Multiculturalism in America
Americans today are constantly deceiving themselves. There is a multitude of discussion of the great American “melting pot” and America 's overall cultural diversity and acceptance. United States citizens typically consider themselves to be in favor of multiculturalism; however, the idea of multiculturalism stands in contrast to their melting pot. This is because “multiculturalism seeks to preserve distinctly different ethnic, racial, or cultural communities without melting them into a common culture” (Jay 2). American society is designed in such a way that people are frequently encouraged, or rather forced, to abandon their own cultures in order to properly integrate into the national lifestyle. This is seen …show more content…
Before being spoken, words are carefully filtered in an attempt to avoid accidentally offending someone and coming across as intolerant of other cultures. Despite this filtering, stereotypes still play a large role in society. Some of these stereotypes and misconceptions are as follows: Muslims are terrorists, Mexicans are illegal immigrants, and homosexuals are ruining the sanctity of marriage. Do these ideas truly convey respect and acceptance? Can different cultures feel honestly welcome in a nation with these kinds of preconceived notions? Yet many times people are unconsciously aware of the fact that they are stereotyping; they may not even have any ill intent. The over generalization of cultures seems to be ingrained in American thinking. In addition to the stereotypes placed on different cultures, they also have expectations to conform to American society placed on …show more content…
Although it is true that crucial advances towards acceptance and tolerance like these have been made, different groups are still far from one hundred percent welcomed and treated as equals. According to a 2013 survey, African Americans and Hispanic Americans are significantly more likely to be in poverty than white Americans. For people ages 18-64, the poverty statistics are 23.9 percent for African Americans, 20.2 percent for Hispanic Americans, and only 9.9 percent for white Americans (“Poverty Rate, by Race and Ethnicity, and Age, 2013”). In an attempt to explain these statistics, some will claim that parents simply are not properly raising their children for success. This is because people find that “[it] is much more difficult, however to admit that discrimination still mars the experiences of some. Put simply, people of color who do not respond well to sustained racism and discrimination can find it difficult to be ‘model’ parents to their children” (Milner 31). For many minority groups, it is extremely difficult to improve their conditions of living when they are stereotyped and discriminated against. In conclusion, advancements have been made to improve the standings of different cultural groups, but more improvements are necessary in
Americans today are constantly deceiving themselves. There is a multitude of discussion of the great American “melting pot” and America 's overall cultural diversity and acceptance. United States citizens typically consider themselves to be in favor of multiculturalism; however, the idea of multiculturalism stands in contrast to their melting pot. This is because “multiculturalism seeks to preserve distinctly different ethnic, racial, or cultural communities without melting them into a common culture” (Jay 2). American society is designed in such a way that people are frequently encouraged, or rather forced, to abandon their own cultures in order to properly integrate into the national lifestyle. This is seen …show more content…
Before being spoken, words are carefully filtered in an attempt to avoid accidentally offending someone and coming across as intolerant of other cultures. Despite this filtering, stereotypes still play a large role in society. Some of these stereotypes and misconceptions are as follows: Muslims are terrorists, Mexicans are illegal immigrants, and homosexuals are ruining the sanctity of marriage. Do these ideas truly convey respect and acceptance? Can different cultures feel honestly welcome in a nation with these kinds of preconceived notions? Yet many times people are unconsciously aware of the fact that they are stereotyping; they may not even have any ill intent. The over generalization of cultures seems to be ingrained in American thinking. In addition to the stereotypes placed on different cultures, they also have expectations to conform to American society placed on …show more content…
Although it is true that crucial advances towards acceptance and tolerance like these have been made, different groups are still far from one hundred percent welcomed and treated as equals. According to a 2013 survey, African Americans and Hispanic Americans are significantly more likely to be in poverty than white Americans. For people ages 18-64, the poverty statistics are 23.9 percent for African Americans, 20.2 percent for Hispanic Americans, and only 9.9 percent for white Americans (“Poverty Rate, by Race and Ethnicity, and Age, 2013”). In an attempt to explain these statistics, some will claim that parents simply are not properly raising their children for success. This is because people find that “[it] is much more difficult, however to admit that discrimination still mars the experiences of some. Put simply, people of color who do not respond well to sustained racism and discrimination can find it difficult to be ‘model’ parents to their children” (Milner 31). For many minority groups, it is extremely difficult to improve their conditions of living when they are stereotyped and discriminated against. In conclusion, advancements have been made to improve the standings of different cultural groups, but more improvements are necessary in