Sunday 28 November 2010

colour of diversity



Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another's uniqueness.

Ola Joseph


when we were a kid, school, parents told us about appreciate the differences, negociate the cultural challenges in society, tolerate it. religion also taught about 'respect' each other.

diversity is something that we could not resist. If someone has asked the diversity question, people always answer with "ooh yeah, we have to respect each other, diversity will make our life more colorful, etc". But sometimes i wonder, that's only a bullshit answer. when you get back to your family's value and culture, they will order you to have a partner who has the same culture with you. that's the platinum rule.

so, what's the point of diversity, respect, appreciate that they've been taught to us since we were a kid? in the end, it's always come back to stereotype, generalization, and hegemony. ebony will always be with ebony, and so does ivory. if there's a chance ebony end up with ivory, again, society will see that differently.

i'm so sick of these. i grew up in a multicultural environment. i have bunch of friends with a different ethnic, there's no majority and minority. we respect each other, and we negotiate our identity and cultural differences. i can learn other's culture, and vice versa. but when it comes to a big family gathering (and they're coming from a place that one culture is a majority) it will back to generalization and stereotyping. no more ebony and ivory.

so (again) what's the point of the colour of diversity, people?

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