#81: For Non-Divisive Diversity (PART 3)

【Our Differences】
To celebrate diversity means to celebrate people of all backgrounds.
 
Although we often think of race or nationality when it comes to diversity, we also capture our uniqueness in many other ways including ethnicity, religion, or socio-economics. And it’s true that the more we embrace diversity, the more we tend to become mindful of categories.
 
For instance, race as in Asian, African, or Caucasian is one such category. Or nationality as in American, Japanese, or German is another. We frequently catch ourselves using socio-economic category of the rich and the poor. Also, as cited in the previous few posts, a religious category as in Christian or Muslim, just to name a few.
 
To celebrate diversity, we must respect the uniqueness in each category and warmly welcome the ingrained culture of every background. Rather than boxing people into a narrow category, we must always remember to respect the individuality of each person as no one can simply be defined by a category or a combination of them.
 
No doubt, this begins with accepting the differences--those that already exist, and those that will likely emerge in the future. Embracing the differences with a warm welcome is essential in celebrating diversity.
 
One thing we share in common is our natural desire to Live my life the way I want. That’s why the more welcomed our differences are, and the more freedom we have, the more accepting we become of the differences for the greater good of each and every one of us. That is, diversity breeds unity, whereas sameness breeds division. It’s counterintuitive, but it’s true.
 
It’s because by expanding our generosity toward the differences, we can welcome people from all walks of life and build together for the better tomorrow of each and every one of us.

However, once this virtuous cycle is thrown off balance, our differences can morph into an agent of division instead of unity. For example, although we’ve witnessed great improvement in the past few centuries, even in America today, some people in the White American communities resist to welcome the African American history.
 
When speaking of African American background, the agony of past slavery and on-going racism cannot be separated from our history. Nevertheless, the states where majority of people still cling to the White privilege including Tennessee, Florida, and Idaho restrict public schools from teaching historical facts that may make White American students feel uncomfortable.
 
To ensure that past tragedy will never again fall upon anyone, we must honestly confront the realities of our history no matter how harsh they may be. We must educate with honest facts at our schools, engage the students in discussions, express opinions, and delve deeply into the truth.
 
Facing the harsh yet honest facts builds true pride, whereas looking away or gravitating toward the easy way out fabricates hollow pride. For that reason, it’s disappointingly foolish to cling to the White privilege especially when it comes to educating our children.
 
What’s more, some people in the White American communities resist to welcome the African American culture as part of the American culture. The terrible truth is that a regrettably sizable number of people behave as if the White culture is the only American culture.
 
This signifies the unwelcoming attitude toward African American background. And naturally, when our own background is denied recognition, we push even harder to gain fair recognition. As such, many African Americans devote even more energy into asserting of their distinct culture and differences.
 
Likewise, we witness a similar pattern unfolding with many other minority groups including Latinx Americans and Asian Americans. Each minority group earnestly pushes to gain fair recognition as part of the American culture by asserting of their distinct differences.
 
Not surprisingly, this pattern also holds true across the world. For instance, the differences between Japanese and Korean-Japanese. The deep rift between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims. Or Chinese and Hong Kongers. Or those born into wealth and those born into poverty. The rift compels people to assert of their distinct differences, to gain fair recognition.
 
Sadly, the more we assert of our differences, the more we may become preoccupied and absorbed with these differences, which in turn can breed division instead of understanding of one another. Had we from the beginning embraced our differences, had we warmly welcomed each of our unique cultures, we could’ve enjoyed diversity rather than roiled by division.
 
In pursuit of non-divisive diversity, it’s imperative that we start by respecting the individuality of people from all walks of life, and warmly welcome the ingrained culture of every background. 

Read Next: For Non-Divisive Diversity (4)【National Borders】
Read Previous: For Non-Divisive Diversity (2)【Perspective】
 
Complete Series: For Non-Divisive Diversity (1)～(7)
[1]   [2]   [3]   [4]   [5]   [6]   [7]   
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Read Theme: Inclusive Diversity