explain violence and crime not only in the United States, but also throughout our entire nation. On the other end, these cultural clashes can be so personal in our everyday lives because of our expectations of a certain behavior coming from our own cultural backgrounds, as many others have very different cultural backgrounds and expectations of us.
Although I am middle-aged, I have never traveled outside of the United States nor have I had the privilege to experience a wide diversity of cultures. Other than research or articles that I have read throughout my life, I have little knowledge pertaining to other cultures. However, through my former employment and my daughter, I have some experience and knowledge of the Hispanic families that relocated to our area.
According to Wood (2004), diversity is America's newest cultural ideal. Furthermore, the author argued that diversity sprawls across politics, law, education, business, entertainment, personal aspiration, religion, and the arts, as an encompassing claim about human identity. Under these conditions, 21st Century organizations are shifting their recruitment and hiring policy to create a diverse workforce. Likewise, universities are instituting new admissions rules to establish a diverse student body. The importance of diversity has many roles and effects. For example, diversity can improve productivity, create innovation, enhance robustness, produce collective knowledge, and perhaps most important, sustain further diversity (Page, 2011,
"As a Texan, I have known many immigrant's families, mainly from Mexico, and I've seen what they add to our country. They bring to America the values of faith in God, love of family, hard work, and self-reliance; the values that made us a great nation to begin with (Ortiz)". One of our great president, George W. Bush, said these enhancing words and it now concerns me in this day of time. That now the world wants to imprison the Hispanic culture all for varies stereotypes. With President Trump theory of the wall this will cause many more issues not only with Hispanic immigrates but within America itself. Without the construction of the wall, America wouldn’t be wasting money, it will keep generating diversity and wall wouldn’t go against our founding father's rules and regulations.
The United States population continues to increase in racial and ethnic diversity, therefore, it is pertinent that mental health professionals tailor their services to the needs of various cultural populations (Constantine, Kindaichi, Arorash, Donnelly, & Jung, 2002). The awareness that ethnic minorities experience negative consequences from being oppressed, resulted in the multicultural competence pedagogy and has helped counselors identify effective strategies to generate social change (Hage, 2003; Vera & Speight, 2003). Social norms that cause these injustices are identified, allowing for ethnic minorities to constitute and embrace empowerment. Moreover, this consciousness helps prevent therapists own bias’ from playing
I am currently at a placement site, where there is not much diversity when it comes to race. Many of my students consider themselves white or non hispanic with the exception of seven students. Out of those seven, two identify as African American, three identify as hispanic and the other two identify with two or more races. Besides race, I have diversity amongst gender, socioeconomic status, learning styles, accommodations, and modifications. My classes are comprised of more females than males who come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Some of the students come from well off families with occupations such as pastors, educators, military personnel, business owners, and doctors while others come from farmers, grocery store workers, restaurant employees and construction workers. Though there is nothing wrong with the occupations of the parents, it is obvious that there is a difference between the
Diversity is very visible in the schools within the United States. When you enter most classrooms you see students from different nationalities. As the immigrant population continues to grow in the U.S., teachers need to make sure they take everyone’s culture into consideration when teaching. It is important for teachers to create an atmosphere where all cultures are recognized and respected. Teachers should ensure to use culturally responsive practices in order to be able to engage all the student and their families, despite where they come from.
Diversity is a very broad discussion today, it can range from race, gender, sexuality, political or religious views, or even mental disorders. In America, which is basically a melting pot of different cultures in itself seems to struggle with diversity in the one place it really shouldn’t, tv and movies. But how could the entertainment industry affect the way we view others? Simple, through representation. Representation is the act of showing off a particular group of people. Through this, the characters that belong to these groups, cultures or lifestyles act as representatives that show off how they interact with the world. This could be someones first time seeing how a person of a different race, sexuality, or religious/political views and however they are portrayed could become someone’s psychological alignment
America is greatly influenced and enhanced by the many versatile cultures which inhabit it. Cultural diversity has added to our economy in such a way that it brings innovated ideas and contact structures throughout the world. International cuisines have come to America through subcultures, have expanded the food industry, and have allowed English Americans to try new foods and flavors. Immigrants have brought with them religious values that greatly differ and vary from those at which were natural in the main stream American culture. The educational development through foreign nationals has led America, as a nation, to excel and be deemed one of the most intelligent nations in the world! Consequently, the subcultures have kept our
In the USA one of the most diverse place on earth, one would think that cultural diversity would not be an issue that needed to be addressed or be an issue at all. Right? I mean this country is probably the only place on earth where you can find nearly any nationality, ethnicity and type of people living among each other. You have Blacks, Chinese, gays, lesbians, transgender people, whites, Europeans, Africans, Middle Eastern people, Asians, and Hispanics, all on one piece of land. How can cultural diversity be a problem when the land is made up of so many different types of people? Shouldn't cultural diversity be striving in America? Unfortunately, in many parts of the USA, cultural diversity is lacking. Some of the many places that cultural diversity is lacking in the US is television, movies, the workplace, and schools. If you ever watched a movie or a TV show you mostly see one type of group being represented. For example, let's look some TV shows that take place in NYC. Let's look at friends, Seinfeld, Will and Grace, Sex and The City and How I Meet Your Mother, these shows
It's important to understand our diverse country as a result of the various different people here in the US. The reason for all the diversity is that this country is a free country, not like where most of the immigrants come from. This country is also rich in resources and jobs that any could be hired. The country has one flaw, which is that many people consider they are superior than you so they will treat you like complete dirt. They judge you because of your skin color, race, gender, culture, background, etc.. they find ways to make you feel worthless, which isn't right.
She coughed. She was sick. She had the flu. She didn’t know how she caught it. She went to see the doctor. She didn’t like the clinic. The clinic was small and damp. There were always people waiting. She sat in the waiting room. Kids were running around. People were sitting next to her. They were coughing and sneezing. She was also coughing and sneezing, too. She felt terrible. She waited for hours. They finally called her name. She quickly went to the nurse. “The doctor will see you now”, the nurse said. She went into a small room. She sat down on a bed. The doctor walked in. “Hello, Susan,” the doctor said. She told him that she had the flu. The doctors checked her symptoms. He gave her prescription. “Feel better”, the doctor said. “Thank you, doctor”, she said.