New York State is the lifeline of the United States. It's the third biggest economy behind California and Texas and home to New York City, the nation's most populous city and the leading global hub.
Many US citizens and people from around the world call NYC and other parts of the state home, making it a major cultural melting pot. In New York State, you will live, study, and work with people of various traditions, ethnic backgrounds, and religious affiliations.
You may be slow in adapting to this kind of harmonious diversity where everyone fits perfectly despite where they came from.
However, it's not difficult to navigate the cultural diversity in the state and connect positively with everyone around you. Let's look at things you need to do to navigate diversity and maintain cultural awareness.
Cultural awareness begins with self-awareness. It starts with you.
It's essential to make an effort to understand the different cultures around you and view them as parallel to your own and not more or less appropriate or valuable than yours.
Reflecting on your inherent beliefs and biases regarding other people and traditions fosters self-awareness. Doing that will help you appreciate and accept the differences as part of the human experience.
2. Expand your worldview
You may have the best intentions and still step on people's toes. That happens when you're unaware of other people's traditions.
It's important to learn and expand your worldview of other cultures whenever you can. Here is how you can expand your knowledge of the world around you:
Read material on different cultures and their practices. Books, magazines, and articles can help you familiarize yourself with the communities you interact with.
Watch movies that explore other cultures as they offer a good way of learning how to handle certain subjects. For instance, you may not know that certain words or actions disrespect a particular community. Movies tend to address that.
When interacting with people from different backgrounds, ask about things you're not sure about. Most people will be pleased with your willingness to learn out of respect for their values.
Source: Unsplash.
3. Respect Other Views
Your views or opinions matter, but that doesn't only apply to you or your community. A huge part of living harmoniously in a diverse setting is the willingness to listen to and respect other people's views, even if you disagree.
New York State is home to various religions and spiritual belief systems. You may celebrate Christmas while your neighbor celebrates Hanukkah. You will interact with lots of people who don't share your views on many subjects.
For example, people have different views regarding the cannabis legalization trend across the country. Right or wrong, these opinions don't change the fact that marijuana is legal in New York, and people have access to the drug for recreational and medicinal purposes.
As such, it's important to respect other people's perspectives on such issues if you disagree.
4. Interact with others
It's normal to gravitate to familiar things, and that includes people who share your culture. The odd or unknown is usually avoided. However, supporting cultural diversity and inclusivity involves interacting with others.
The Empire State offers an excellent opportunity to engage with people of various ethnic and social backgrounds and learn about their customs and values.
When you interact with everyone without being judgmental, it'll be easy to put yourself in their shoes and understand their experiences as if they were your own. Through genuine and respectful interactions, you can see past the differences and focus on what makes every culture unique and valuable.
Source: Unsplash.
5. Avoid Stereotypes
Stereotypes destroy the efforts people make as individuals to become their better selves. Generalizing people from a specific culture or religion is not how you navigate cultural diversity in a place like New York.
Learn not to put people in boxes and realize that every individual acts and thinks differently regardless of their background. Every one of us functions independently and deserves to be treated and seen as individuals without judgment or assumptions.
Conclusion
The beautiful cultural diversity in New York has led to efforts to fight and eliminate discrimination. Campaigns like #YouHaveRightsNYC are some of the things that propel the state's diversity and inclusive ideals.
