People fail to get along because they
fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they
don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.
Martin
Luther King
Nowadays, it’s not that strange to be
amongst people of different races, ethnicities or cultures as the world has
adapted itself to accommodate all human beings. Although this new way of
thinking is becoming more and more popular, it has not yet been properly
carried out by the entire world.
On the one hand, as the statement
conveys, the problem is in the mentalities of people who don’t realise how much
of others’ cultures they have assimilated into theirs, be it in the food
sector, the fashion industry, or even in the laws, and, instead of being
grateful for such diversity, they proceed to complain about immigrants and
their “foreign” lifestyles. This mainly occurs due to a lack of communication,
as Martin Luther King wisely stated, which creates these stereotyped concepts.
On the other hand, government
officials are not always encouraging integration as they have their own
interests to worry about. Donald Trump, for instance, is one of the most racist
presidents currently active. Besides discriminating against Muslims for their
alleged affiliations with terrorism, he also despises Mexicans, blacks, women
and anything else that isn’t a white male. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a
surprise that peoples’ mentalities aren’t evolving as fast as they should.
In conclusion, we should all embrace
diversity - as it strives to bring us together - instead of building walls that
separate us.
Denise Pinheiro, 11º F
