Cultural diversity is a very prominent theme throughout McBride's, The Color of Water. It is expressed in both his description of his own childhood as well as his mother's. As the stories progress, McBride's feelings on the subject become more apparent and his ways of dealing with them begin to appear. Although it is difficult for me to directly relate my childhood with the cultural diversity faced by McBride and his mother, my travels across the country have somewhat familiarized me with the diversity of today.
Growing up, McBride faced cultural differences not only from other races but also from his own. He was an African American boy being raised by his white mother who was brought up in a Jewish family. On top of those circumstances, he went to Jewish schools while living in a black neighborhood and once old enough, spent a portion of his teen years in a different city altogether. Although well growing up he only recognized cultural diversity by its definition, as an adult it is obvious what effects it has had on his life. .
Cultural diversity is a very important subject that involves things such as, why a group of people do things the way they do and why people act how they do. These things are essential to understanding others and their cultures. By being exposed to these differences at a young age it is possible that a person can grow up having learned about other cultures and therefore having a more knowledgeable childhood. McBride, who's mother did the best she could to raise him this way, was growing up surrounded by others who were not raised in this manner and he was forced to live alongside others who knew nothing about him or his families" heritage. Situations like this led to McBride being made fun of and almost being forced to feel embarrassed about his family. .
McBride's mother, Ruth McBride Jordan, grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family living in many different places over the years.
