Diversity

Diversity in the United States Window on America Center Kirovohrad Oblast Research Library Named After Chizhevsky Country Study Series Karin N. Jones Community Development Volunteer, Peace Corps Ukraine

Introduction •

The U.S. has the most diverse collection of cultures in the history of the world.

•

From the beginning of the history of America, the country has been about diversity and accepting people from all over the world.

•

Without its rich mixture of religions, races, and cultures, America would not be the nation that it is today. − Founded upon the basis of equality and freedom for all, America acts as a stage where intensely different cultures not only coexist, but also thrive and create a nation.

•

American innovation has been fueled by diversity.

•

Diversity is what make the United States complete.

What is diversity?

•

Diversity means, in the context of society, having a mixed community of people from all walks of life. − When people talk about diversity and having a diverse community, they generally mean that they want to see all minority groups represented in that community.

•

Cultural diversity also means cultural differences that exist between peoples, such as language, arts and pastimes, dress and traditions, differences in the way societies organize themselves, moral and religious differences.

•

Cultural diversity is easily identifiable but not easy to quantify.

What does diversity do for a society?

•

Scholar Joel Barker said the wealth and power of a civilization is directly dependent on its ability to mine the diversity of its people.

•

Although diversity represents all the ways we are different, it does not say one culture is better than the other; it allows for cultural differences.

•

Diversity acknowledges and uses these inherent differences to drive innovation and business growth.

•

Diversity also prompts personal growth and a healthy society.

•

Diversity strengthens communities and the workplace.

•

Diversity enhances America’s economic competitiveness.

Aspects of Diversity •

Age

•

Race

•

Religion

•

Gender

•

Ethnicity

•

Sexual orientation

•

Physical attributes

•

Disabilities

In other words, diversity is very broad in scope and includes all of us.

Racial diversity in the United States In 2010 in the United States Census, 308,745,538 people were counted.

0,2% 4,8% 0,9%

2,9%

White

6,2%

Black/African American American Indian/Alaskan Native

12,6%

Asian

72,4%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Two or more races Some other race

Racial diversity in the United States is growing •

From 2000 to 2010, all major race groups in the U.S. grew, but the one that grew fastest, by 43 percent, was Asian (from 10.2 million to 14.7 million). − The one that grew the slowest was White.

•

People who are of Hispanic origin classify themselves as White or some other race. − This is because there is a difference between race and ethnicity.

•

The most significant growth in minority populations in the U.S. has been in the south and west parts of the country. − The South experienced growth of 34 percent in its minority population. Similar growth occurred in the West, with the minority population increasing by 29 percent.

•

States with the highest percentage of minority population: − California (22.3 million). Texas (13.7 million), New York (8.1 million), Florida (7.9 million), and Illinois (4.7 million).

Racial diversity in the United States Where do racial minorities live in the U.S.?

Diversity in the United States •

When different types of impairment groups are taken as a whole, people with disabilities make up 15 percent of the U.S. population.

•

An estimated two to 10 percent of the population is gay/lesbian.

•

One in every seven Americans speaks a language other than English at home.

•

The consumer buying power among the four primary U.S. minority groups—African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians—nearly doubled in the 1990s, and grew at a far faster rate than overall U.S. buying power.

•

The buying power of gay and lesbian consumers is expected to grow to a total of $835.3 billion by 2011.

•

By 2014, the participation rate of people aged 55 to 64 in the labor force is projected to be 65.2%.

Why is diversity important?

•

The global market in which United States businesses operate is very competitive.

•

The makeup of the U.S. population has changed dramatically in the past fifty years.

•

More recently, individuals began celebrating their differences instead of trying to “fit in”, as previous generations did.

Melting pot versus mosaic •

Traditionally, the American approach to diversity has been assimilation.

•

The United States has been called the “melting pot” society. − Newcomers to this country were expected to adapt their “old world” values and culture to fit the values and lifestyles of the “new world.” − Cultural differences were metaphorically placed into a big pot where they were “melted” or blended together. − In theory, the “melting pot” would result in one culture, language, and lifestyle for everyone in this country.

•

Today, the terms “mosaic” society and “tossed salad” are replacing the “melting pot” concept. − In a “mosaic” society, individuals maintain their own cultural patterns, such as language, lifestyle, and religious practices. − Differences are valued and appreciated, as when countless colored stones join together to form a mosaic. − As a result, individuals can be proud of their cultural heritage and uniqueness instead of being ashamed of their differences.

Understanding Diversity •

Diversity is more than just tolerating differences. It is respecting, appreciating, and understanding the varying characteristics of individuals.

•

Everyone is unique and no single person is a representative of a certain group. Stereotypes and other racial biases/prejudices are damaging to everybody.

•

People may fear diversity simply because they are accustomed to the way things used to be and change makes them uncomfortable.

•

Others may somehow feel threatened because they perceive increased participation by traditionally underrepresented groups in the workplace and the political process as a challenge to their own power.

•

If left unaddressed, these fears can lead to resentment and bigotry.

•

Respect for each others’ cultural values and belief systems is an intrinsic part of cultural diversity.

Lack of respect is often based on ignorance or misinformation.

•

If you do not understand another's values, lifestyle, or beliefs, it is much easier to belittle them.

What are stereotypes?

•

Stereotypes are generalized assumptions concerning the traits or characteristics of all members of a particular group. − They are frequently (although not always) negative and generally incorrect. − Negative stereotypes actually discourage closer contact, preventing the person holding the stereotype from discovering what the individual victims of these stereotypes are really like.

•

Stereotypes often form the basis of prejudice, a premature judgment about a group or a member of that group made without sufficient knowledge or thought.

•

We can also develop prejudices towards a whole group based on a single emotional experience with one person.

•

Prejudice demonstrates an unfair bias that does not allow for individual differences, good or bad. It violates the standards of reason, justice, and tolerance.

Prejudices •

Many of us recognize our own irrational prejudices (they may concern places, foods, ideas, etc., as well as people) and work to overcome them.

•

Bigots are those persons who obstinately cling to their prejudices, displaying a degrading attitude towards others to whom they feel superior. − Various groups have been and continue to be the victims of bigotry, including racial, ethnic and religious groups, women, persons with disabilities, and gays and lesbians.

•

We are intolerant if we reject or dislike people because they are different, for example, of a different religion, different socio-economic status, or have a different set of values.

•

Intolerance harms not only its intended victims, but society at large, as well.

•

Prejudice can be manifested in personal bias, discriminatory practices, and - at its worst acts of violence.

Seven Underlying Principles About Diversity 1.

Diversity is an inside job, which means that diversity is not about “them.� It is about each person coming to terms with his or her attitudes, beliefs, and experiences about others and gaining comfort with difference.

2.

Diversity goes beyond race and gender.

3.

No one is the target of blame for current or past inequities. The idea is to move forward in creating more opportunities.

4.

Human beings are ethnocentric, seeing the world through their own narrow view and judging the world by their familiar set of beliefs. This is not bad in itself, but it can be a source of conflict if other ways of being are not accommodated and valued.

5.

The human species resists changes, continuing to seek stability. This makes the constant adaptation required by diversity difficult for people.

6.

Human beings find comfort and trust in likeness. We tend to seek the company of those most similar to us in a variety of ways‌ age, gender, and ethnicity being just several of many.

7.

It is difficult for people to share power. History shows us that we rarely do it voluntarily.

All of these things about humans do not make people mean-spirited or cruel. It just makes us humans.

Nevertheless, these realities make dealing with diversity a challenge.

What can you do to encourage tolerance for diversity?

•

Recognize differences as diversity rather than abnormal behavior or inappropriate responses to the environment.

•

Respect the benefits of diverse values and behaviors to people and to the organization.

•

Accept that each culture finds some values more important and some behaviors more desirable than others.

•

Understand the effect that historic distrust has on present-day interactions.

•

Have a clear sense of your individual culture.

•

Recognize your own ethnocentricity—the ways in which you stereotype, judge, and discriminate, and your emotional reactions to conflicting cultural values.

•

Understand how the culture of your organization affects those whose culture is different.

•

Recognize the similarities that are shared across the “human culture,” regardless of the differences that exist among individual cultures and groups. − These include, but are not limited to: desire for safety, good health, education and well-being of our children, love and belongingness, selfesteem (feeling of worthiness), and the ability to pursue and achieve our potential.

Conclusion •

Diversity, first and foremost, teaches us to accept differences in others and look beyond the base emotions of language, culture, race and color that makes us racists or sexists, for example. − It teaches us to be more open and accepting of things that are different than us and in that process makes us more adjustable and open.

•

Diversity has emerged as a fundamental asset for social and economic sustainable development at a global level.

•

A world of peace and solidarity can only be accomplished by acknowledging and celebrating our diversity

•

The United States of America thrives on diversity. A synthesis of the world’s plentiful and varied races, religions, and cultures, America is a home to all, such that no one group can call itself more “American” than another.

Quotes about diversity •

“Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.” Ola Josep

•

“America is not like a blanket ‐ one piece of unbroken cloth. America is more like a quilt ‐ many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven together by a common thread.” Reverend Jesse Jackson

•

“Men hate each other because they fear each other, and they fear each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other because they are often separated from each other.” Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

•

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value, no matter what their color.” Maya Angelou

•

“There were never in the world two opinions alike, no more than two hairs or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity.” Michel de Montaigne

•

“The wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men.” John F. Kennedy

Thank you for reading this country study on diversity!

Check out our other country studies at http://www.library.kr.ua/woa/prezent_e.html