Reflective Essay On Bicultural Diversity

When America was founded, it was established on freedom and equality for all people. At first it was just religious freedom, but eventually freedom of speech, press, petition, and more. In time, America began to be known as a “melting pot” of cultures as more and more people came because they wanted this freedom; the more people who came though, the more problems America had. There were too many cultural discrepancies between people, and ultimately America, the country based on freedom and equality, faced challenges concerning diversity.

In sixteen years of life, I have received an opportunity to experience different cultures, learning styles, and languages. To start of, I am an American since I was born here, but the reality is that I was raised in India. My parents’ main motivation for moving back to India was because they wanted us to embrace our traditions, and most importantly, value our family relationships. We relocated back to the US at the start of 9th grade. This transition was a huge factor for transforming me as a person. I am cognizant of the two systems, cherish both, and realize that these multicultural experiences have encouraged me to grow and mature beyond my years. Relocating from a place is not as easy as one can imagine. When compared to the US, India

Being a minority, at a predominately white institution (PWI) means, constantly seeing images on websites and social media about how “diverse” your school is. You’re, also, constantly hearing about innovative and new policies being put into place to make your institution “more inclusive” for all races. The truth is, it’s all bullshit.

In order to promote social justice and cultural diversity, Americans should strive to find change through the following: education, community involvement through open and relevant dialogue and social and civil activism which is necessary to promote change within American society. It was Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, who once said in reference to social justice “Honest communication is built on truth and integrity and upon respect of the one for the other.” In order to promote social justice and diversity, it is critical that a clear definition of the terms are gained in order to apply them to the education process.

When thinking about cultural competence, it is hard to really understand without knowing what it actually means. According to Sue & Sue “Cultural competence is an active, developmental, and ongoing process, that is something people achieve through ambition rather than it just being achieved” (2003). What kind of competencies it takes to be successful working in a culturally diverse workplace, and how to develop these competencies are two things this paper will discuss. Also, a personal view-point from the author on; what kinds of strengths she has and what areas she needs improvement in regards to cultural competence, and a few ways she feels she could improve those areas in which she needs improvement.

I woke up at three in the morning on Election Day last fall to check the news. I was studying abroad in France, eager to watch the results from my first time voting in a presidential race. Filled with excitement about the prospect of a female president, I joined my American friends several hours later for breakfast at a nearby hotel. But as more and more Americans trickled into the room that morning, the mood began to change drastically. The expressions on all our faces as we watched the results come in from state after state quickly became disappointed and angry. Shock overwhelmed the room. After breakfast, I went to coffee with my peers to talk through some of what we had just seen. For most of the kids in my program, the results had come

I must admit that before I began taking this class I took for granted how much racism still exists in this country. I have started to put more thought in to the way the world really is, the topics discussed in class have started to catch my interest. When I first started reading the Tatum book I was mad when I read her version of the word “racism”. I thought to my self “I personally have never held down the black race, what does she mean?” As I progressed in the book I was starting to understand what she meant about the system of advantages that white people are given. I also understood this better when I read Elizabeth Munich’s list of examples of how there are advantages to being white. I couldn’t help agreeing with her

Advocacy for minority ethnic populations plays an important role promoting equality and social justice when pertaining to cultural diversity. Advocacy empowers the health care provider to takes into consideration a person’s cultural background than integrate and facilitate culturally applicable amenities that will help improve an individual’s outcome. Throughout this paper I will discuss an ethical dilemma that I have encountered during my nursing practice, explain how the individuals involved perceived the dilemma, identify the conflicting values and beliefs from each party and discuss the lack of my understanding of the patients cultural. Furthermore, in this paper I will also define culturally

One question that I have about a concept is, from chapter six: Culture and Diversity. With Stereotype threat the book states to help combat the effects of this: say that intelligence can be improved, and reframing the test as a tool to sharpen your mind to lessen the impact of the threat. What would you do is the issue was with the student's friends?

Culture and diversity are a huge part of our everyday lives. "Diversity refers to all of the ways in which people are different"(1) and culture refers to language, beliefs, and rules. There are many aspects of diversity that make up our personal identity. Four specific ones that come to mind for me personally are, that I was born and raised in the same place known as Kennewick WA, my whole family, immediate and extended live in the same region, I am a Christian and grew up in the church, and I was homeschooled when I was younger then put into public school. Those are all things that are unique to me and have influenced my personal diversity.

Since I started this class, I have a learned a great deal about cultural diversity in the classroom and abroad. My perspective has changed slightly but my knowledge of this subject has improved. In my family, my father taught me about the civil rights movement and the evils of segregation in the U.S. My parents taught me to be tolerant of all humans, no matter what they look like, how they dress, or their sexual orientation. My family has always been liberal thinkers who taught me the dark history of racism and bigotry in this country. As an educator I would be accepting to all race, creeds, and religious peoples.

According to the SJSU Communication Studies department, “Diversity explores the variety and complexity of communication efforts to shape beliefs, values, and perceptions in different communities and cultures.” Diversity is one of the four major cornerstones in the department, and although each and every cornerstone speaks to me, diversity is critical to me because it is what made me who I am today.

“We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community - and this nation (Cesar Chavez).” This quote has one meaning overall that I love. We need to honor the ethnic and cultural diversity that helps our community grow along with our nation. Without diversity, our country and community our world would be boring and dull.

The cultural composition of America is rapidly changing. Researchers estimate that by the year 2050 more than half of the nation’s population is comprised of people from different ethnic and cultural minority groups (Guzman, Hill-Menson, & Greve, 2007). The trend of greater cultural and ethnic diversity in America has resulted in a change in the cultural dynamics and complexities in many communities and neighborhoods across the country. Neighborhoods once segregated by race and ethnicity, such as Walt Kowalski’s, have become more diverse in both race and ethnicity. Despite an increase in the cultural makeup of many neighborhoods, racism, bias, and prejudice still exist in many (Guzman et. al., 2007). For this reason, many people like Walt Kowalski need to gain the necessary skills to develop cultural competence, allowing them to interact positively with people from other cultural backgrounds. One way to develop cultural competence for a man like Walt Kowalski is to assist him in gaining a better understanding of himself and the Asian culture of his neighbors.

What is culture? Are we that different? The English Anthropologist Edward B. Taylor explained it in his work Primitive Culture as “Culture or civilization is a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and other capabilities acquired by human as a member of society.”