The U.S. is ever changing. It continuously grows into a more diverse nation with different kinds of races, ethnicities, social classes, religions, genders and cultures. As the U.S. grows into a more diverse country, it’s time for citizens to try out the many different cultures that are a part of this nation.
In 2017, the National Public Radio found that ethnic groups like Asian, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian and African-American increased at most by three percent while the White population only grew by 0.5 percent.
Also, according to the Washington Post, Southern states are more diverse than Northern states. Southern states have a mixture of different ethnicities like Hispanic, White and Native American.
So, we are continuously growing into a more diverse nation, and as we become more diverse, we need to be willing to try out different cultures.
What I mean by this is we need to step out of our comfort zone and become friends with people who have a different culture than us.
We have a tendency of having friends that are like us. Normally, we have friends with similar interests as us, friends that talk like us and friends with the same religion.
But when we are only friends with people like us, we miss out on the opportunity to grow ourselves. It’s time to step out of that safe bubble of just being friends with people like yourself and step into the rich diversity that America offers.
You are probably thinking, “Yeah, it would be cool to meet people of a different culture than me, but I don’t know how.”
Well, I am here to give you some tips on how to try out different cultures.
First, there are many opportunities right here at ULM. This week is International Week at ULM. Go meet people from different cultures all across the globe.
They would probably love to share their rich cultures and pride. One great way to see the diverse culture at ULM is to attend the food festival on Wednesday.
Different cultures have different ways of seasoning their food. You can learn what kind of seasonings they use and how they prepare the food. And trust me, your tummy will thank you for bringing you to the food festival.
Another event that would be fun to attend during the International Week is the flag parade. You can see all the flags from different cultures and the people that attend ULM. There are plenty of events all throughout the year that students can attend to grow their knowledge about different cultures.
Second, travel the world. I know, traveling is expensive, but you don’t have to travel far. There are places within America you can go to experience the rich diversity of cultures. Some places to visit with diversity would be Oakland, California, Queens, New York and Washington, D.C.
But from personal experience, the best way to learn from a culture is to actually go to the country. I have been to Mexico on mission trips numerous times and every time I go I never want to leave.
I normally stay at an orphanage and one of my favorite things to do while I am there is to spend time with those kids. Every time I go they teach me new Spanish words and help refresh my old ones.
When you go to a country with a different culture, you become saturated in the culture and it really helps you understand the richness that comes from that culture.
My last advice is that if you do go to a different country or learn about a culture, let it grow. When I would come home from trips, I would stop speaking the words I learned in Spanish. I stopped trying to find ways to let the culture I had learned grow in my daily life.
Expand your knowledge about the different cultures we have in America and let it continuously grow because the U.S. will continue to grow in diversity with or without you.