The Benefits of Multiple Mixed Culture Countries - Essay Example

As an initial matter, being in multiple mixed-culture countries exposes one to a variety of ideas and perspectives.  This is because there are layers upon layers of cultural variants.  You cannot even speak of Korean-Americans as a homogenous group because there are different generations of Korean-Americans.  For example, a second-generation Korean American is likely to view Korean and American values and traditions differently than a second-generation Korean American.  You may ask questions about the Korean War or the current conflict between North Korea and South Korea and receive different answers or different philosophical or theoretical approaches to the issue being discussed.  Some Americans may not even know about the Korean conflict; in the culturally mixed context, however, there are always some people with knowledge or first-hand experience.  In America, for example, there are former Russians from the Soviet Union, there are Vietnamese who were military leaders during the war, there are Jews who survived the Holocaust, and there are people with nearly every conceivable experience in our world.  In a very real way, having such a diverse population is very much like having a human encyclopedia within America’s national boundaries.

There is an additional benefit not offered in culturally homogenous countries; more specifically, people can immerse themselves in different cultural settings and traditions without having to travel abroad.  In America, for example, there are many parts of the country where certain cultural traditions have manifested themselves physically in the form of towns or regions.  In San Francisco, you can visit Chinatown or Little Italy.  In Los Angeles, there is an officially recognized Thai Town.  All over the country, there are places where cultural traditions are proudly displayed.  A person wishing to experience some of the Chinese cultures, for instance, does not necessarily need to fly to China.  You can visit Chinatown, whether, in San Francisco or New York, and have a similar experience.  Many of the people will be speaking Chinese, shops are operated in much the same way as in China, and the Chinese language and symbols are to be seen everywhere.  There was a famous Hollywood movie, the title which I cannot recall, where a Chinese-American told a policeman “This is not Brooklyn.  This is not even New York.  This is Chinatown.”  The point is that the multiple mixed-race countries offer people to immerse themselves to some extent, therefore, learn about and from other cultures.  One weekend might be celebrating the Chinese New Year and another spent experiencing a traditional Catholic mass in Little Italy.  It is very much like having many countries in one.

Finally, it is fascinating to observe and learn how people from different backgrounds, be they racial or religious, can co-exist in furtherance of a common good.  It would be inaccurate to suggest that all races co-exist harmoniously.  This is simply not the case; nonetheless, it is amazing to see how well the majority of people get along well in multiple mixed-culture countries.  In America, for example, Barack Obama may become the next President.  His father is a black Muslim from Kenya, his mother is a white woman from America’s Midwest, and Obama is possibly the next President.  We have Asian mayors as well as Latin-American and African American members of the House of Representatives.  White and black baseball fans cheer players from Japan and Venezuela; Asians listen to rock and rap music; and, Europeans and Latin-Americans crave Asian cuisine.  The successes outweigh the occasional conflicts.

In the final analysis, multiple mixed-culture countries are preferable to the culturally homogenous country for many reasons.  You can learn more from the latter, you can immerse yourself in a variety of cultural traditions, and you can believe that people from different cultures and different backgrounds can co-exist peacefully and productively.