‘A Tree Grows In Brooklyn’ by Betty Smith, ‘A Country You Can Leave’ by Asale Angel-Ajani, ‘If I Survive You’ by Jonathan Escoffery. These are not just books, they are stories of resilience, resistance, and reconciliation. Stories that spread hope to marginalized communities. Each story might be the script of a lifetime or a single event. Every person you walk by, every friend you greet has a story to tell. Diversity starts with an open mind and ends with a multiethnic world.

The dream was always a united nation, but even hidden behind the glitter and sunshine, there is always a flaw that prevents unity. Diversity can cause disruptions in society that tip the scale of community trust. People endure countless punishments and persecutions for just being who they are. The dream is that eventually, the world will flourish and thrive with billions of humans communicating in a way as to not offend or judge one another. But how will we accomplish this if NBC News reports over 30% of Americans oppose diversity?

If we cannot change our ways, why then did representatives from around the world sign the UN charter in 1945? Why then did Harry Truman attempt to promote world peace and harmonious cooperation? Why then was Jimmy Carter‘s inauguration speech about maximizing the world’s resources? Was all of that for nothing if we can‘t live according to these dreams? It seems that every decade, a new group is targeted for being the minority. The Native Americans, the Muslims, the Jews, the African Americans, the women, and now the immigrants. “They don’t belong,” people would say. But somewhere in the world, they did belong. Without the hundreds

of different people, independence would brew in the heart of every American citizen. Instead, learn to respect all ideas, beliefs, and cultures. Maybe if this is accomplished in every neighborhood in the United States, can we truly say that diversity is our lifestyle.

Diversity is like the skin on our own bodies. It glues everything together, the mind, heart, arms, and legs. Without it, the rest of the body is useless. Diversity is the difference between us, but it makes people not separate, but one. Seeing your family and people you recognize might be comforting, but a glance at the outside world is a sensation worth hoping for. So, when you read a book or talk to someone new, don‘t just do it because you have to. Do it to give respect and meaning to those around you that might never share their experiences. Do it not for yourself, but to make others feel what they deserve. Maybe if this is accomplished in every neighborhood on the planet, can we truly say we live in a diverse world.

<Abigail Jung 학생기자 페어몬트 중학교 7학년>