Exploring Your Ethnicity - Essay Example

This is rather sad given this is of postmodernity. Diversity can be sourced from gender, ethnic, culture and race. As such, given these numerous sources of diversity it is appalling to realize that some people have not adapted to the presence of other persons who are somewhat different. Such is the fate of people who do not conform to this status quo. True to this assertion, this paper endeavours to explicate on my ethnic diversity. This is in the sense that I am from Saudi Arabia. As such, I am well placed to expound on this subject of ethnic diversity.

In addition, I will expound on my experiences in a foreign country. Ethnic diversity is an intrinsic element of society. As such, it should be placed in high regard. I am an Arab. More specifically, I am a Native Saudi Arabian. I was born in Saudi Arabia same as my whole family. Coming from a nation state that is largely, if not wholly, of Arabian descent, I rarely witnessed cases of diversity. This is because the variation in ethnicity in Saudi Arabia is all but trivial. Additionally, the immigrants in Saudi Arabia are inconsequential in number.

As such, all my life I have never found myself in a situation that offers me the opportunity to interact with various people of diverse origins. In such a circumstance, it is highly probable that the first interaction with an environment that is characterized by diversity and disparity will culminate in unwarranted reactions. However, this does not mean that I reacted harshly when I entered this country. Rather to the contrary, given the academic opportunity availed to me via the educational system existing in this country, I more than appreciate this country.

Given this fact, it is sad to realize that the feeling is not reciprocated wholesomely. This translates to mean that, not all people react suspetingly to my presence. However, the select few are worth highlighting. Prior to coming to this country, I sought the input of my relatives. A majority of them were against this idea. However, head strong as I am, I ventured to partake in this journey of furthering my academic ambitions. This was made easier by the support of my direct family. On coming here, I began to understand the reservations harbored by my relatives concerning my journey to America.

However, irrespective of this, I was not raised to be a passive individual. The fear of discrimination owing to my ethnicity should not impede on my academic ambitions. True to the characteristics of the Arab people, who traversed the globe in search of trading merchandise, I have in an intrinsic need to be oblivious of the element of distance. Given that I do not want to live in America on a permanent basis, this somewhat solidifies my beliefs on the importance of distance. As such, the negative assertions by strangers on the American streets will not deter or dissuade me from achieving the academic goals I have set for myself.

Saudi Arabia is ethnically Arab. This ethnicity is the generalization of people from, the Arab peninsula and their subsequent descendants (Lewis, 1993). Each region in the country has various variations of Arabs, albeit minimal variation. There are African and Asian people also living in Saudi Arabia (Hourani, 1991). However, a significant majority of these are Muslims. Unlike the ethnic variation that is significantly present in the United States, Saudi Arabia is by law, characterized by a purely natural Muslim population. So much