Cultural Diversity in America
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Cultural Diversity in America
Cultural diversity has affected America in countless ways over the last twenty years. The food we eat, the cities we frequent, the music we listen to, and the officials we elect have all been impacted by the influx of immigrants that America has seen during the 20th century.
When one walks down any downtown street in a city in America, they can be sure to find the foods of various ethnicities. As more families moved to America in search of a better life, they brought their customs with them. Many opened up businesses that sold the traditional dishes of their homelands, but modified them to fit American values.”Americanized” versions of many types of traditional cuisine have since become prevalent, as well as “Fusion” type restaurants that combine dishes from different cultures to form new tastes.
On this same downtown street, one can also see faces of many different colors. Immigrants tend to live in urban areas, so there has been a tremendous shift in population from rural areas to cities during the twentieth century. Cities create their own diverse flair through the creation of distinct neighborhoods, religious places of worship, restaurants, nightlight, and multicultural learning environments. The very essence of the country has become mixed, and the people we interact with on a daily basis, as well as the ones we put in office are often very culturally diverse.
In 2008, America elected Barack Obama as its first mixed race president, and he is running for reelection this year. Without the diversity of race and culture that is within this country, this would have been impossible. Many other officials in our government are also of mixed race, from governors to senate officials, however there is still a majority of the dominant ethnic group in the Republican party.
Not only have our demographics, food options, and politicians changed, but whole art forms have changed and been created. Similar to food fusion, culturally distinct musical styles have mixed to create new genres. Dance, Rock, Hip Hop, Jazz, the Blues, Rock and Roll, and Chicano music are all examples of how rhythms, harmonies, and compositional styles from many cultures have interceded to create new forms.
There are many examples of cultural diversity in America, you have only to look around you. However, many would say we are not diverse enough, or at least, not accepting enough of our diversity quite yet. In the future this will change, and even greater diversity will flourish and fuse.