The Importance of Diversity in the United States

1294 Words3 Pages

The material I have studied about diversity in the US has definitely given me a better understanding and has allowed me to relate to others in ways that I may not have in the past. Being a young adult, I found myself being influenced by different social stigmas and stereotypes set forth by society. We often tend to forget the importance and the values that a culturally diverse US brings forth. Instead of poking fun of other ethnic backgrounds and culturally diverse groups we can learn from them. The US continues to grow more and more due to immigration. The numerous amounts of different cultures, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and beliefs all make up what we know as the “melting pot” in which we live. It is common to fear the unknown. This is what gives birth to prejudice, being judgmental towards others and discrimination. Being a minority myself and having parents from 2 different cultures helped me gain a better understanding of the constant struggle we must endure to become accepted, respected and successful. The population of the US is projected to have a significant increase by 2050. This will be primarily due to immigration giving credit to the Asian and Hispanic communities. The dramatic increase will be due to migration and high birth rates of immigrants, especially Hispanics. According to studies, the number of immigrants will rise from 1.4 million per year in 2005 to approximately 2.1 million per year by 2050. In my opinion, majority of immigrant families are larger in number. Therefore the birth rates of 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants will play important role in this significant increase. In addition, the golden promise of our land of opportunity will continue to be a factor. Many families wil... ... middle of paper ... ...er young Latino men in my community. I can mentor children through my love of sports. Trust and respect can be exhibited through sportsmanship. It can also teach responsibility and can be seen in my desire to continue my education and reach for my goals despite of the obstacles and constant struggle. I can lead by example. I do not have to engage in conversations which appear prejudice or disrespectful to the cultures. If I chose to participate in such forum, I can do so with the intentions of opposing negativity and shedding light on the more positive aspects. It is a favorable quality to be able to voice opinions that will only end with positive results or lay the grounds for continued forum. Each one of us is responsible for our own behaviors and should always keep in mind that diversity is a good thing if we allow ourselves to prosper and grow from it.

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