Examination of Cultural Diversity in America

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Cultural Diversity in America: Examination of African Americans and Asian Americans
Many ethnic groups reside and persist in America. Minority groups are misunderstood and undervalued in today’s society. There are many cultures, history, social relations, religious traditions, and linguistic aspects enduring in our country because of our abundant diversity. Two minority groups that are misconstrued are African Americans and Asian Americans. These two groups of people have many differences, but also have a few commonalities. African Americans and Asian Americans influence society in the United States in multiple ways, for example specifically in educational settings. Unfortunately, the dominant group, Caucasians, have difficulties interacting with African Americans and Asian Americans due to both positive and negative prejudices, biases, and stereotypes. Examining elements of African American and Asian American culture, interactions with the dominant group, and effects of the groups on a professional setting is vital in understanding the minority groups.
Elements of Culture: Examining Imperative Aspects
Cultural aspects affect how a person presents oneself. Culture incorporates different ways of life connected with a certain group of people (Healey, 2012, p. 46). African Americans and Asian Americans have distinct features within their cultures. By considering African American and Asian American culture, one will understand what encompasses or forms the individual’s attitudes, beliefs, and values. Different elements of culture that affect these groups of people include influential historical events, past and current culture, religious traditions, linguistic aspects, and social relations.
African Americans have a unique ...

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...thletics. Although none of these assumptions are true for every individual, the dominant group tends to overgeneralize and accept that they must be accurate.
Likewise, Asian Americans are susceptible to prejudices, stereotypes, and biases. Asian Americans are known as being the model minority group. The journal Sociological Perspectives discusses, “Asian Americans are believed to enjoy extraordinary achievements in education, occupational upward mobility, rising income, and are problem-free in mental health and crime. Acclamation of Asian Americans as a model minority has become the dominant theme in media portrayal (…)” (Wong, Lai, Nagasawa, & Lin, 1998, p. 95-96). The predisposition that all Asian Americans achieve high and are well off is incorrect. By judging an individual by a whole group, society misses seeing the unique individual in front of them.

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