People should take time out to look at the world around us and how divided it is. There are many divisions in the world such as class, race, and gender, but I would like to focus on the main division that has always had America in chaos: race. Think about it, when you walk into the Atrium you see people sitting with their ethnic group. This is something that I call “self-segregation,” because we tend to separate ourselves from others who look different than we do, choosing instead to sit with people who look just like us. It is not such a big deal to most people I guess because it comes so natural, but yet we are not taking advantage of the dream and hope of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other equal rights activists. I know that we feel more comfortable talking to people who we believe can relate to our situation, but in reality we all have the same problems. Everyone is so much alike the only difference is our skin color and personality. We should not let these differences keep us divided, because deep down we all go through the same problems, such as exams, relationships, schedules, and classes.
From my observation self-segregation still exists in college, but not as much as it did in high school. In high school a person could walk into a cafeteria or classroom and if the seat were not assigned, then the self-segregation is very obvious. You will see the white people in a section, the black people in a section, etc. and this is because people enjoy sitting with their friends. The problem is we choose to only be associates, as in not very close, until situations occur where different races are forced to come together.
For example, in college you may be roomed with someone who is not the same as you, but you are forced to get to know that person and the things they like and dislike. Then you find out that you have something in common with that person. That is how the world needs to be, excluding not having to be forced, it should come naturally.
We need to get out of our comfort zone and try and do different things. America is known for being a “melting pot” meaning that everyone and everything is united. However, if I had to describe America I would call it a toss salad. Given that when you look at a toss salad you can see the different things that it is made of, but if you want you can sort it out. That is what we are doing on a daily basis whenever we self-segregate ourselves. We are taking the tomatoes putting them together; taking the cucumbers and putting them together, but we all fail to notice that they all have something in common: the dressing.
America is diverse, but has issues with promoting diversity. No matter how hard people have fought or made speeches the solution lies within the people and the decisions they make. All of those things that were spoken by equal rights advocates in our past were words of encouragement and wisdom. It is the choice of the people to come together. Yes, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, that one day all black and white children would walk down the streets hand in hand. We do associate with people of different ethnic backgrounds, but not to the point where we need to be as people.
People need to forgive, but never forget the past. We all need to progress because we can not change our past, but it is never too late to change the future. We need to get rid of the stereotypes, and get to know different people for ourselves, but I guess that is not the American way.
