Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

The three people I chose were my grandfather, my younger cousin and my neighbor who is from India. When I asked my grandfather, Ken, what his definition of culture and diversity were, he said: “Culture is the basis for who we are. Rather than defining culture, I have to say that culture defines us. Diversity is the combination of all these different cultures. When you have more than one culture in one place at he same time, you have diversity.”

The second person I asked was my cousin, Connie, who is fourteen. I thought it would be interesting hearing the contrast between a 70 year-old-man’s definition versus that of a teenager. Connie’s definition was simpler but I am confident it will adapt over time. Connie said, “Culture is how each of us does certain things such as the foods we eat, the music we listen to and the holidays we celebrate. Diversity is how different we all are from each other.”

The last person I asked was my neighbor who is from India. She moved here 12 years ago and has a good perspective on culture and diversity. She said, “Culture is who we are at the core and it is something that we pass on to our children. It dictates my moral code, my beliefs and my ways of doing things. My culture is always evolving. When I moved to America I was much different than I am now. My culture has adapted to that of America and I find myself struggling to hang on to my Indian culture sometimes. Culture is relevant but still inherent, if that makes any sense. Diversity is the variety of cultures. Diversity enriches us to become more knowledgeable about others and better understand the world around us.”