Diversity In American Culture

What is diversity? The definition diversity is “showing a great deal of variety; very different.” To me, the American culture is made of diversity. “American” is not a culture of its own. “American” is a culture made up of a variety of other cultures. I have interviewed three people: a missionary who lived in Argentina for twenty-nine years, a first generation American, and a man who was in the military stationed in Germany for many years. I have asked each of my interviewees to answer this question: how do you feel about the possibility of having neighbors, friends, and co-workers who hold on to their native heritage rather than becoming “American?” The first person I interviewed lived in Argentina as a missionary for twenty-nine years. …show more content…
When a city has a variety of cultures, it gives them the opportunity to learn more about other cultures and lifestyles. When I meet people who have a different culture, I am always interested in asking them what their culture is like. For example, I am currently taking my fourth semester of Mandarin Chinese. My teacher for this class is a native of Shanghai, China. When I first began taking this class, I was always asking her questions about what China was like: what kind of foods do they eat, what traditions do they have, what is the environment like. I still continue to ask her all kinds of questions about their lifestyle. From taking this class and talking with my teacher, I have learned so many things that I would not know if I had not asked her. I have become so interested in the Chinese culture that in March 2016 I have a trip planned to go to China with my Chinese teacher and a couple of other students. My experiences with my Chinese teacher are similar to the experience the young girl in the short story “Bop” had. She met a man that was from another culture, and she developed a friendship with him. Whenever you have the opportunity to learn about another culture, take advantage and learn as many things as you