Reflection Paper

There was a time when America was segregated; Caucasians and African Americans were forced to attend different restrooms, restaurants, and water fountains. However, the era of segregation has been terminated; now America embraces and appreciates the various cultures and ethnicities that create this melting pot several people call home. Likewise, it is this melting pot, or mosaic, of races that multitudes of individuals have identified themselves with. Thus, race and ethnicity does matter for it portrays vital and crucial roles in the contemporary American society. Furthermore, ethnicity and race brings communities together in unity, determines which traditions and ideals individuals may choose to value, and imposes an impediment for it categorizes humans unjustly.

My pre-adolescent years were spent in a community thick with diversity. My friendships were as diverse as the environment in which I lived. It never struck me that racial and ethnic ideals separated people in society. However, upon moving to a predominately white upper-class community I began to question such racial and ethnic ideas. From my adolescent years through today I began noticing that certain people are viewed differently for reasons relating to race and ethnicity. As a result, the most recent community I grew up in has kept me sheltered from aspects of society. As a product of a community where majorities existed, I found myself unexposed to the full understanding of race and ethnicity. Prior to the class I had never fully dealt with issues of race or ethnicity, as a result I wondered why they would be of any importance in my life.

of life. However, a major issue which arises with this increasing diversity is race, a topic which

How can we foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States?

Our racial ethnicity is influential in what we do in life, whether it be with school, personal relations, or even job opportunities. There are some, Americans today who hold racial prejudice against people of different color and ethnicity, which as a result narrows opportunities that minorities can actually have. In the essay “Race in America: “We Would Like To Believe We Are Over The Problem” Maryann Cusimano Love, an associate professor of international relations in the Politics Department at Catholic University, addresses the idea that “To get over racial problems” we need to acknowledge them as well as the history of difficult racial problems in order to move forward as a multicultural society.(387) Love reveals a study conducted

The book, The Color of Water by James McBride presented many aspects of cultural diversity from different individuals to groups of people. The book is an autobiography about James McBride’s mother, Ruth. The author thoroughly explains what Ruth had to go through during the time where diversity amongst individuals was clearly avoided. In addition, it explains James’ life after the death of his father and the ups and downs he encountered. After reading this book, I now have a better understanding of how important it is for people accepted the differences in each other and accept that we are a country of cultural diversity, not divided groups. The analysis of this book will thoroughly explain the positive and

The United States of America has been called a “mixing pot” since the birth of the nation. Everyone, especially politicians and educators, will proudly declare that the U.S. is a land of unmatched diversity. The U.S. seems to always be portrayed as a highly cultural territory, harboring a vast population of many races. Admittedly, the United States has come a long in terms of eliminating racial barriers and pursuing equality. All around the world, America is seen as a country of colors, yet mass media does not recognize that fact.

Lawrence W. Levine approaches the issue of ethnic relations in a slightly different light in his book, “The Opening of the American Mind”. He focuses on the two central components of the entire matter: One-way Assimilation (the melting pot ideology) and Cultural Pluralism, given that the two other models (Ethnic

Ethnicity, race, and other diverse characteristics play very important roles in today's society. James Bank believes that “social science specialists in ethnic relations have abundantly documented the fact that ethnicity and ethnic cultures are integral parts of our social system” (pg 5). What children learn in elementary school about social studies and the history of their country and heritages will help determine what kind of citizen they will be to society when they are

For this particular assignment I have chosen African Americans as the culturally diverse group. According to the text, the African American term consists of a diverse number of people, including African Americans born in this country, Africans, and individuals from the West Indies and Central and South America. Since the time of slavery, African Americans have been this country’s largest minority group. Although most African Americans are decedents of families who have been in the United States since the time of slavery, immigration has been slowly increasing over the last two decades, leading to increasing levels of linguistic and cultural diversity (Diller, 284).

Demographics in America have been reshaped in the past century. With an expansive immigration rate, the United States has grown to be a diverse country. The United States is quickly moving from being a nation that has a White Majority and minority groups of different races and ethnicities to one in which no single racial or ethnic group will be in the majority (Wilson, Gutierrez, Chao 2013). Although many minority groups are continuing to migrate on to U.S territory, some have surpassed others making them the more dominant minority in America. Latinos have surpassed African America as the largest minority, and the portion of the country that is white has fallen from roughly ninety percent to sixty percent (Hajnal, Rivera 2014).

Views that has changed since throughout my life and why they have and why they have not. Also, I will be describing a situation where diversity influenced my life. I also will be talking about how this situation has influenced my life. The second part of this essay I will be talking about the Common Read book in which has taught us students about diversity around the world after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

The United States has Changed from a Melting Pot to a Vast Culture with Varying Racial Backgrounds

When it comes to racism, religion, and family, many people would have different perspectives on these subjects. Today, I will explain the perspectives of five interviewees about these subjects, I will also list different patterns of interaction between majority and minority groups, and I will develop a K-W-L table of the racial/ethnic groups in the United States and many more information regarding these subjects.

American society is becoming increasingly culturally diverse. The 2010 Census indicates that the racial and ethnic makeup