"Diversity"

[Pawn Power]

What constitutes ethnic and cultural “diversity”? Is it desirable? Does one need to support “diversity” in order to be against racism, nationalism, and ethnocentrism?

[Sentinel]

I don't know if it's necessary to be for diversity in order to be opposed to racism etc -- but it would seem like the logical conclusion if you wish to actually succeed in defeating them. Diversity is simply crucial in eliminating unfounded prejudices which divide the working class -- people are typically irrationally prejudiced against stuff they don't know about. Therefore immigration, and the blending of ethnic groups (as opposed to segregation) is the hardest punch at racism and nationalism ever.

[MarxSchmarx]

Does one need to support “diversity” in order to be against racism, nationalism, and ethnocentrism?

On some level, yes. If nothing else, anti-racists need to support "the diversity of people" on earth. If they don't support this, then they are nazi shit.

But on another level, although I agree with Sentinel's arguments, I must say no. Think of all the people who oppose racism and whatnot but who don't care whether they work at an office with only people of one ethnicity, or live in a community with limited racial diversity. Not everyone who lives in, say, a 95% black neighborhood in the U$A can be a racist. Placing a relatively low priority in being in an ethnically diverse environment doesn't make one automatically a racist.

[Eleftherios]

Originally posted by Pawn [email protected] 19, 2007 10:15 pm
What constitutes ethnic and cultural “diversity”? Is it desirable? Does one need to support “diversity” in order to be against racism, nationalism, and ethnocentrism?
For the most part, I don't see a need to either promote diversity or fight it. It is just something that occurs mostly naturally. But in some cases, it might be preferable to either support it or discourage it, depending on the circumstance.

[leftace53]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24, 2007 02:39 am

For the most part, I don't see a need to either promote diversity or fight it. It is just something that occurs mostly naturally.
This is what I think about it as well. I grew up in a hick town in the middle of nowhere, then moved to a pretty big city, which was my first 'real' exposure to diversity. I've always taken it as once we start making a big deal about diversity (promoting it to the point of advertising it), we slowly start becoming racist because we are making/showing differences between the races that exist, rather than just saying that we are all the same; humans.

[MarxSchmarx]

I've always taken it as once we start making a big deal about diversity (promoting it to the point of advertising it), we slowly start becoming racist because we are making/showing differences between the races that exist, rather than just saying that we are all the same; humans.

Umm.... No.

People aren't blank slates. Most people have pre-programmed racial biases.

By showing that INSPITE of these differences groups can work together, and "making a big deal" about the fact that it doesn't matter what race you are, we fight preconceived prejudices about where people of certain races belong.

When we convince most people that you could be of race X and there is nothing unusual about you being in situation/locality Y, we have made great strides towards fighting racism. By "making a big deal" out of diversity, we make serious progress towards that goal.