Is the focus of diversity, Actually keeping Americans apart? What do you think?

In the opinion column of the Philadelphia Inquire, Jonathan Zimmerman explores the ideal that the focusing on diversity itself could be pointing out the things that separate Americans. He especially thinks this theory could have a tremendous effect on the 2008 presidential elections.

"The more that Americans 'celebrate diversity,' the less they seem to have in common. And that's very bad news for Barack Obama, who needs to persuade millions of white voters that we're all in this together," explain Zimmerman, "For too many Americans, however, family ends where race begins."

Although there is evidence that suggest that the concept of race and race issues deeply divide many Americans, isn't there more that consolidates Americans than that which divides them? Jonathan Zimmerman thinks so, but he also believes that the concept of diversity, which encourages interactions between many people who have cultural, ethnic, or physical differences, also has divisive components that do present barriers to an all inclusive community.
He breaks it down into two categories, the good & the bad. First the Good:
"For most of U.S. history, of course, white people presumed that the country was theirs. The ideal of diversity arose to challenge white supremacy, reminding us that Americans come in many colors - and that all of them deserve equal rights and respect."
The Bad: "Along the way, however, it also reinforced the same racial categories that had bedeviled us for so long. And that helps explain why so many white voters - and even a few black ones - see Obama as strange, exotic or alien. Not evil or threatening, necessarily. Just different. Unfamiliar. Or should I say un-familial?"

Zimmerman finishes by saying that a focus on diversity may be the undoing of Presidential candidate Barack Obama who uses the angle of focusing on what most Americans have in common!

What do you think? Diversity is a conversation that acknowledges people's differences as a way to foster familiarity, and comfort to help bring people together, but could introducing what makes people different be too divisive to bring Americans together?

Please share your thoughts!

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Comment by Barry Arnott on October 2, 2008 at 3:51pm: I remain amazed at how so many still see diversity as EEO. It is not just about "interactions between many people who have cultural, ethnic, or physical differences,". We all look, act, and think differently. THAT IS DIVERSITY!!

Comment by Bennie Covington on September 9, 2008 at 4:30pm: Thanks for looking into that Roxanne, let me know if he replies

Comment by Roxanne Wright on September 9, 2008 at 3:27pm: Bennie,
I actually wrote him and asked him if he could elaborate on his thinking because, as it is, his article just didn't make much sense to me. Since he admits that racism is a long standing practice, and since the conversation around diversity is a relatively recent one, how could the latter be causing the former. I acknowledged to him that the length of the article did not allow for much elaboration on his point - but to suggest that, if we don't talk about difference, people will stop noticing it is something that you would hear from an elementary school student - not an NYU professor (I didn't say that to HIM). So, length of the article notwithstanding, I cannot even begin to understand the logic of his premise. Hopefully, he will respond to my email and I can enlighten (both of us) further about his thinking. Thanks for your feedback.

Comment by Bennie Covington on September 8, 2008 at 8:56pm: I found this article interesting because I did not understand exactly where the author was coming from either, I wanted to explore his perspective and begin a dialogue about his opinions. I am realizing that many people see things differently than I do. Nothing like a political year to teach you that fact. I guess the author thinks that by celebrating our differences, it causes some to have to deal with our differences. and this is uncomfortable for many people who would rather ignore the elephant in the room. Thanks for your input Roxanne

Comment by Roxanne Wright on September 8, 2008 at 5:48pm: A ridiculous article, with a ridiculous premise. I wish that there was actually something that made sense to react to, but there was nothing in that article that made any.

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