Summary
Diversity means understanding that each individual is unique, while recognizing and accepting individual differences. These differences can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs and other ideologies. For this paper, I have chosen to explore the differences between ethnicity, nationality, gender, and religious beliefs by interviewing “Andy” a Romanian, agnostic, non United States Citizen male, who is studying in America.
Tell me two things about being Romanian that you really appreciate or are proud of.
A: The Romanian culture is very blunt and straightforward. He prides himself on his romanian humor.
Tell me why you appreciate these things or why they make
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Without being a US citizen jobs and opportunities are scarce especially in the higher end fields. Language barriers can also be an issue with American phrases, slang, and unfamiliar items they don't have words for.(ex: tongs)
When was the first time you realized that you were different from others because of being a Romanian non US citizen?
A. When he came to America and did not know the Pledge of Allegiance.
What was that like?
A. This made him stick out to everyone around him and make it aware that he was not from this country and that he was, in fact, different.
Tell me about an incident in your life when you were treated particularly well because you are a member of this group.
A. “Being a European man in America is great for dating”. There are, also, many organizations and programs for Romanians and foreigners to get together, meet one another, and establish connections.
Tell me an incident in your life when you were treated particularly poorly because you are member of this group. A. After graduating from an American University and completely immersing himself into the American culture, he still found himself being treated poorly because he was not a citizen, which made him a liability. Employers would not hire him because he would create more work for the company( such as annual visa reports), which forced him to get a job back in
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Throughout this experience, I have learned several interesting items about being Romanian and its culture. There were three facts about romania that were expressed during our conversation that really stood out to me. First, the name Romania comes from the Latin word Romanus, which means citizen of the Roman Empire. Secondly, the Romanian Palace of Parliament in Bucharest is the second largest building in the world. Thirdly, there are vast amounts of stray dogs that roam the streets of Romania. These dogs are wolf-like, creating a fearful atmosphere of getting bitten during everyday
The Iranian Revolution of 1979 had an enormous effect on many Iranians, including those who had immigrated to other places. But not the Dumas family. They were fortunate enough to have immigrated to America before that shift in the government. They were able to experience American hospitality in its truest form. Firoozeh Dumas, a published author of “Funny in Farsi”, wrote about her and her family’s experience in America before that turning point in Iranian history. In her book, she says “We remember the kindness more than ever, knowing that our relatives who immigrated to this country after the Iranian Revolution did not encounter the same America,” (Dumas 19). This quote relates to multiple aspects of Dumas’ life being herself, her relationship with her family, and her family’s relationship with her community.
Schwartz, Stuart, and Craig Conley. Human Diversity: A Guide for Understanding. 14th ed. New York: McGraw-Hills Primis Custom Publishing, 2000. 3-7. Print.
Kottak, Conrad Phillip and Kayhryn Kozaitis 2012 On Being Different, Diversity and Multiculturalism in the North American Mainstream, 4th edition, McGraw Hill Press, New York: Chapter 1.
The real definition of diversity includes different elements of the identity and culture of each person. Diversity involves cultural differences, such as origins, religious or political affiliation, race, and gender, and other more profound differences, such as experiences and personality. As Banks argues in her research, the real definition involves several elements of our identity (149). Therefore, the way in which we define and conceptualize diversity affects the way in which we interact with people of others culture, race, and affiliations.
In such a multicultural world, being knowledgeable and understanding of not only your cultural background, but that of others is essential. Building my awareness on cultures different from my own, and how it shapes an individual’s identity, will foster my personal and professional development. Subsequently, I conducted a cultural interview with an individual whose cultural background differed from my own. Several similarities and differences between our cultures were apparent in the interview, specifically in the areas of race, ethnicity, language, values, and worldview.
Funny In Farsi: written by Firoozeh Dumas is a memoir about an Iranian girl that came to America with her family, where they settled in Southern California. Throughout the story, the author shares stories about herself and what it was like to grow up in the United States. Out of many books, this one explains what it means to be an American from the author's perspective using her own experiences and comparisons. Her father Kazem is a very optimistic, encouraging, and clever man that raised his children to be kind-hearted and goal oriented; especially his daughter, Firoozeh.
The person I interviewed for the Diversity Interview is named Lexi. She is a twenty-year old, Caucasian female. She is a junior environmental science major at Lewis University. She is the oldest child of two who lives at home with her biological mother and father. Lexi is a second generation Polish immigrant who is deeply connected with her culture. Her family is of middle-class socioeconomic status.
Loyalty to country, to her high school sweetheart and to her hometown of Visegrad, Jasmina cannot picture herself living anywhere else. (p.26) Connecting the loyalty to her homeland to her culture and the ways they took care of one another is very moving. For example, we see sharing as a cultural fact. Is sharing a character trait that appears innate to the culture? It certainly appears so, the author provides numerous examples of sharing when she recalls who pays for drinks at the café, to the sharing of clothes, to giving of the water one risked their lives to secure (P.27, 94, 143)
One of the questions I was asked most frequently when I arrived at college was "where are you from?" Unlike most students, I could not quickly answer this question. Whereas many students have spent most of their lives in one or two areas, my feeling of "home" was not that simple. I was born in Canada and lived there until I was seven; then my family moved to Belgium. After five years in Belgium, we moved to Minnesota, where I spent my high school years. As I left for college, my parents moved to Switzerland and have since divorced. Currently, my mom lives in Minnesota, and my dad resides in Liechtenstein. I am still a Canadian citizen, but have permanent residency status in the United States. While these events could have led to a confused identity and feeling of homelessness, I believe that my experiences have given me a unique perspective on the world and an ability to feel "at home" wherever I may be.
Diversity and inclusion should also apply to humans; by bringing people together who are different, it can create a whole that is enhanced by the uniqueness of each individual. What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? In this week’s readings, the subject of dimensions of cultural diversity were covered comprehensively in both books. Understanding and Managing Diversity presented a nicely laid out illustration. Primary Dimensions Secondary Dimensions Age Geographic Location Gender Military & Work Experience.
...f awareness within the country of tourism's value as an economic sector, of the opportunities it offers people throughout society and of how to interact with visitors. The staff currently employed in the industry often lacks the skills and training to perform at international service standards. Training and educational institutions provide mainly academic instruction and graduates frequently lack the practical skills required by employers. Many service staff is leaving Romania to work abroad where salaries and opportunities are perceived to be better, thus creating a shortfall of qualified staff.
Putin as a really great orator started from the kind and pathetic deepening into the common history of Crimea and Russian Empire, afterwards USSR. Usually such laudatory reminders have a relaxing effect of ecstasy on the auditory. V. Putin reminded about the recipiency of
There are many definitions relating to diversity, equity and inclusion that and sometimes the terms used interchangeably. Definitions that are helpful in understand the concepts are as follows. Diversity can be the sum of the ways that people are both alike and different. The dimensions of diversity include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, culture, regions, mental and physical ability, class, and immigration status. While diversity itself is not value-laden term, the way that people react to diversity is driven by values, attitudes, beliefs, and so on. Full acceptance of diversity is a major principle of social justice. I personally didn’t have that much knowledge about the diversity social justice because I came from
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.) defines diversity as “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements; especially, the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization”. In general, diversity is often only related with differences in race and gender. In actuality, numerous elements can determine diversification in the workplace. Elements such as skills, abilities, experience, values, age, and education could be part of a diverse footprint in an organization. Other important attributes related to diversity include disabilities, religion, sexual orientation, and marital status (Guillame et al., 2013). The adoption of diversity in the workplace has the potential to increase organizational effectiveness in many ways. Organizations that practice diversity tend to increase their capacity to innovate and make better decisions.
When most people think “Diversity” they think of the most communal characteristics: such as: Age, race, gender, sexual orientation, body type, ethnicity, and a person’s