My Interpretation Of Diversity

Did the Age of Jim Crow ever end? Americans see “race” as a defined, indubitable feature of nature. Racism- the act of ascribing bone deep features to people to then humiliate, reduce, and destroy them- inevitably follows from this inalterable condition. White supremacist ideals, for instance, espouse unfounded ideas that revere the white man and scorn those of color, while also serving as a nonsensical justification for practices such as slavery, racial segregation, and Jim Crow. In “The Trouble with Diversity”, Walter Benn Michaels dismisses the concept and veracity behind race, as if it weren’t a societal issue worth addressing. To ignore the reality of race would be the equivalent of ignoring the plight and shared experiences of minority groups. “The Trouble with Diversity” insinuates that “diversity” is incompatible with the society we live in; this does not mean that people of color should have to encounter racial prejudices, whether in subtle or discernible ways.

Diversity allows us to understand the differing cultures throughout the world and gives us the ability to learn about the world around us. Without diversity, we are limiting ourselves to the cultural ideas and practices we’re involved in and aren’t understanding other ways of life around the world. My family from my mom and dad’s side come from many different backgrounds. My parents have taught me since I was a kid to respect everyone around me. I have members in my family who are European, African American, Native American, and likely other backgrounds that I haven’t been able to connect with yet. I also have family members who are part of the LGBT community. This diversity within my family has allowed me to learn about the different cultures

Over the past two decades, the issue of diversity has gained growing share and momentum in the overall literature of postsecondary education. The expansion and diversification of the total make-up of students across US colleges and universities has brought about new dimensions to the pool of subjects tackled under the umbrella of diversity. Relevant studies show that the environment on campus have an impact on students’ learning outcome (Astin, 1984), their academic performance (Tieu et al, 2009) and sense of belonging and engagement (Thompson and Caseo 2012, Zuniga et al. 2005, Bowman 2012). Creating an inclusive climate that accommodate the diverse sociocultural orientations of students empowers the institution in the first place and provides one of the core causes of success.

Ever since I began my undergraduate education, I have personally observed and benefited from the diversity of my peers. Growing up, diversity was essentially absent from my life. My hometown community is a congregation of white middle class Americans working in mostly white collar careers. I remember coming to Iowa and being blown away with the knowledge, perspective, and new understandings I gained from every interaction with someone who was unlike myself. In the past three and half year, conversations with international students have led to new friends from other countries; exposure to the different upbringing people experience has made me more aware of the benefits diversity offers. I would never have been able to accomplish the milestones I have without having the opportunity to flourish in such a diverse environment. I have complete confidence that I bring new perspectives and will contribute to immensely to the already diverse environment at the University of Minnesota.

Diversity does exist and for the purpose of this paper I will try to define it. My definition of diversity is based on my up-bringing, my life experiences, my current situation in life, my gender, and my race. I grew up in an all-white community where my family was the farm help. I went to an all-white school for the first seven years of my schooling K – 6. I had no brothers or sisters in my low-income household so I was the only black child in the whole town. One year a black family moved into town but someone burned a cross on their lawn and they quickly left. I currently live in a small agricultural town where I may be the only black person here. I work for a local government agency where out of 80 people on the floor I am the only black employee. So, I know what diversity does not look like and I know what lack of diversity feels like from my own personal lens. So, the opposite of this is what informs my definition of diversity. Diversity respects differences and similarities in people. The differences and / or similarities could be personalities, values, experiences, education levels, gender, habits, skill sets, religions or lack thereof, race, or cultures. Diversity is inclusive, seeks to understand, open, and safe. Diversity values all voices in an on-going effort to make a unified community of people whether or not if it is reflective of that

Is there a proper way to define diversity? Personally I define diversity by how everybody is unique in their own way. Rather it be by race, age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, political beliefs, etc. It’s about giving everybody a chance, even if you don’t believe or agree with their values or beliefs. Looking past the differences, but recognizing and respecting them. Learning to understand others, even when you don’t see eye to eye. Just because you have a different view than another individual, doesn’t put them in the wrong. Talking about the differences can start a good conversation between two individuals. When conversing with other individuals you want to do so in a positive nurturing way. Don’t make them feel uncomfortable about the differences, because that just makes the situation difficult. Welcome them and don’t let them feel out of place.

For me, the word “diversity” means a lot of things. First, “diversity” is the acknowledgement that every being, human and not, are not the same. Second, it is the realization that because of intersectionality people that are collectively apart of one group can be different than other members. Third, diversity is demolishment of all binaries. Fourth, diversity is the acceptance of those that are different than you and people you associate with. In conclusion, diversity is a lot and because of this is essential to most, if not all, aspects of life.

When thinking about the idea of “diversity” the first concept that comes to mind is race. Although I am culturally diverse because of my mother being Filipino and my father being Israeli I also possess other aspects of diversity. Diversity can be taken into numerous directions but I think it best represents capabilities and experiences that set people apart. I have been a member of my high school Class Council since I was a freshman. This experience has let me get to know the school staff, in addition to fellow students. I have enjoyed mentoring students, organizing junior and senior prom, participating in spirit rallies, and organizing a gift drive for our teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. This ability to work closely with a diverse

Most people today view diversity as a good thing because it gives people the chance to experience different things outside of what they are traditionally acquainted to. Diversity is all about being different and unique than others in your community. It gives us a chance to open our minds and put our attitudes aside to learn and think in a different perspective. Moreover, this could potentially lessen hostile feelings towards one another and instead empathize with each other. A few major characteristics of diversity are economic background, biology, ethnicity, education, political affiliation, language, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, and more. It’s hard to imagine life now without diversity because we would be experiencing conformity.

Far beyond the obvious ethical and humanist reasons for increasing diversity, the literature is replete with evidence that a more diverse student body or workforce produces creative and competitive advantages while also enhancing a sense of belonging. In social, academic, or professional groups, diversity enhances creativity and competitiveness and positively impacts organizational culture (Surowiecki, 2004; Chavez & Weisinger, 2008). Specific to the context of higher education, research has repeatedly concluded that increasing the diversity of a campus “leads to a broader collection of thoughts, ideas, and opinions…and a wide range of perspectives on a particular issue” (Milem, Chang, & Antonio, 2005, p.7). Chang (2001) examined the relationship

Universities across our nation undoubtedly idolize the concept of diversity, speaking of how so many of their students come from different states, countries, and even continents and issuing scholarship to those they declare diverse enough to receive. However, I am not the definition of diversity in any way.

What better way to bring character and depth to a university than to encourage diversity? The multiple avenues diversity can be defined by is vital to understand before diving into the effects diversity can have. Race, ethnicity, religion, and gender are all important to consider when looking at their effect on a student body. By looking at each individually, one can begin to imagine the monumental effects diversity has.

We live in a world where “diversity“ has become a popular topic. The term means having a heart and mind that acknowledges, accepts, values and celebrates different ways in which people live and interact all over the world. My definition of diversity would include openness to differences among people, cultures and perspectives.

Since every topic is different, we must also understand that diversity is different. There are diversity modules to teach diversity, but one size does not. Fit all. Here we will look at the specific demographics of our region for our students and our faculty and staff. We will look at the retention data, and see our bench marks. Here is also an opportunity to allow participants to here from other diverse people and their thoughts on diversity.

Diversity can be defined as a state of having a variety of different aspects or characteristics. Diversity is the coalescing of people of many different races, backgrounds, and beliefs. Other aspects of diversity include religious affiliation, gender, and sexual orientation. Diversity is important because it allows for many different opinions to be heard. In terms of trying to solve a problem, having many different viewpoints and ideas are better than having none at all. The purpose of diversity is to include and recognize each and every individual's unique characteristics.