EthnoConnect® Articles on
Multicultural Diversity & Awareness
Blacks vs. Yellow: What's Really Behind the Attacks on Asians?
As a fifth-generation Chinese American professional speaker and author, I am acutely aware of the increasing number of physical attacks specifically aimed at Asians in the United States since the Coronavirus pandemic began including robberies or beatings for no reason at all.
The Power of Intercultural Conflict
The simple word “conflict” usually sends shivers up the spine of the most experienced manager. Visions of yelling and fistfights quickly come to mind with permanently-ruined relationships the ultimate result. This kind of atmosphere can quickly lead to loss of productivity and profitability as team members stop communicating with each other, withhold vital information and generally stop acting as a team.
Why is There Intercultural Conflict?
There is always conflict between people because we have different needs and wants. For example, you may want to see an action movie but your significant other wants to see a comedy or you may prefer eating at a Mexican restaurant while your spouse wants Chinese. However, you have known each other well for years and will work it out.
Why is There Intercultural Conflict?
There is always conflict between people because we have different needs and wants. For example, you may want to see an action movie but your significant other wants to see a comedy or you may prefer eating at a Mexican restaurant while your spouse wants Chinese. However, you have known each other well for years and will work it out.
Black Belt Negotiating – Learning to Bargain Like a Foreigner
Did you ever notice that some people just seem to be natural-born negotiators? They get discounts and deals wherever they go. We’re jealous, aren’t we? We wish we could be more like them, to have the confidence to haggle like they do, and also be able to spend the extra money they save by bargaining. Well, wish no more because good negotiators are trained, not born!
Affirmative Action:
The Real Question
The Supreme Court ruled on June 23, 2003 that the University of Michigan’s affirmative action policy for undergraduate students is unconstitutional because it violates equal opportunity statutes. This mechanical system automatically gave bonus admission points to students from certain minority groups. However, it let stand the university’s law school’s preference policy for minorities meaning that colleges can take race into consideration when making admissions decisions..
Selling to American Customers
The United States is the biggest market in the world for selling your goods and services. While only 4.6% of the world’s population Americans consume over 25% of all of its goods. This country presents a tremendous opportunity for companies to sell more products and services… if they are willing to adjust their practices to meet the unique needs of the American market.
Myths about Multicultural Patients and Their Implications for Healthcare
According to the 2000 U.S. census, members of minority groups now represent one-third of the American population and the University of Georgia’s Selig Center estimates their spending at over $2 trillion every year on a wide range of goods and services including healthcare. This constitutes a huge market for the providers of healthcare products and services… if they know how to meet the unique needs of people from the Hispanic, African American, Asian, and Middle Eastern cultures.
Minorities and Money
Minorities do not bank, buy insurance or invest in stocks in the same way as white Americans. For example, less than half of all Hispanics have credit cards compared to 80 percent of the population. Only 57 percent of middle-class African Americans have money invested in the stock market as opposed to 81 percent of whites. About 58 percent of Hispanic households had savings or checking accounts compared with 71 percent of black families and 93percent of white households. Hispanics spend less than half of other groups on life and health insurance.
Can Minorities Discriminate Against Minorities ?
In March of 2002 seven African American Del Taco employees sued the nation's second-largest Mexican food chain, claiming they were passed over for promotions in favor of Hispanic workers. The discrimination lawsuit filed in Superior Court alleged that the plaintiffs, who are former and current employees, were mistreated while they worked at Del Taco. They claim that they were verbally harassed by Hispanic employees and, in some cases, fired and replaced by illegal immigrants.
Diversity Training Since 9/11
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 had a profound effect on diversity training in the United States. If anything positive can be gleaned from the tragedy of that day it is the fact that managers are much more concerned about the impact that culture has on their workforces.
Diversity in the Classroom
Teachers must be aware of the fact that there are different learning styles among students in the classroom. However, we may believe that most people are comfortable with the primary mode of communicating in America that is primarily verbal. This could be a fatal mistake, especially when speaking to groups composed of a significant number of people from diverse cultures.
Diverse Learning Styles for Teachers
As good teachers, we often survey the faces of our students for feedback and are delighted to see some of the people in our classes obviously enjoying our lectures. However, there are others who are constantly squirming in their seats and a few who have glazed looks on their faces. Whose fault is it that some of our students “just don’t get it”?
Diverse Learning Styles for Professional Speakers
As professional speakers many of us are aware of the fact that there are different learning styles among the people in audiences we address. However, we may believe that most people are comfortable with the primary mode of communicating in America that is primarily verbal. This could be a fatal mistake, especially when speaking to groups composed of a significant number of people from diverse cultures.
Diverse Learning Styles for Teachers
As good teachers, we often survey the faces of our students for feedback and are delighted to see some of the people in our classes obviously enjoying our lectures. However, there are others who are constantly squirming in their seats and a few who have glazed looks on their faces. Whose fault is it that some of our students ?
Culture and Distance Learning
According to a study by Forrester Research (www.forrester.com), 70 percent of students who start an online course never finish it. This is a horrible completion rate by anyone’s standards. While many possible explanations have been offered for this failure one of the most obvious seems to be missing. Perhaps some people may just not be suited to the format of distance learning.
Discussing Differences in the Classroom
Why do instructors want to address people’s differences in the classroom? The world is becoming increasingly diverse and we need to get beyond exterior differences to see our common humanity if we ever want to reduce discrimination and prejudice. If not in an academic setting, what other forum is there for helping people address this crucial issue for the benefit of humanity?
Creating An Open Environment For Discussing Differences
Why do instructors want to address people’s differences in the classroom? The world is becoming increasingly diverse and we need to get beyond exterior differences to see our common humanity if we ever want to reduce discrimination and prejudice. If not in an academic setting, what other forum is there for helping people address this crucial issue for the benefit of humanity?
Ten Myths About Latina Workers
1. "Latina workers lack initiative."
Female Hispanics often don't do more than they are asked to do because they respect authority and usually do exactly as they're told - no more and no less. This is why it's crucial to be very specific about what they are supposed to do. They also don’t like making suggestions that might imply that they are questioning their boss.
Ten Myths About
Multicultural Customers
Minorities in American spend over $2 trillion a year on products and services. People from diverse cultures are already one-third of the population and are the fastest-growing consumer group in the country. This is a huge market for retailers and service providers all across the country-- if you know how to meet the unique needs of customers and clients from the Hispanic, African American, Asian, Middle Eastern other cultures.
Ten Myths About Multicultural Real Estate Clients
From now until 2007 over 60% of all homebuyers in American will be minorities (National Association of Realtors). There are over one million people from overseas coming into the United States every year and they all want to show friends and family they are successful by buying an American home. This influx of people has fueled the current boom in real estate. In addition, there are already 80 million multicultural Americans already here. This is a huge market for real estate agents all across the country – if you know how to meet the unique needs of the fastest-growing group of homebuyers.
Ten Myths About Multicultural New Home Customers
Over 60% of all homebuyers today are minorities (National Association of Realtors®). There are over one million people from overseas coming into the United States every year and they all want to show friends and family they are successful by buying a new American home. This influx of people has fueled the current boom for homebuilders. In addition, there are already 70 million multicultural Americans already here. This is a huge market for builders all across the country – if you know how to meet the unique needs of people from other cultures.
Ten Myths About
Multicultural New Car Buyers
There are over one million people from overseas coming into the United States every year, and many of them want to show friends and family they are successful by buying a new car. In addition, there are nearly 80 million multicultural Americans already here. This is a huge market for new car salespeople all across the country – if you know how to meet the unique needs of people from other cultures.
Understanding the truth behind the following myths will help you better serve this rapidly-growing market and sell more cars as a result:
Ten Myths About Culturally Diverse Employees
The United States Office of Employment predicts that 29 percent of the U.S. labor force will be comprised of minorities by 2008. More importantly, it estimates that between 1998 and 2008 some 41 percent of the people entering the U.S. workforce will be minorities. With over 120 million Baby Boomers retiring and only 70 million Generation-X employees to fill their jobs we must obviously look elsewhere to meet this shortfall.
Ten Myths About
Multicultural Members
Minorities in America are now one-third of the population and they spend over $2 trillion every year. This is a huge market for cooperatives all across the country-- if you know how to meet the unique needs of members from the Hispanic, African American, Asian, and Middle Eastern cultures.
Hiring Multicultural Workers
The United States Office of Employment predicts that 29 percent of the U.S. labor force will be comprised of minorities by 2008. More importantly, it estimates that between 1998 and 2008 some 41 percent of the people entering the U.S. workforce will be minorities. With over 120 million Baby Boomers retiring and only 70 million Generation-X employees to fill their jobs we must obviously look elsewhere to meet this shortfall.
Building Multicultural Teams
Developing effective teams in today’s workplace is difficult but when you add the complexity of people from diverse cultures, it becomes a challenge beyond the abilities of most managers. So what’s the big deal with diversity and teamwork? If you add to the mix many differences such as communications style, team concept, language and more you can see the potential problems.
Business Advantages of Diversity in the Workplace
The United States Office of Employment predicts that 29 percent of the U.S. labor force will be comprised of minorities by 2008. More importantly, it estimates that from 1998 to 2008 some 41 percent of the people entering the U.S. workforce will be minorities.
Multicultural Customer Service
Minorities are the fastest-growing consumer group in America. They are currently one-third of the population and will be over half by 2050. Multicultural Americans buy over $2 trillion in goods and services annually and if your business is to survive the next decade you will have to make some significant changes in the ways in which you interact with this changing customer base.
Selling to Multicultural Customers
Today, one million new immigrants enter the United States annually and one-third of all Americans are minorities. People from diverse cultures present a tremendous opportunity for companies to sell more products and services… if they are willing to adjust their practices to meet the unique needs of the fastest-growing consumer group in the country. The buying power of Hispanics, African Americans, Asians and Middle Easterners is growing rapidly and they currently spend over $2 trillion annually.
About the Author
Michael Soon Lee, DBA, CSP
Michael Soon Lee, DBA, is a cultural expert and author of eight books about overcoming cultural conflict including, “Cross-Cultural Selling for Dummies” and “Black Belt Negotiating”. Dr. Lee has spoken to over 1,000 organizations around the world such as Coca-Cola, Chevron, Boeing, State Farm Insurance, and Charles Schwab.