UNA-ORLANDO - Cultural Differences-Unequal Experiences USA

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES / UNEQUAL EXPERIENCES
UNITED STATES

Around the world, the United States of America is often known as a “melting pot of cultures” due to the diverse amounts of cultures and ethnic backgrounds. With various cultural backgrounds, conflict based on culture is often a topic of discussion as the immense size and diverse heritage create one of the most culturally-complex countries in the world. Immigration is also a significant factor in why the United States has such a diverse country full of different ethnic backgrounds, creating such a unique society. Below you will find out the history of how the cultural differences between these ethnic groups have created a system of inequality with policies that have created an unequal experience for different cultural groups in America. This has created a history of systemic racism and inequality that still affects Americans of different cultural and racial backgrounds today.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEARNING RESOURCES

Background

Inequality in America

Systemic Oppression in the U.S.

America's Cultural Unity & Multiculturalism

LEARNING RESOURCES

Background

Cultural Diversity in the United StatesStudents learn about several different metaphors that have been used to describe cultural diversity in the United States. Then they choose a metaphor that represents today’s diverse cultural landscape.

Americans See Advantages and Challenges in Country’s Growing Racial and Ethnic DiversityMost value racial and ethnic diversity in the workplace, but few want employers to consider race or ethnicity in hiring and promotion decisions.

Understanding Diversity For Those New To The U.S. | USAHelloAre you new to the United States? Understand what diversity means and how people of all backgrounds live in the USA.

Inequality in America

On Views of Race and Inequality, Blacks and Whites Are Worlds ApartA new survey finds profound differences between black and white adults in their views on racial discrimination, barriers to black progress and the prospects for change.

Discrimination in America: Experiences and Views

Racial and cultural minority experiences and perceptions of health care provision in a mid-western region - International Journal for Equity in Health

Systemic Oppression in the U.S.

Systemic And Structural Racism: Definitions, Examples, Health Damages, And Approaches To Dismantling | Health Affairs Journal

Systemic Inequality: Displacement, Exclusion, and SegregationThe United States must reckon with the racism built into its housing system in order to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to build wealth.

Examining systemic racism, advancing racial equity | Stanford NewsBlack History Month is an opportunity to reflect on the Black experience in America and examine continuing systemic racism and discrimination in the U.S. – issues many Stanford scholars are tackling in their research and scholarship.

America's Cultural Unity & Multiculturalism

The Unity of AmericaDespite our many differences, Americans have always come together every Independence Day to celebrate our national birthday. Which is truly fitting. From the nation’s beginnings, our leaders have warned that strength can be found only in unity.

Unity, Multiculturalism and the American CreedNPR: At the beginning of this century, America was called God's crucible, the great melting pot. As we approach the end of the century, "melting pot" has been replaced by the buzzword "multicultural", which by some definitions separates us according to race, gender, and ethnic origin.

Creating Unity in a Diverse Society | Bush CenterYuval Levin is Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise

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EXPLORE OTHER ISSUES

PAGE MANAGERS / FEATURED ISSUES

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES / UNEQUAL EXPERIENCES

This is our original featured issue. At the time, 10 years ago, its title was RACISM. When we were first holding discussions on the issue, we would get together and all agree that racism is bad. Eventually, we realized that the topic was more than that.

Eventually we realized that we were people who enjoyed being among people who come from different places, different backgrounds, and differerent experiences. From that point on, our discussions were no longer focused on the negative aspects of race, religion, sexuality, and other social identity characteristics. It was on how it is much more fun to be among people who can bring different perspectives to our conversation rather than having everyone looking alike and thinking alike.

However, respecting and enjoying the differences among us is only one half of this featured issue. The other is half is that we all have to be mindful that people of different backgrounds are treated differently in a variety of circumstances.

When looking for articles and videos that can be used on our CULTURAL DIFFERENCES / UNEQUAL EXPERIENCES featured issues, consider the following:

SOCIAL IDENTITY (also called 'group identity' of just the one-word 'identity')

There is no single definition that perfectly describes social identity. Every time you think of a way to explain what social identity is, you can find dozens of exceptions. In general, a person's identity refers to his/her race or ethnicity, gender, age, wealth, sexuality, language, geographic origin, and more.

With all of these various forms of social identity factors, look for articles and videos that attempt to identity what it is and why it is important for people to understand what it means.

INCLUSION

I don't remember where it was, but there is information on the Internet showing the benefits of including people of diverse experience in a variety of circumstances. The circumstance I'm thinking of now is jury composition. I saw something a long time ago that first discussed the decision process of a jury if all the jurors are all white males around the same age. It then considered what happened when a juror was removed and replaces with a black woman.

Besides juries, we can also consider workplaces where all the employees are the same compared to workplaces with diversity. Sports teams, classrooms, movie and tv sets, government, police forces...

When looking for articles or videos for this Featured Issue page, try to find content that considers the dynamics of groups that are diverse and inclusive.

EXCLUSION

It seems that exclusion in the norm, that neighborhoods, workplaces, and social gathering places are comprised of people who share a similar identity. Is there anything wrong when people feel comfortable in groups where everyone is the same? Try to find articles/videos that explore the positives and negatives of single-identity groups that exclude anyone who is different

YOU

Take some time to consider your own identity. Do you belong to an identity group? Do you belong to multiple identity groups?

During a year of my life when I believed I was going to be a teacher, I taught in classrooms as a student teacher (meaning that I was a college student learning to be a teacher by actually teaching in classrooms). Every day, I would wake up with a new assignment. I never knew where it would be, what the subject would be, or what the age level would be.

When I would teach at the elementary level, it was encouraging to see students of any background all mixing together without any thought to their differences. Then when I was teaching at the junior high school level, I noticed that students still mixed together but not as much as the younger students. Then, in the high schools, I noticed that students were bunching together based on their particular identity group.

What happened? How is it that students were so comfortable with each other in their younger years but then so exclusive later on?

Try to find information on the Internet that might explain how this happens.

NOTE: This anecdote comes from the 1990s. I do hope the situation has improved since then.

HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES / UNEQUAL EXPERIENCESUNITED STATES

LEARNING RESOURCES

Background

Inequality in America

Systemic Oppression in the U.S.

America's Cultural Unity & Multiculturalism

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES / UNEQUAL EXPERIENCES
UNITED STATES