Diversity: Culture and America Essay

Beginning with the prospect of the American dream, diversity has been one of the most dominant characteristics of American society. During the nineteenth century, America was deemed a melting pot: a place where people of different ethnicities could co-exist. The idea of people being able to embrace commonalities without letting go of their culture has been the basis of the America that we live in today. This sense of collaboration, which comes with diversity, has created outlets for our citizens and opportunities for those foreign to our country. Diversity is one of the most beneficial aspects of not only America’s history, but its present and future. Diversity is what makes America unique. As said in Mirror on America by Leonard Pitts, â€Å"America is everyone else, a nation composed of other nations, a culture made of other cultures, a history built of other histories.† (Pitts, 82) Pitt’s statement clearly depicts the fact that although America is independent from other countries geographically, the integration of different ethnic groups defines American history. The acceptance of other cultures in America has not only brought over people from different countries, but also their: ideas, beliefs, and opinions. The rewards that we reap from foreign contributions are, but are not limited to, food variety, technological advances, open minded citizens and overall a more tolerant country. America is a place characterized as the land of the free; the diversity in our country is what keeps that statement relevant. Due to the effectiveness of diversity in the workplace, industries and organizations have spent an abundance of time incorporating diversity into their own companies. With the incorporation of diversity in advertisements, employees, and superior positions today’s workplace is more diverse than it has ever been. These implementations of diversity benefit companies by creating a comfortable environment for their buyers, thus stimulating the economy. Although some may argue that companies have not reached the goal of total equality, it has been said that immigrants do have a positive effect on America’s workplace. â€Å"Since the early days of the Republic, talented foreigners have streamed to our shores to till the soil, build industries, and turn the country into a scientific and technological powerhouse. They converted the U.S. into the first global nation, giving us adaptability, an intuitive feel for other cultures, and an innovative edge,† said David Gergen. ( Gergen, 93) In America, we have many immigrants who come here with the hope of becoming successful; those who strive to create a better America by working hard tend to achieve that goal. Those who are able to succeed in their endeavors have provided Americans with the adaptability that Gergen explains. Immigrants have been the brains and ideas of big named, American companies such as Intel, AT&T, Kraft, Google, Yahoo!, and eBay. To understand how immigrants make such an impact on America’s workforce and economy, one needs to think about why they come here in the first place. Immigrants leave their homelands to come to America because they think and believe that their skills will be put to the test. As also said by Gergen, â€Å"Talented foreigners are job creators, not job takers.† (Gergen, 94) Immigrants do bring new ideas and skills which can further create more, successful jobs. Based off of a June 2012 study published by the Fiscal Policy, they report that 18% of small business owners are immigrants. The same report found that among small businesses, for which at least half of the founders were immigrants, employed an estimated 4.7 million people. This diversity benefits America because it puts foreign skills and talents to the test in order to stimulate jobs as well as our economy. In conclusion, with allowing diversity to continue to be a part of America, we can encounter many things other countries cannot. We can continue to accept different people and their ideas to create new jobs and opportunities. We can also accept their opinions to allow America to grow and continue being a strong nation. Last but not least, we can give people from all around the world the â€Å"American dream.† Works Cited Gergen, David. â€Å"A Smart Exception.† Mirror on America: Essays and Images from Popular Culture. 5th ed. Ed Mims, Joan T, and Nollen, Elizabeth M. Boston: Bedford St Martin’s, 2012. 93-94. Print Pitts, Leonard Jr. â€Å"History Tells Hard Stories of Ethnic Clashes.† Mirror on America: Essays and Images from Popular Culture. 5th ed. Ed Mims, Jonas T, and Nollen, Elizabeth M. Boston, Bedford, 2012. 81-82. Print Denhart, Michael. â€Å"The U.S. Needs More Immigrants to Grow the Economy and Create Jobs.† Huffington Post 26 September 2012. Web