Jessica Nosbish
ETH 125
Jennifer Friedrich
September 6, 2013

Diversity in the United States

Diversity in the United States gives us a better understanding as to what everyone goes through. Not only are people treated differently, but everyone is not treated based on their knowledge or personality, people are almost categorized and put in groups to better be described by others. Every individual is different, but everyone should be treated with respect. The United States sets a great example on what people should be treated like. Events in history like slavery, women’s rights, or equal rights are all apart of movements that are set in history to improve equal treatment. These are events that have made paths in time to let us all where we are today. There is still more things to do to improve these problems with diversity, and still more to be taught to everyone. Living in a world now that involves different diversities helps me understand who everyone is and who I am. Finding that everyone comes from a different background and everyone deserves more than just being ignored. Today there is more than just being pushed aside or looked at with grief or pity. People should be treated equally, but is everyone really treated equal, of course not, a person cannot change their understanding or thought process even though it is wrong. The truth that I can’t wrap my head around is that most people or not all are treated with some sort of discrimination. The whole concept of a person being treated as well as you treat yourself is never going to happen, not even with your significant other. Difference should not be bad; a person can be different but be accepted into society as an equal partner or person. Whenever I come across a person who is not being treated equal or given a chance of opportunity it is sad, but if just one person can come to acceptance of everyone and understand that a person is a person. The area where I grew up was mostly in the suburbs. I grew up mostly with Caucasian families. Not only was there no other families that were African American, Hispanic, or Asian, but I grew up only thinking that this was the only race even when I moved into a smaller town. Not only was there one Hispanic in my whole high school, but there was no other races. I was not aware that there are different ethnicities, so naive and young I couldn’t comprehend people that didn’t have the same skin tone. I read in books and never met another that was not Caucasian. Not only was I unaware, my parents never spoke of different races. As soon as I got a job things changed, I worked with a lot of people and met different cultures, I worked at a grocery store in the cities and found that people are different and are raised differently. Not only was I not taught of different cultures, but I was scared to approach someone that looked different. This was all new to me, being sixteen and not understanding anything about the real world. Being so dumb and young doesn’t help unless my mind is willing to learn. I was so intrigued by everyone else and wanted to know everything. I wanted to believe that everyone was equal, but I soon found out that people reflect differently on what race a person is or how much money they had. Cliques were formed and soon I wasn’t really a part of any group. Usually races stuck with each other as well as people that were in the same income class. My parents were Caucasian and didn’t have a lot of money so I feel into becoming a loner. Not only was each group diverse, but they all stuck together, no one went outside their groups even though we all worked at the same place. Now I look back at everything I was taught and what I learned on my own, I find that most people judge everyone just based on categories. Finding that everyone is judged right when they walk through the door is remarkable. I think of the same comparison as when a person is sentenced in prison. Not only when a person walks through the door,