Is it Possible to Find Unity in our Multicultural Society?

By Haifeng Zhang, Woerther Elementary 5th Grade

Is it possible to find unity in our multicultural society? This is a question that many people ask. Some people say yes, some people say no. Peace is a sacred thing, and we need to ensure that all people in the world and America should have something in common. That thing is, the opportunity to have peace in our world, especially at this time for our country and the world. 

America is a beautiful place where the country is united with its citizens. The freedoms of speech, religion, press, and others, are what make citizens love this country so much. America is a place where people from different countries can meet people from other countries, and hopefully can experience other cultures, for America is a place to meet other people, but also a place to experience other cultures. 

In my lifetime, I have experienced other cultures other than my own. I hope there will be more people in the following year that will experience other cultures, other than their own. The joy of experiencing something new is priceless. You may like the new change, or you may not. But the excitement you received right before you were about to do something new, whatever it might be, will be in you memory, and it will be a memory you would treasure all your life. 

When you experience other cultures, you should be grateful about it. Many people in the world are not fortunate enough to have this wonderful option. But generous people are making sure that all people should have the same opportunities. We all started from one person. Then, as time passed, cultures were formed. Maybe sometime in the future, people can look back and say, "I'm proud and grateful to be able to have the opportunities I've had." 

There are always strengths and challenges of something. One of the things that have strengths and challenges is a multicultural country. Multicultural countries are usually alive and active. When people go out, they are usually looking for a fun day or a fun night. But their search might be cut short because of hatred. One of the challenges of a multicultural country is trying to get rid of prejudice. Prejudice is one of the things that people fear the most. Prejudice is an act of hatred on a culture. Prejudice usually doesn't end up well for the victims. The victims usually end up with serious cuts and bruises and end up in a hospital. 

Peoples' peace of the same culture of prejudice victims is shattered. People will be afraid to leave their homes. Parents will worried about their children going out to play, about their future, and about how will they tolerate the acts of prejudice on their culture when they grow up. In situations like these, tensions start to build, and relationships will start to break. One question that many victims and their family and friends will start to ask is, "Why?" One question racists start to ask themselves is, "Did my one (or many) act(s) of hatred affect my country in a horrible way?" Many racists would answer, "No" But we all know that the answer is, "Yes"

Even though the challenges are very serious, there are some strengths to a multicultural country. Being able to learn about other cultures is one of them. People who are from different cultures should express themselves so that people can appreciate them. Like I said before, being able to experience other cultures is a wonderful thing. You can learn things about others, and you can ever learn things about yourselves

We should be able to embrace and promote other cultures. No culture is better than another culture. People from different cultures than your own should be treated fairly, like everybody else is treated. Every culture is different, just like people. 

I am Chinese. I don't want to be treated different just because I look different or because I'm from a different culture. I want to be treated fairly. I think that over time, people will realize that people from different cultures are just like them, and the number of racists and the number of victims of prejudice attacks will diminish, until the number is zero. If the world could be like that, then I think that this world would be a lot better to live in. 

"Celebrating Unity Through Diversity" 

by Lauren Straszacker
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque School Grade 4

The United States of America is made up of many different people who are from many different cultures. God made each person special. We need to respect everyone. Everyone has his own special gifts to share with others. As Americans, we all want to have freedom and justice. We pray for peace in the world. We are thankful that we are able to practice our religion and that we have freedom of speech. We work hard for our money. Americans also try hard to have their own home and property. Getting an education and choosing a job are also things that we are thankful for. 

In my own experience, I know very few people from different cultures. However, the people I do know are more like me than they are different. They are kind and caring towards others. They also want to live in peace. I think that they respect me and I respect them. We share in many similar activities such as sports and other hobbies. 

We are blessed to live in a country with many cultures. It gives us the ability to learn from one another. We all have knowledge and talents to share. We are able to enjoy books and movies from other cultures. Sharing different kinds of food is also fun. Appreciation for music and art from other cultures also enriches our lives. We can build on each other's know ledge especially in the areas of science and technology. By doing this, we make a better world for everyone. 

Even though there are many benefits to living in a country with many cultures, there are also many challenges. It takes a lot of effort to understand people from other cultures. We have to be willing to accept the differences in others. Also it takes time to build trust between cultures. Overcoming fear of the differences in others can also be challenging. Often we fear those that we don't understand. This is why it is important to be educated about other cultures. Another challenge to living with many cultures is trouble communicating with one another. Some may even speak a totally different language. 

Even though there are these challenges, we all have to work together to come to an under- standing of each other's differences. Through education, we can grow in respect and trust for one another. We all have to do our part to reach out to others. We have to cooperate with each other. There has to be a joint commitment to work together for the common good of all. If we can all respect one another and value each other's differences, we can make the world a more peaceful place. We know that we need God's help in order to live in peace.

America: A Garden of Wonder

By Katherine Webb, Crestview Middle School, grade 8

Imagine, if you will, a lily. It rises gracefully from the soil, arching elegantly to display a beautiful bloom. The flower blushes delicately at the center with the palest pink that blends into snowy white at the rippling edges. Beautiful, for sure. Lovely. Now I want you to imagine a field of such lilies. There are acres upon acres of flowers that spread to the horizon, blanketing the earth. At first, walking among them, you think it pretty. However, as time goes on, the white becomes monotonous. The usually subtle scent is overpowering. You stop admiring the beauty of the specimens, because there are too many for you to look at. You cannot appreciate in full the wonder of each blossom. Let us change scenery again. We are now in a garden, brimming with color and variety. Here an iris hovers, there a crocus pushes up from the ground. A magnolia bush spews its waxy petals upon the grass and a climatis vine weaves its way handsomely over a trellis. You stop and smell the lily, finally welcoming its aroma. It is lovely again, as are all the other flowers. This diversity allows us to better value each and every blossom, from aster to zinnia. This also holds true for a country. America is a blend of people from every corner of the globe. Because of our wealth of different traditions and cultures, we appreciate each and every one for all its uniqueness and splendor.

Still, it is harder to care for a garden than a field of lilies. If you plant only one variety of flower, you can feed them all the same fertilizer, give them all the same soil, and water them all at once. A full garden must be attentively watched and researched. You must know each species intimately for all to flourish. The upkeep is an unending endeavor. However, the end result is far more pleasing. That aspect of gardens is very similar to a country as varied as ours. America, because of its diversity, requires much effort to maintain. It is a task that we all must take part in. We all have a duty to understand, cultivate, and celebrate each other's cultures and not allow our differences to tear us apart. It is difficult, but in the end it is wonderful and rewarding. 

Flowers often compliment one another. A pink rose often looks best interwoven with the dusky purple of a climatis. They are very, very different, but together they make a lovely and unified picture. Likewise, the collective American culture is always being added to, always being made more interesting by immigrants who come to this country for a better life. The Irish brought to us their music, fast and wonderful as the wind. It is complimented by the slower, delicately haunting tunes of Japanese folk and the rousing beats of African drums. The Chinese aesthetic makes itself known in our art and architecture and is matched by stately Greek columns and sculpture. Within our literature one can find evidence of French romance and English drama. The religious and cultural contrasts of our country make life exciting and interesting for all. 

The largest gardens often receive specimens from foreign climes, endangered plants of rare beauty. They are proudly displayed in greenhouses, giving the entire planting a touch of exotic flair. The garden is enhanced and made more beautiful from their presence and the flowers themselves are saved from extinction. America has also become a greenhouse, a refuge for war-torn, exhausted, and oppressed people from all over the world. They come to our country with hopes and dreams of a better life in a new land. With them come regional and religious traditions, adding touches of bright color to our cultural landscape. As with the endangered blossoms, we provide a place were they will be allowed to flourish and grow, instead of die away. Our freedom allows diversity to continue to grow.

Achieving harmony and tranquility in gardens is very difficult. It is hard to decide how to stop one plant from overpowering the entire scene while maintaining a sense of wholeness. Even in our country's early days, bitter differences in religion and philosophy obstructed many efforts to balance our composition. The challenge is to unify without all becoming the same. To do this, we must not only tolerate each other's differences, but revel in them, understand them. We have to realize that compromise is the only way to success. We need to adopt two cultures: our native ones, and the one of compassion, comprehension, and conciliation. Only then can we still be a balanced, peaceful and pleasing garden.

Living in America is like walking in a master garden. Surprise and color burst from every corner. The scent is intricately worked and deliciously subtle. Blooms grace glossy foliage and adorn the damp earth. Lily pads float above a pond, purple flowers rising from their leaves. One feels calm or joyful or proud wandering along the meandering path. If we work together, this garden will never wither and will never die. It will only blossom and grow larger. Our flowers will be many and varied, our plants complimentary and healthy, and our composition wonderful for many years to come. As time continues, new plants will come and thrive. Ours will be the best garden in the world. America truly is a wonderful garden of diversity. 

Celebrating Unity Through Diversity

By Jessica Haley, Duchesne Elementary School 

I believe it is possible to find unity in a multi-culture society. In my essay, I will tell you all my reasons why. 

I know it is possible to find unity in a multi-culture society. I know because I see it everyday. I see it at school. At school there are a lot of different cultures. There are a lot of different religions, too. But we don't care. We accept each other despite our differences. The people at my school work together to do school projects. The teachers work hard together so that we can learn.

A lot of people in a multi-culture society think it's absolutely stupid to not like someone because they're different. I mean, we are all the same human beings who share this earth.

In many ways the U.S. Army is like our community. Everybody comes together to work hard. Without effort, neither the army nor our communities can make a big difference in the world. There is also cooperation. In the army, without cooperation, how can anything get done? It's the same with our community. The U.S. Army is like a family. They care for each other, like a band of people together as one. So is our community.

How do military personnel unify under the same command regardless of race? They think of each other. They know that they need to love one another and look out for each other. They all know it doesn't matter what race you are. When you see the news, do you see just Caucasian people? Just African-American? No you see African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American people. And all of these people work and live together, as one, in one country.

I think what bonds the U.S. together is all that we've been through together as a country. When September 11th happened, everybody suffered. But we worked hard together to rebuild our lives. The day of the attack - and still today - everybody came to work with each other. Everybody came together as volunteers to clean up, take care of others, collect money for victims' families, and just for support. When September 11th happened, it not only made us very sad, it made us all stronger. And it's not only September 11th, it's everything else that we go through. We always stick together. 

One time, my mom took me to a Greek Festival. At the festival, there was Greek food, Greek jewelry, Greek music, Greek dance, and most importantly Greek people. But not just Greek people came to the festival. I saw all kinds of people of different cultures. Everybody got to learn a little about a different culture. And everyone got along and had a great time. It was really cool.

There are many weaknesses in a multi-culture society, but there are also a lot of strengths. One weakness is fear. Sometimes when people don't understand other's differences, they get scared. Then they start to be hateful towards those they don't understand. A strength is when we are educated about other cultures. When we have a better understanding of people, we are less afraid. Without other races and cultures, do you know how boring the world would be? Without a multi-culture society, we wouldn't be able to unify as we would if it was just our own culture and that was it.

It is all our responsibility to embrace other cultures. We need to do this so we can learn about others. If no one does anything about embracing other cultures, then how will we learn about others? We need everybody's help. Together, we can learn to accept others for who they are, otherwise we might miss out on something really great. It is my hope that one day everybody will love one another.