Multiculturalism essentially describes a society where many different cultures live together. Living in New York City and the five boroughs has many benefits when it comes to embracing diversity and multicultural living.
New York City’s melting pot prepares children to live outside of the walls of their homes and exposes them to live in a multicultural society. Having said that, here are some benefits of parenting in a multicultural way:
- As children grow and develop their characteristics, they are more likely to become open-minded and eager to socialize.
- They learn to appreciate things they have and are willing to experiment with new things.
- It gives children an open mind to learn about other countries, ethnicities, cultures, and religions.
- They will be more likely to feel at ease with a diverse group of friends.
- It teaches them that there is no one culture superior to another.
- Chances are, as children get older they will be more adventurous with food as their interests in different cultures makes them curious about trying different dishes.
- Children will learn to explore similarities and differences among cultures and develop an understanding and appreciation of other cultures as well as their own cultural heritage.
We Seek to Belong to Groups
In children as well as adults, it’s part of human nature to be surrounded in groups that share common things such as experiences, likes, and dislikes. For example, maybe your child’s grandparents came from the same town as their friend or maybe they like the same activity or sports team. Though this may be a good thing, it’s equally important to be surrounded by people who don’t share commonalities. We have the potential to learn so much from each other through culture, value, and experiences.
Sadly, there is so much prejudice of “out-groups” that still exists. Thus, it’s important to teach your children tolerance, acceptance, and respect so that they can learn about the diversity that makes up our country. Children recognize differences at an early age so it’s important that parents and teachers are mindful of that. Kids are sponges – they are constantly observing and picking up different things – which means this is an important time to teach them how to value diversity. The earlier we can do that in our homes, schools, and communities, the better we’ll be at continuing those conversations as your child grows.
Teach Your Children About Multiculturalism By…
There are many different ways you can introduce multiculturalism to your child by reading them books, watching certain TV shows and movies, listening to different types of music, and introducing them to ethnic foods. When your child is old enough to fully absorb multiculturalism, you can then dive into more in-depth conversations.
The world is an amazing place – encourage your kids to explore the world with open eyes, mind, and heart.
