Understanding and Managing Diversity, Essay Example

As an Asian American, I am accustomed to the idea of occasionally feeling like an outsider. Even though American culture is diverse and many people have emigrated from different countries who speak different languages live here, this nation is not a homogenous mixture. Individuals of similar cultures tend to spend more time with one another, and some of these groups make no room for individuals that are unfamiliar with these traditions. Furthermore, these individuals create stereotypes about people in other cultures, which perpetuates these differences.

One of the most thought of stereotypes when one considers Asian Americans is that they are very smart. While this seems like a compliment at first, it makes me feel like I’m too visible and that my ethnicity defines my intelligence. Rather than believing that Asian American people are smart because of their hard work as an individuals, society assumes that this is the case simply because of our ethnicity, which discredits the effort that is put into this endeavor. In part, this is due to jealousy related to economic status. As a consequence, I feel like an outsider because everyone seems to be jealous of my intellect simply because of my culture. This visibility can ultimately lead to exclusion, as I have encountered individuals that seem to be intimidated by the “Asian intelligence”, and these groups are usually those who wish to maintain power. Furthermore, it is important for people to understand that this intelligence is achieved rather than ascribed.

According to the textbook, “In the face of language barriers, cultural adjustments and government and societal oppression, Asian Americans as a whole appear to have done quite well in America” (Harvey et al., 2012, 86). Since Asian Americans are seen as newcomers, there is bias held against us. This can be resolved if all people learn to understand the struggles that new immigrants experience. In addition “For aspirational Asian Americans, social mobility is a priority and education often is viewed as the method of achievement. This focus contributes to the group’s economic success” (Harvey et al., 2012, 86). As a consequence, Asian Americans work very hard to become financially successful, which is a part of the stereotype that we have. It has been shown that despite this perception, it is not true for all Asian families. “A lot of these [income] statistics can be misleading”, which makes it seem that Asian immigrants make more money than they actually do (Harvey et al., 2012, 87). It is important for people to be more aware of the situations of others before passing judgments.

In conclusion, these experiences demonstrate that it is important for people to begin thinking about how they treat people of different ethnicities and cultures in terms of the ways they wish to be respected. It is important for all of us to remove ethnocentricity from our lives altogether and use our own experiences to shape how we look at others. It is impossible to work towards peace among people unless we can respect one another for our differences and remove unnecessary stereotypes. Just as I’ve experienced bias as an Asian American, individuals from a variety of cultures experience this as well. It is therefore necessary for us to work together to remove such discrimination from existence.

References

Harvey C, Allard J. (2014). Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises (6th Edition). Prentice Hall.