Cultures

In my opinion, the United States of America has one of the most culturally diverse communities in the world. Walk out onto the street, and you will see Chinese, Hispanic, European, African, and other people with fascinating cultures from around the world. There is no segregation, few prejudices, and no mistrust. Children from opposite ends of the globe hold hands instead of making outcasts, speak without racism in their voices, and play without violence.

Why, some may ask, is this place so different? It’s quite simple. America is the land of hope, freedom, and success. People from all around the world come here for many reasons. Some want a more enriched life. Some want to escape religious persecution. All want to be free. America is one of the few places where their wishes actually come true. America is very open to accepting immigrants and political refugees.

American people are proud to be diverse, and show their pride. For example, California, where I live, is a more gloriously diverse place than most. In school, we celebrate American as well as non-indigenous holidays. The same class learns about Chinese New Year, Diwali, and Hanukkah. In my elementary school, some parents came in to give presentations explaining why and how certain holidays were celebrated in their countries. The school really encouraged diversity; we learned about all kinds of legends, stories and celebrations. My school had “Heritage Day” – it was well organized, and was a lot of fun with games, challenges and foods from around the world. In schools all over America, it is common to see food ranging from burgers to sushi. Walk into an American mall and you can see a party of Africans eating Indian food served by Europeans.

I have many friends. My best friends have Korean, Chinese, Hispanic, and Indian heritage. I enjoy hanging out with them, eating foreign foods, and learning about other cultures. I have a friend that has ancestry from all over Europe, and another that is half Chinese and half Indian. I love pizza, sushi, dumplings and a bunch of other delicacies from around the world. I speak Bengali fluently, and play the piano, an instrument neither American nor Indian.

Cultural diversity leads to balanced communities and strong nations. Every race has certain skills. Be it leadership, strength, intelligence, or perseverance, every culture has something to contribute. If we were a nation of just athletes, or only programmers, we wouldn’t be a world power for very long. Being different really does help our economy. However, without the support and non-discrimination of all of America, it really wouldn’t work out. What’s fantastic is that so many people live here that came from somewhere else that America is truly the Land of Immigrants! So next time you are at the mall, eating some really good non-American food, thank diversity and celebrate our world!