Discuss the pros and cons of cultural diversity in the United States.?

Question

Discuss the pros and cons of cultural diversity in the United States. Indicate ways in which attention and sensitivity to diversity has strengthened and/or weakened the nation.

Answer 1

Through most of our history it has strengthened our nation, bringing in new perspectives and people with different ideas and views who wanted to contribute to making the nation stronger.  Lately it has been weakening the nation, by forcing us to accommodate people who have no intention of assimilating, many of whom come here for entitlements while maintaining loyalties to they home countries.  Moving toward a multilingual nation is further weaken us, since English was the one main unifying factors that we had in the past.  

Natural diversity is great, forcing it on us and elevating it to a level where it is viewed as more important than our commonalities will divide and destroy us as a nation.

Answer 2

i guess there a zillion things that might come up here, considering that all of us are individuals and have our own experience and perceptions...

america was new just a quarter millenium ago, and pretty much everyone came from somewhere else...it took a lot of interaction then and it still does...we've dealt with difficulties among people along the way, some of which have been very difficult to bring into anything resembling total and full agreement among all of us.

that said, i personally believe that the original immigrants had the right idea and that we do so much to go in the opposite direction today.  back then, the whole idea was to shed what they had left behind and 'become americans'.  that isn't to say that people wanted to forget family and upbringing and the things they cared about, but simply that just about everyone wanted a new life.  the wanted to speak english, work without all the oppressive rules and restrictions, have personal opportunity, with the stress being on 'personal'...they came, immersed themselves into what they found, and little by little became a new people.  certainly, over time, communities of germans, norwegians, etc., developed, and the things of their heritage were preserved among themselves.  and yes, there has always been some strife and problems between the various ethnic and national backgrounds and the people of those backgrounds. but it worked, and along the way we fought our way out of slavery and so much else, becoming strong and resilient and powerful.

but now we've somehow decided that all these differences among the people who make up this nation must have governmental protection.  we have dozens of languages making communication poor in so many ways, raising costs in the workplace and in our prublic presence, such as in schools and so on.  we spend so much time and effort making sure we are aware of 'origin-americans', to coin a term, and in the end forget one simple fact.  the idea is unity that allows our diversity to prosper cohesively.  i personally have travelled all over the world and dealt with lots of different people, and it's great.  but the point has always been that you and i are americans, regardless of our backgrounds.  sorry, but it simply makes me sick with all the stress on 'african-americans', 'korean-americans', 'latin-americans', etc.  the list is endless, and it only serves to divide us rather than bring us together.  

whoever you are, just like whoever i am, is important.  we all had moms and dads and families and backgrounds.  some of us have been here since long before this nation was born while others are relatively new to it all.  

and when you then extend it all into the realms of music and food and dress and religion and social activity and whatever else, we simply find that there, too, we are dividing rather than uniting.  most of us are busy, making our way in this world, and even if we wanted to we could never learn it all, and along with that we all enjoy our limited leisure time most when we are, well, simply enjoying the things we enjoy.

yes, there are times when such things mix, and sports is obviously one of those things that bring us all together.  there is music, art, you name it, and that is a list of lesser unity simply because lots of us don't attach as much significance to such things as we do to others...that is another argument, too, so please don't forget everything else with the 'well, we should all know about such things, learn about it all' argument.  it doesn't wash simply because, and using myself as an example, a lot of us simply find that we lack a deep enough interest in some things, and no matter what, legislating that we take an interest in something is ridiculous.

in a nutshell, it's not the diversity that bothers most people.  in many ways, we enjoy it.  but the thing has gotten to the point that many of us as longstanding citizens are simply tired of the endless legislation requiring all the stuff we see daily now.  The joke goes around about the 'robophone' blurbs you get when you make a call, you know, dial one for english, two for...anyway, the point is, it really isn't a joke.  america is an english speaking country, and that even includes the southwest which was first settled by people coming in from mexico and so on.  we speak english, and if the blurb simply said, 'press one if you wish to hear this in spanish', for example, that would be fine.  but for americans, how about just letting it go on that press one for english thing, okay?

and that brings me back to the core of what i have to say.  you either are an american or not.  i don't recognize those hyphenated citizenships...'mexican-american'...for example.

and right there is the true way to handle things here.  if i run a small business, i have to tell you, i'm not interested in hiring anyone who does not care enough to speak the language we use, and that is english.  i speak two other languages myself, at least minimally.  but i do my business in english.  to be required to accomodate people who want to work and don't speak english is not what this country is about...

in short...unity can well accomodate diversity, but unfettered diversity can never be unified.  think about it this way.  say you are building a car, but the materials were all wound up about some things.  i mean, the whole purpose of a car is to have everything working together to take you and your family down the road efficiently and safely to your distination.  but this car you're building, you know, is getting out of hand.  the various materials want things their way, want all the other materials to check them out, maybe even take on different roles.  the steel wants to be a windshield, the copper wants the plastic to understand and operate according to the way copper operates.  in the end, you've got rubber pistons and aluminum seats and antifreeze doing the job of bumpers or airbags or whatever.

yes, we can all get along, but we can't truly get along until we agree that this nation is greater than all of us, and the unity of the nation is of greater import than any individual.  in that way, we have a great nation that can provide the best ofg life to each individual as he or she takes on the responsibilities of fulfilling and attaining the life they choose.  unlike steel or glass, we have far more choices as to the part we play in our nation, but too, we have the responsibility to not only choose but to succeed in our choices.

we make of steel what we wish, and do it through companies and so on.  as citizens, we make of ourselves what we wish, but while many things such as schools and roads and so on have been set up to help us, it is, in the end, each individual's task and responsibility to attend and learn, move and follow those roads.

diversity?  it's great...until each diverse thing begins to demand it's own way, it's own existence, and the subjugation of all other things.  unity means each of us comes together and works toward goals and success.  each of us brings something different, but the way we work together dictates what each of us must do.  the wealthy bring money, the trained and educated bring the opportunity for all of us to learn their knowlege and skills.

to cripple ourselves through demands that each of our own personal things...language, color, need, whatever else...be addressed and accomodated is insanity.

Answer 3

Is that your homework?

Answer 4

I Hope You Are Hearing and Reading This Obama And McCain! You Both Have Ignored the pleas of the American Public.

After Talking to Friends in Chicago and Indiana Today, Not Much... It's happening in California, Nevada, Texas, New York and all Points in Between.  People are arriving in the United States either Legally or Illegally, violating the Rights of American Citizens and Expect them to Be docile.  I Am especially concerned for females being placed in situations that these Foreign males are absolutley hostile to and their Race does not matter.

Women, Should Be allowed to have and carry at all times hand guns for Protection.   I'm talking Misogyny, rape, pedophilia to Unlawful entry into their Domiciles It is all too Apparent that they Do Not Want to Assimilate to our Culture and Want to Domninate our Society with their Same old Wolrd Views.

Either Stop the Influx and teach them through Diversity Training  BEFORE they enter the larger Society or Send them Back home where they can be knucledraggers to their hearts content.

Answer 5

The pros are that cultural diversity can bring new knowledge with regard to the economy  ,art, and Human Rights.

Another point is on issue like The Environment. There are cultures which take a specific animal for a totem and have a pratice of not harming it.The Cons are that in reality there is no cultural diversity now as much looks the same and is built the same. Malls, MC Donald's, A  And W, Housing, Tall Buildings. The cuture of people from elsewhere in major cities is not all that different so this may not be good as there is a lack of variety everwhere.

Answer 6

This sounds like a home work essay question for a student

Answer 7

if you look up cultural diversity in the dictionary it'll have a picture of America...Vive Le Difference

Answer 8

Irish- English-italians- French-jewish- Scotish, Dutch, they all made the country stronger.

and united to kill the native americans, and kick out the Mexicans as well

Answer 9

It's encourages everyone to think of themselves as separate peoples instead of one people.  Having it is good, encouraging it is bad.

Answer 10

I don't have room to name all the pros and

cons.  But, diversity has many more cons

than pros. It usually means that whatever

anyone does is okay (like being naked in a

parade). Other things that have changed:

Multiculturalism- worship of other gods

Lottery- exploiting the poor

Welfare- rewarding laziness

Choice- killing of our unborn babies

Self Esteem- no discipline of children

Ambition- wanting everything neighbor has

Freedom of Expression- profanity

Free Art- Pornography

Ecology- praising Mother Earth