The Southwest Voice

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              Cultural diversity. The ethnic, gender, racial, and socioeconomic variety in a situation, institution, or group; the coexistence of different ethnic, gender, racial, and socioeconomic groups within one social unit. If that is the dictionary meaning, what does it really mean? My dad, born in Malaysia, faced cultural diversity throughout his life. Now, he brought it to Bakersfield.

On July 27, 1966, Dad was born in Malaysia. Growing up, there he lived with four major ethnic groups: Malay (50%), Chinese (23%), Indigenous (11%), and Indian (7%). “I was born in that environment, so I felt comfortable,” he states. His ancestors originated in China, but moved to Malaysia because of poverty and a need to work. After they got a job in Malaysia, the Communists took over China, so they weren’t able to return. When Dad finished high school, he came to the United State to attend Iowa Sate University first, then the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and finally UC Berkeley. After my dad graduated, he found work in Bakersfield as a structural and civil engineer. He declares, “I felt I fit in America’s society because I was born in a country with cultural diversity. Adapting in America is relatively easy. The trick is to have an open mind. Be ready to accept people for who they are. Don’t judge people. Everyone is entitled to living his or her own way.”

Dad felt there were many differences between opportunities in the United State and Malaysia. One example is education. Malaysia’s educational system follows the British system. The American system encourages creativity while the British system discourages even asking questions. The culture is also very different. Dad felt he had hardly any freedom of speech in Malaysia. If Malaysians said anything bad about the government, they would suffer consequences, like being put to jail.

After my dad moved to Bakersfield, he was able to maintain his Chinese heritage. He celebrates Chinese New Year, which is almost equivalent to Christmas. He still eats with chopsticks and enjoys Chinese food. His children go to Chinese school to learn the language. He reads Chinese books and watches Chinese movies. He says, “Although I come from a different country with a different language, I still follow the same Chinese traditions that I will pass down to the next generation.”

In the dictionary, we can find a perfect definition of cultural diversity. However, unless one experiences diversity, the definition means nothing. Over his life, my dad has learned the lesson of getting along with others. The key is to keep an open mind and to not judge people. He has passed these ideals on to his children in the hope that they will understand and follow through with these ideals. One must always remember that everyone is entitled to live his or her own way.