Tuesday, January 11, 2011

3. What should we do when we are confronted with other cultures?

 "Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it everyday." (Anonymous). The rooted quandary that lingers through everybody is diversity. Although we deny it, we are all hypocritical and we have all done wrong. When we are confronted with new cultures or different people we instinctively try to be the judge and decide whether they belong in society. If not, they are rejected and are labeled as the outcast. People do not realize the importance of diversity in the world, instead, they view it as unnecessary, inauspicious, and inconsequential; therefore, diversity is rebuffed and unaccepted. People are so sucked into the "standard" and set image of what people are supposed to be like or what people are supposed to act like.
In truth, people are simply afraid of acculturating to new things. People fear being rejected themselves so they target others and get others to agree that they don't belong. This is the cruel reality of society. We want to say that we aren't hypocritical and that everyone is unique in their own way but on the inside we have all judged others for being different. The media says that everybody is different and special in their own way but at the same time, they try to twist people's minds into thinking that there is only one specific figure and look that is defined as pretty. If a native Indian girl moves to the United States and attends an American high school this girl will feel pressured and insecure from the moment she steps into the campus. Why? The reason is because there are so many other people who are different from her and she doesn't know how to behave so that she can fit in easily and so that she will find a friend and not feel like an outcast. If the Indian girl comes into the school, even the American students will look at her and immediately think that she is different from. Both sides show how people shut down when confronted with new cultures and therefore it is difficult for people to open up to each other.
SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES?
We accept. We must accept new things and different cultures because that is reality and that is the only way it will be. All people are unique and discrepant and no one can do anything to change that fact. Therefore, we must accept and let in variety and uncommon aspects. We must understand that our cultures are not the only ones that exist and that no matter how different another culture might seem, everyone is equal and no one has the right to judge anything or anybody else. One culture is no better than another culture so why would anyone think that they can make another person a loner or outsider. When we are confronted with different cultures, instead of rejecting it wholly and without second thought, we need to learn it, understand it, and accept it.