Do we know who we are if we don't have our distinct and various cultures? Every person has a culture in which they believe that gives them a sense of belonging and identity. People from many cultures connect on various occasions in the industrialized world. Although some people use culture to caricature others, it is crucial to recognize and embrace the uniqueness that each culture brings (Lee, 2007). Minority writers, as evidenced in the poetry of Cathy Song and Li-Young Lee, underline the value of appreciating variety via their shared tales about living cross-culturally and being impacted by prejudices. The celebration of cultural diversity gives an individual as a sense of belonging and identity. In a culturally diverse society, it is easy for a person to feel lost. According to the poem “Become Becoming” by Li-Young Lee, an individual may begin to wonder if the universe is an empty mirror. The statement from the poem can be related to a person who is lost due to failure to celebrate their cultural diversity hence the person feels homesickness (Lee, 2013). However, through cultural diversity, the person would have seen the universe in a different view hence he would not have been lonely.
Furthermore, the celebration of cultural diversity enables a peaceful coexistence between individuals in society. In the poem “The Kindness of Others” by Cathy Song, the author writes that the laughter of the neighbors and their kindness is all that they ever wanted. The statement can be used to refer to what people from different cultures want to get when they move to a society with diverse cultures (Song, 2005). In a society that does not celebrate cultural diversity, the simple needs of kindness and concerns that one needs from a neighbor are hard to get. Hence there is a high chance of conflict in such a society.
Stereotypes impact negatively on an individual while the celebration of cultural diversity offers many benefits to people in society. The need by the individuals in society to know their identity and feel the kindness of their neighbors s that they can live peacefully can be guaranteed through the celebration of cultural diversity. Therefore, every cross-cultural society should appreciate and embrace all the cultures available for a peaceful co-existence.
References
Lee, L. (2007). Secret Life. Retrieved from: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/49975/secret-life
Lee, L. (2013) Become Becoming. Retrieved from: http://www.ayearofbeinghere.com/2013/12/li-young-lee-become-becoming.html
Song, C. (2005). The kindness of Others. Retrieved from: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43372/the-kindness-of-others
