In the quest for a culturally diverse society, an obvious and immediate concern is a lack of knowledge about cultures, other than our own. A greater concern is that we remain culturally divided because of that lack of knowledge. Often we hold beliefs about groups of people that is more stereotypical than factual. We sometimes are unaware of how we are viewing others. It's what we have been taught or led to believe that we act upon.
There are social and political forces which serve to segregate groups in neighborhoods, schools and churches. Naturally, if there is limited daily contact among ethnic groups, there is little chance to learn more than that which is propagandized by popular media.
What is culture? As we know it, culture is the social beliefs and practices that characterize a society. As a group, people develop their way of life on a systematic base of values and beliefs; language; social, economic and political structures; social controls through law and values that are traditionally passed on through generations.
What makes us culturally different? The clothes we wear, the way we speak, the kind of food we eat, the color of our skin and our practices of religion all add up to differences among ethnic groups. There are also differences in our social attitudes and behaviors. These differences are negligible, however. Recognizing them as such leaves one free to appreciate an individual for his/her character and sense of humanity.
Recognizing these as mere attributes of cultural heritage rather than as cultural differences signifies acceptance of another without regard for how that other differs from oneself. These attributes influence the way we think and see ourselves. They play an important role in the way others see us.
Perhaps it is the way in which we are seen by others that creates separation among groups. We have spent so little time getting to know the person who is behind that which is physically obvious, we have been unable to get beyond the obvious
