The Positives of Diversity in America
Dominick Sherman
Prof. Meier
ENG 170
3-23-11
The Positives of Diversity in America. It is human nature to want to be part of a group. People seem to naturally gravitate toward groups of people who share similar backgrounds or characteristics. In fact it is beneficial to be part of a group; much of a person’s identity or sense of self depends on identifying with other like minded people. When people first started coming to America from other countries, many people were looking for religious freedom and ever since America has been open to different religions. Situations such as going through a stint of slavery and later segregation of African Americans and Whites, America has grown as a country to move past it and accept not only African Americans but all different races of people. Many countries would not be able to accept the differences of people from other countries and of other countries, and would even start a civil war just because of a different religion present with in that country. This, however, is not the case in America and Americans. It continues to be said that the majority of Whites still see African Americans as Sambos; those who are partially civilized, semi-human, non-educated, a variation of the age-old stereotype; underneath the veneer of civilization. To a larger degree, African Americans are still perceived as latent African warriors, potential criminals, “nappy headed ho’s,” mean and illiterate, or docile and jovial. However, from time to time in American history, some Whites would lower their Sambo Glasses enough to look over the top, to see African Americans for brief moments as a person, as human, as a contributor to American society, but, rarely, did the majority of Whites remove their Sambo glasses. Some Whites have lowered Sambo glasses enough to look over the top, and yes, to the extent that 61% of Whites, in 2008, by excising their popular imagination, have come to view the African American, as human;
Prof. Meier
ENG 170
3-23-11
The Positives of Diversity in America. It is human nature to want to be part of a group. People seem to naturally gravitate toward groups of people who share similar backgrounds or characteristics. In fact it is beneficial to be part of a group; much of a person’s identity or sense of self depends on identifying with other like minded people. When people first started coming to America from other countries, many people were looking for religious freedom and ever since America has been open to different religions. Situations such as going through a stint of slavery and later segregation of African Americans and Whites, America has grown as a country to move past it and accept not only African Americans but all different races of people. Many countries would not be able to accept the differences of people from other countries and of other countries, and would even start a civil war just because of a different religion present with in that country. This, however, is not the case in America and Americans. It continues to be said that the majority of Whites still see African Americans as Sambos; those who are partially civilized, semi-human, non-educated, a variation of the age-old stereotype; underneath the veneer of civilization. To a larger degree, African Americans are still perceived as latent African warriors, potential criminals, “nappy headed ho’s,” mean and illiterate, or docile and jovial. However, from time to time in American history, some Whites would lower their Sambo Glasses enough to look over the top, to see African Americans for brief moments as a person, as human, as a contributor to American society, but, rarely, did the majority of Whites remove their Sambo glasses. Some Whites have lowered Sambo glasses enough to look over the top, and yes, to the extent that 61% of Whites, in 2008, by excising their popular imagination, have come to view the African American, as human;
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