America has often been described as a melting pot - a place where people of many different backgrounds and nationalities can come together to form a common identity - transcending individual backgrounds. The question as to whether groups with different ethnicities or countries actually do "melt"" together, or simply learn to live side by side, is a topic beyond the scope of this paper; but the fact remains that, however a misconception of the majority, race, cultural identity, and gender represent the totality of a person.
The myopic nature of this troubling view was lamented in one of the most famous speeches ever given, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."(King 2) In a nation whose Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal,"" one might be forgiven for wondering why that didn't seem obvious from the start. .
In many of the editorial introductions to the essays, stories, and songs found in "The Heath Anthology of American Literature," the editors seem to wonder the same thing and appear to have taken pains to consult a wide variety of sources for inclusion, "So that the work of Frederick Douglass, Mary Wilkins Freeman, Agnes Smedley, and others is read with the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, William Faulkner and others."" (Lauter xxiii).
At the beginning of this course, we were given an overview of indigenous literary traditions, surveyed native poetry and oral narratives, and looked at early America from the eyes of the European imagination. Even there one could argue that the English, the Spanish, and the French each, as a people, saw America very differently from the others. The styles by which each nationality approached the land and its indigenous people were quite varied. New Spain as described by Christopher Columbus, (with his descriptions of plant life, exotic animals, and the "natives, ") appears a very different place than that as described by John Winthrop, whose inspiration seems rooted in the "Lawe of Grace or the Gospell.
What makes America, "America?... The reason America is so great is due to its diversity; America views its political, economical, and social problems from all sides. ... America has come this far only because of its diversity. ... They all thought it was the best way to be a great nation, but sadly it wasn't. ... For America to stay the most powerful, it has to continue this path of diversity. ...
Diversity means different religion, different thoughts, and different ways of life, and yes, different skin colors. ... I'm Indian-American. ... I was born here, in America. America is known to many as the big "melting pot". ... As I mentioned before, I never thought myself that diversity was a bad thing. ...
Advantages of Diversity in the Classroom Until recent years, diversity wasn't fully recognized as a necessary component of education. In years past, the United States has been thought of as a country whose people were mainly of two races, black and white. The truth is, America is a nation whose citizens come from every nation of the world, and practice every known religion. It's important to have diversity in the classroom because our society has become so diverse itself. While many people consider diversity to be a combination of different races, there are actually many differ...
Common problems Although diversity is beneficial, it may also result in conflict. ... Fernandez-Aaroz (1999) tells of a joint venture involving a US-based telecommunications company that was seeking a CEO for its new division in Latin America. ... Cross-cultural communication, for example, was at one time thought to come from personality traits such as flexibility, nonjudgmental, and reflective. It is now thought that although these personality traits are helpful with cross-cultural communication, the skills can be taught. ... Summary Diversity is fact of the present day work place. ...
Managing Diversity in America is extremely important for companies to succeed. ... It is important to understand the true meaning of diversity in order to implement it in the American work force. ... The growing diversity in the American workplace is increasing rapidly... They helped understand the multiculturalism and diversity that the American workforce was experiencing, therefore making companies aware of it. ... Communication is the key for employees to understand each others differences and similarities, by working together they can make a more friendly workplace where thoughts an...
There are many ways to classify diversities yet all agree that diversities are not a choice. ... My Own Diversity What makes me diverse? ... The Diversity of a Group Native Americans have 55 different tribes in North America. ... Most of the time I have put these thoughts behind me until recently. ... The thoughts of Homosexuality are given very negative connotation. ...
As diversity and acceptance of diversity in America grows, America's sense of history, culture, and identity will become more diverse as well. ... This change can be accounted for by the increasing diversity of the population, and the increasing acceptance of minority groups in this country. ... Today as diversity rises and becomes accepted, the history of minority groups that before was an after-thought, is being revealed to the masses. ... Diversity is increasing throughout the country and it's acceptance as a part of America is showed through shows like "The Real World." ... A...
As most people are born and raised in America, ethnicity might not be considered as much in other countries. ... Diversity in Elementary schools has not been an issue since children don't understand the true meaning of diversity. ... They still don't respect diversity. The few that do understand diversity those few truly know how to experience a full happy life with diversity. ... Half of the discriminating factor goes back to teens who post nonsense or things that weren't thought twice about, has now been shared with all followers and world. ...
Cultural Diversity Cultural diversity is everywhere. ... Francis when I realized that there was a lot more cultural diversity than what I thought existed. ... Friends of mine became racist against African Americans and joined groups of people who had the same belief just because their parents were racist. ... Like in the book "Color of Water" James speaks about how some overcome diversity and others keep walls up and never accept diversity into there lives. Without cultural diversity everything would be the same. ...
