Understanding Diversity
Diversity In America

The best way to answer the question, what information about diversity in the United States has helped me better understand or relate to others in ways that I may not have in the past? I first look at the word diversity. Diversity means the condition of having or being composed of differing elements; variety, the inclusion of different types of people, as people of different races or cultures in a group or organization. America is a melting pot of many different races, religions, and ages. I have learned that just because we live in a diverse environment and understand others diverse ideas, does not mean that it will be accepted or embraced by the masses. To think with diversity is to truly hear everyone’s voice and work towards solutions that will adequately satisfy the nucleus. Majority is still the ruler in this country. What group is the most dominant by size ultimately controls the outcome of most decisions made. In the article “Assessing American Diversity” author Keith Orndoff states while some states in America are truly becoming more diverse, many other states refuse to change in terms of race, age, and religion (K.Orndoff 2003). The larger cities of America are the most diverse and the suburban areas lack diversity. Orndoff states how this may create a more regional demographic in these areas, assuming the country will respond like two different countries within itself. Regardless of how America’s future may or may not play out, all Americans must be held accountable for its outcome. No; we may not see eye to eye with many issues, like religion, ethnicity, cultural practices, sexuality, political, social, educational, and age, but we all are a part of the American equation, and if we are not all involved in its processes, then we will always be an unbalanced nation.

Diversity Challenges In America

What challenges does the United States face due to the diversity of its people? In the article The challenges of diversitywritten by Keating-Biltucci, Mary Therese, RDH, BS, states many in-depth scenarios of how we as Americans are so quick to pre judge based off our inherited and environmental characteristics. We as people living in America have a very long road to go before we can say that we are a unified country. We have many challenges to face before we get there. Not saying that we cannot get there, but the possibility of never reaching that mark is safe to assume. We as human being naturally fear differences. Differences promote change, and change can be a scary thing, especially when we assume those changes can hinder the ethnicity of a group. So we naturally avoid or resist interaction. Most of us fall into these guidelines, one way or another. This is where racism exists. The challenge is not to look at ourselves; the challenge is how we view each other. We view each other by a set of internal dimensions. These internal dimensions are age, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and physical ability (Keating-Biltucci, Mary Therese, RDH, BS 2011). This challenge is multiplied by the increasing financial crisis. I have personally noticed an increase in racial tension due to the re-election of Barrak Obama. The number one issue was the health care and financial outcome of America. This has divided political parties to the point that no one is willing to change to make things better for the masses. One of the biggest benefits of being a part of a diverse nation is that we can educate ourselves in other cultures. The increase of ethnic culture as influenced the food we eat, music, clothing and other new wave main stream norms.
Media Diversity

In today’s media we are seeing greater improvements when discussing people of color, but still strive more diverse branding. Media has become a form of social understanding. The problem is what the creator of the media steering wheel, wants you to understand. The faces in media like commercials,