My Experience With Diversity Growing Up

“The multicultural training movement has indeed contributed to a greater and much needed understanding of the differences among various racial, ethnic, and cultural groups (Speight, Myers, Cox and Highlen, 1991).” In looking at this statement counselors will need to expand their thinking outside of the Western European contexts. There is a difference between Western culture and other cultures. Sue & Sue, 2012 states “ each cultural/racial group may have its own distinct interpretation of reality and offer a different perspective on the nature of people, the origin of disorders, standards for judging normality and abnormality, and therapeutic approaches. (p. 45).” As we are brought together with more cultures it is imperative to understand the differences, which will enable counselors to become culturally competent.

There is a strong African American cultural presence in this school district one student in particular told me that his uncle and cousin also live with him in their home, which is an asset contributed to African Americans from the days of slavery. Most families were ripped apart during those times and tended to create close familial bonds with friends, cousins, and others that technically were not related, which is a custom from Africa.

Diversity comes in many different forms. Growing up in a small rural town located in the midst of the Bible belt the diversity takes on a unique meaning in the small community I live in. I am a Senior Lieutenant on the Hallsville Drill Team, which consists of fifty girls that are together for fifteen hours a week. In that time I realized just how diverse lives can be. Through the relationships I have built with my teammates, I have learned that even though most of us have grown up in the same town there are aspects of our lives that are uniquely different.

Culture. Many think culture is color of your skin or where your from but it's more than color and where you were born. Culture is a label like how football players would be called jocks or Athletes, Anything you do will have a label that's just how our society is. When I was younger I always thought that culture was only for people who never lived in America. That's when I realized that I was more than just a plain old American I was and athlete, gamer and a fisher.

The fact that my school was diverse was a gift. I met all sorts of people from different races, religion and even sexualities. Everyone there respected each other 's ethnicities and each of us are creative with different ideas from our culture. With diversity we can feel comfortable working with different people and have connections with them. If the schools weren’t diverse, the minorities would have a hard time fitting in and getting involved with the school. If the classroom wasn’t diverse, how could we learn from other people’s cultures and point of view. My friends introduced me to their culture and I honestly had the best experience of my life. I got to learn different dishes such as Shchi, a Russian dish, and dimsum, from Chinese’s style buffet. I started to learn and notice different race and learned to appreciate their culture. Diversity can also causes problems. Katherine W. Philippis

Being born and raised in College Station, I have experienced diversity. When I was in elementary school, race was never an issue. I went through each grade with a “class family” in which all peers were accepted and encouraged to learn, work, and play together. Students of all ethnicities felt a belonging and friendships were easily made. It was a time and age of innocence.

On September 16th, 2010, my view of the world, the state of humanity and, my sense of security suddenly changed as my brother was murdered. When this tragedy occurred, I was in the first semester of my junior year at Xavier with a major in biology/premed and minor in chemistry. I was scheduled to graduate May of 2012 however; my anticipated graduation date came and went without me crossing the stage. I had lost hope that I would ever finally cross that stage and pursue my dreams; I felt completely stuck in place. However, since his passing not only have I graduated with my bachelor’s degree but my mother and I have started a memorial scholarship fund for people who may have gone through a similar tragedy and need help paying for school. Taking

My diversity experience began on November 12, 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina at the Jamaica’s Comfort Zone restaurant. I chose this experience because I feel I need to learn more about Jamaica, Jamaicans and their culture. Also, because there appears to be a large number of Jamaicans residing in various parts of the United States, particularly in New York, Florida, and Georgia (Atlanta). Prior to searching for an authentic Jamaican restaurant, I decided that I needed to do some research regarding the culture of Jamaica; and, as a result of my research, I discovered that the culture of Jamaica is quite interesting to learn about. In fact, Jamaica is a mountainous Caribbean island just south of Cuba (see Figure 1) with a population of approximately

I believe that the perspective I have to offer this medical school is unique. From my Black uncles to my Arab aunts, I feel lucky to be able to call so many cultures my own. Furthermore, my experiences during college have been vital to my understanding of diversity. Veterans, the LGBTQ community, the disabled, and variation across the spectrum of political opinion or in body shape are but a sample of the diversity that I have witnessed. Diversity goes beyond race or religion and this has been made evident to me during my undergraduate career. Thus, I wish to bring my culturally competent outlook to the student body and look forward to gaining from the viewpoints of my peers as well. Exposure to a wide breadth of the human experience has helped

I was raised in a diverse environment. Being multiracial- Asian and Hispanic- and going to a school with predominantly minorities has shown me the difficulties that come with it. Minorities often face disadvantages because they have been discriminated against for centuries. Despite what any statistic may say, I believe that minorities are just as capable of making something of themselves. The culturally enriched school that I go to has vividly depicted this to me, allowing me to cross paths with some of the most brilliant students I have ever met. Being raised in an environment where students prove to be more than a statistic on a daily basis has fueled my interest in civil rights, a topic dear to me that I would like to see change in.

As I reflect over my life, I appreciate the many diverse experiences I’ve came to encounter. My experience with diversity dates back to birth. I am from a small rural town, Moss Point, MS. and notably the last state to abolish slavery. The town currently has a population of 13,704 people and consists of 73% Blacks or African Americans, 23% Caucasian, 1% Hispanic or Latino and 1% bi-racial.

I always marveled at how Joshua’s Yakama managed to stay on. Sweat dripping and curls bouncing with each exercise, Joshua listened for my instruction. I had to be very articulate and an extremely good demonstrator when correcting Joshua with his exercises. A practicing Hasidic Jew, Joshua was not allowed to touch or be touched by a female.

Coming from a small town community where there is only a single stoplight and everyone personally knows each other, diversity is not something that is experienced every day. Every year since kindergarten I have been going to school with the same group of friends who share the same socio-economic status as me and the only real diversity that the school has to offer is the one or two foreign exchange students that it is able to bring in for that year. Simply being put diversity is not present in everyday life for most of my classmates.

I went to the presentation of the Blackboard Jungle 9 Symposium on Thursday, March 31, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Dudley H. Davis Center. I wasn’t be there on time. When I got there, it was already full of people. I had to stand at the back of the room. At that moment, Nikki Khanna was presenting. She talked about what race are Indians. Also take two examples: The one drop rule & walter white, and Susie guillory Phipps. She wanted us to compare these two stuffs. I was shocked by the next true story that she told us.

Diversity in classrooms can open student’s minds to all the world has to offer. At times diversity and understanding of culture, deviant experiences and perspectives can be difficult to fulfill, but with appropriate strategies and resources, it can lead students gaining a high level of respect for those unlike them, preferably than a judgmental and prejudiced view.