Cultural Diversity:

Towards A Whole Society

adapted from an article by Mara Hurwitt (2010)

"In Germany they first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak
up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't
speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me - and
by that time no one was left to speak up."

- Rev. Martin Niemoller

Celebrating Diversity

Look around and you will see that our society is very diverse. Diversity
enriches our lives. Much as the biological diversity of an ecosystem increases
its stability and productivity, cultural diversity brings together the resources
and talents of many people for the shared benefit of all. Sadly, the differences
among us have historically formed the basis of fear, bigotry, and even
violence. Yet consider how dull life would be if we all looked alike, thought
alike, and acted alike! By learning to recognize our similarities and appreciate
our differences, together we can overcome prejudice and intolerance and work
towards a more peaceful and productive world.

People may fear diversity simply because they are accustomed to the way
things used to be and change makes them uncomfortable. Others may
somehow feel threatened because they perceive increased participation by
traditionally underrepresented groups in the workplace and the political
process as a challenge to their own power. If left unaddressed, these fears can
lead to resentment and bigotry. However, these fears can often be countered
through education. Dr. Samuel Betances, professor emeritus at Northeastern
Illinois University and noted author and lecturer offers this observation:

"Education universalizes the human spirit. You cannot be

universalized if you are only in one world, the world of your ethnic
group, the world of your neighborhood, the world of your religion, or
the world of your family. The word ‘university’ is related to this idea.
Our lives are enhanced when we understand and appreciate many
worlds. It has been said that if you gain a new language, you gain a
new world. I believe that the reverse is also true: if you lose a
language, you lose a world. When our spirit is universalized, we can
cross boundaries and feel comfortable in other worlds. We can teach
 and learn from others in a mutually supportive effort to acquire a
profound respect for the human condition."

Unlike assimilation - where everyone's differences are lost in a giant melting

pot - multiculturalism advocates the idea that maintaining our different
cultural identities can enrich us and our communities. Multiculturalism does
not promote ethnocentrism or seek to elevate one cultural identity above
another. Instead, it celebrates diversity by allowing us to value our individual
heritages and beliefs while respecting those of others. Respect for each others'
cultural values and belief systems is an intrinsic part of cultural diversity.
Lack of respect is often based on ignorance or misinformation. If you do not
understand another's values, lifestyle, or beliefs, it is much easier to belittle
them. And so the seeds of prejudice and intolerance are sown.

The Roots of Intolerance

"Tolerance and human rights require each other"

- Simon Wiesenthal

People can be categorized in many ways, such as by gender, race, religion,

ethnicity, language, income, age, or sexual orientation. Unfortunately, these
categories are sometimes used to label people unfairly or to saddle them with
stereotypes.

Stereotypes are generalized assumptions concerning the traits or

characteristics of all members of a particular group. They are frequently
(although not always) negative and generally incorrect. Ironically, negative
stereotypes discourage closer contact, preventing the perpetrator from
discovering what the individual victims of these stereotypes are really like.

Stereotypes often form the basis of prejudice, a premature judgment about a

group or a member of that group made without sufficient knowledge or
thought. We can also develop prejudices towards a whole group based on a
single emotional experience with one person. Prejudice demonstrates an unfair
bias that does not allow for individual differences, good or bad. It violates the
standards of reason, justice, and tolerance.

Many of today's prejudices have their roots in thousands of years of human

history, such as the institution of slavery in America, the slaughter of
European Jews by Christians en route the Holy Land during the Crusades, and
numerous religious wars between Catholics and Protestants. Other biases are
based on personal experiences and influences.

A number of sociologists attribute prejudice to modern social problems,

including urban decay and overcrowding, unemployment, and competition
between groups. Research suggests that people of lower (but not the lowest)
socio-economic status or who have lost status are more prejudiced because
they seek scapegoats to blame for their misfortune. Backlashes against
minority groups are therefore more likely during periods of severe economic
downturn and increased unemployment.

Many of us recognize our own irrational prejudices (they may concern places,
foods, ideas, etc., as well as people) and work to overcome them. In contrast,
bigots are those persons who obstinately cling to their prejudices, displaying a
degrading attitude towards others to whom they feel superior. Various groups
have been and continue to be the victims of bigotry, including racial, ethnic
and religious groups, women, persons with disabilities, and gays and lesbians.

We are intolerant if we reject or dislike people because they are different, e.g.,
of a different religion, different socio-economic status, or have a different set
of values. Intolerance harms not only its intended victims, but society at large,
as well. Paul Kurtz observes:

"A tolerant society is more likely to engender mutual trust and cooperation. It
tends towards a more peaceful society; insofar as we are willing to learn from
others, we are more able to negotiate and compromise our differences. In a
tolerant society there is thus apt to be less cruelty, hypocrisy, and duplicity,
less dogmatism, hatred, and fanaticism. In short, the principle of tolerance
contributes to the common good and to a more humane society, and it is
justified on pragmatic, consequential, and utilitarian grounds."

Prejudice can be manifested in personal bias, discriminatory practices, and - at

its worst - acts of violence. Although we have made significant progress in
eliminating discrimination, we still have a long way to go. Taking America's
Pulse II, a nationwide survey conducted in early 2000 by the National
Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), found the following:

 Gays and lesbians are the most discriminated against group in

America, followed by African-Americans
 In just one month, 42% of blacks experienced at least one episode of
discrimination, and 12% suffered such an experience two or more
times
 Even though only 8% of Asians believe their race experiences a great
deal of discrimination, 31% report suffering unfair treatment and
discrimination individually
 16% of Hispanics and 13% of whites also report having experienced at
least one occurrence of discrimination during the prior month.

The survey also revealed that, while interracial and interethnic contact has
increased, Americans remain less familiar with religious groups other than
their own. This lack of knowledge can contribute to prejudice and
discrimination against members of different religions. Religious tolerance
means acknowledging and supporting that individuals have the right to their
own beliefs and related legitimate practices, without necessarily accepting
those beliefs or practices oneself. But ignorance often fosters intolerance.
Sadly, religious leaders are sometimes the worst opponents of tolerance,
advocating bigotry and even hatred towards the followers of other religions.

Throughout history and continuing to the present, religious bigotry has led to
severe acts of persecution around the world, including:

 Roman persecution of early Christians

 The Christian persecution and extermination of Jews, from the late 4th
century in the Roman Empire
 The Nazi Holocaust which systematically killed about 6 million Jews,
400,000 Roma (Gypsies), an unknown number of Jehovah's Witnesses
and others.
 The Sudan government's current war of extermination against
Christians and Animists
 In Northern Ireland where Roman Catholics and Protestants have
assassinated thousands of followers of each other's faith groups
 In Tibet where Tibetan Monks are persecuted by the ruling Chinese
government
 In Bosnia where Christians committed genocide against Muslims
 In the Middle East where Israel is commiting genocide against
muslims.

Certain religious beliefs have also been used to justify bigotry based on sexual
orientation, although religion is not the only source of this form of prejudice.
As the Taking America's Pulse II survey found, gays and lesbians are
perceived as the most likely target of discrimination today.

Young people, in particular, have been victimized by the hostile environment

created by anti-gay bigotry. According to a survey conducted by the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force in 1984, nearly 50% of gay men and 20% of
lesbians were harassed or assaulted in secondary school. A 1989 study by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Youth Suicide
found that 28% of gay and lesbian youth drop out of school because of being
made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe, and that gay and lesbian youth are two
to three times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.

From Hatred To Hate Crimes

"When the dust settles and the pages of history are written, it will not be the
angry defenders of intolerance who have made the difference. The reward will
go to those who dared to step outside the safety of their privacy in order to
expose and rout the prevailing prejudices."

- Bishop John Shelby Spong

Left unchecked, bigotry and hatred frequently lead to acts of aggression.

Powerful, persuasive messages of hate can incite violence against innocent
victims. Despite its many positive aspects, the Internet has become a major
vehicle for spreading hate. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has found
that:

"The hate we see expressed on the Internet today is more pervasive, more
virulent, more insidious and more threatening than anything extremists of past
decades could have imagined. The Internet allows bigots to reach millions of
people at little or no cost. Thousands of pages of hateful propaganda,
frequently produced by groups with histories of violence, are now available at
the click of a mouse.

HateWatch is another organization that actively monitors hate groups on the

internet. Incorporated in 1996, it provides a web-based educational resource to
combat the growing threat of on-line bigotry. HateWatch claims to maintain
the most up-to-date catalog of hate groups using the web to recruit and
organize followers.

The link between hatred and violence is well documented, and these extremist
groups can play a significant and dangerous role in influencing some people to
commit acts of violence.

Hate-motivated incidents and hate crimes are now receiving greater attention,
and the latter are, in many instances, classified as a special category of
criminal behavior.

Hate-motivated incidents are expressions of hostility motivated by bias

against the victim's race, religion, ethnic/national origin, gender, age,
disability or sexual orientation. They are generally defined as behaviors that
do not constitute criminal acts and may include non-threatening name-calling,
racial/ethnic slurs, hateful speech, or disseminating racist leaflets. These
activities become crimes only when they put a potential victim in reasonable
fear of physical harm or directly incite perpetrators to commit violence against
persons or property.

A hate crime is a criminal offense committed against persons or property that

is motivated, in whole or in part, by bias against an individual's or a group's
race, religion, ethnic/national origin, gender, age, disability or sexual
orientation. These include threatening phone calls, hate mail, physical
assaults, fire bombings, and cross burning, as well as property crimes such as
arson or vandalism, particularly those targeting community centers or houses
of worship.

Embracing Diversity

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin
but by the content of their character."

- Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Psychologists and educators agree that we have a strong influence on our

children's views about diversity. If we remain silent, they will likely take their
cue from other sources, not necessarily positive or healthy ones. You can help
children develop their own attitudes towards cultural diversity by giving them
accurate information about their own heritage and about other cultures and by
helping them to understand that bigotry and intolerance are hurtful.

It is important to promote a strong, positive self-image from the first years of

life. Building and maintaining a healthy self-identity is a life-long process and
includes learning to get along with people different from ourselves. While it is
fine to be proud of your own cultural identity or heritage, it doesn't mean that
yours is superior to someone else's.

Children need to be taught to respect others and not to pre-judge them. We can
help them see that there is much to learn from people who are different from
ourselves, including those who live far away or lived long ago. We must teach
them to behave respectfully towards other people and make it clear that it is
wrong to tease or reject a person because of his or her appearance or heritage.
We must also make them understand that some people behave in harmful
ways towards others, and that their behavior should not be tolerated.

Bias based on gender, race, disability, or social class creates serious obstacles
to all young children's healthy development. Children can begin to learn at an
early age to resist bias and to value the differences between people as much as
the similarities.

Teach them how to challenge biases and let them know that unjust things can
be changed - and that they can help change them. Remember that children will
model your behavior towards others. You set a good example when you:

 Treat others with respect;

 Avoid using stereotypes (even seemingly positive ones, such as
generalizing a whole ethnic group as exceptionally good at math or
musically talented);
 Make it clear that prejudice is wrong;
 Don't allow bigoted comments by others, even friends or family
members, to go unchallenged.

If we endow our children with both healthy self-esteem and respect for those
who are different from themselves, we help them grow into adults who will
celebrate diversity.