Page 345 - Keys to College Success

or disability prevents you from performing required tasks and unless accommodations
are not possible). Despite these legal protections, discrimination is common and often
appears on college campuses. Students may not want to work with students of other
races, members of campus clubs may reject prospective members because of religious dif-
ferences, and so on.
When prejudice turns violent, it often manifests itself in hate crimes—crimes motivated
by a hatred of a specific characteristic thought to be possessed by the victim—usually
directed at people based on their race, ethnicity, or religious or sexual orientation.

Action #4: Build cultural knowledge
Focusing on the positive aspect of intercultural interaction prepares you to push past
negative possibilities and open your mind to positive ones. Taking the risk to learn
about people who are different from you, especially those you are likely to meet on
campus or on the job, sets you up for productive relationships. How can you begin?

■ Read newspapers, books, magazines, and websites that feature different perspectives.
■ Ask questions of all kinds of people, about themselves and their traditions.
■ Observe people—how they behave, what they eat and wear, how they interact
with others.
■ Travel internationally and locally where you can experience different ways of living.
■ Build friendships with fellow students or coworkers you would not ordinarily
approach.
Building knowledge also means exploring yourself. Talk with family, read, and seek
experiences that educate you about your own cultural heritage. Then share what you
know with others.

Action #5: Adapt to diverse cultures
Now put what you’ve learned to work with practical actions. Taking the risk to open
your mind can bring the reward of extraordinary relationships and new understanding.
Let the following suggestions inspire more ideas about what you can do to improve
how you relate to others.
Look past external characteristics. If you meet a woman with a disability, get to
know her. She may be an accounting major, a guitar player, a baseball fan. These char-
acteristics—not just her physical person—are part of the big picture of who she is.

Risk putting yourself in other people’s shoes. Ask questions about what other
people feel, especially if there’s a conflict. Offer friendship to someone new to your
class. Seek the reward of mutual understanding.
Adjust to cultural differences. When you understand someone’s way of being and put
it into practice, you show respect and encourage communication. For example, if a study
group member takes offense at a particular kind of language, avoid it when you meet.

Stand up against prejudice, discrimination, and hate. When you hear a prejudiced
remark or notice discrimination taking place, you may choose to make a comment or to
approach an authority such as an instructor or dean. Sound the alarm on hate crimes—
let authorities know if you suspect that a crime is about to occur, and support organiza-
tions that encourage tolerance. The reward of keeping someone safe is worth the risk.

Recognize that people everywhere have the same basic needs. Everyone loves,
thinks, hurts, hopes, fears, and plans. When you are trying to find common ground with
12 diverse people, remember that you are united first through your essential humanity.
CHAPTER 308 people communicate. Effective communication enables people of all cultures to connect.
Just as there is diversity in skin color and ethnicity, there is diversity in the way