Is diversity important?

These comments make me realize that diversity doesn't just exist in how people look. Diversity exists in how people think, what people say and the choices that people make. Our country was founded by immigrants who were seeking freedom to express their differentness, whether it was religious, ethnic, political or something else. How many generations do you have to go back in your own family to find an immigrant? I'll bet they didn't all speak English when they arrived here. Immigrants add value to our society by bringing new energy and new ideas. If they speak a different language, how is that offensive? How is it that we can go to war overseas to fight for our "freedom" and then be so intolerant when people express this freedom at home? Don't you value the right to live authentically, without someone telling you where to speak, when to speak and what language to speak? Isn't this what the First Amendment is all about? I feel inspired by how hard many of my students work, how hard I know it is for their families to adapt to their new country. I think we could all be more tolerant of other people’s differences. I do not treat blondes any differently than I treat brunettes or people with black hair. It is a superficial characteristic of no real significance – except when it stands as a symbol for minority students, as it does in the title of my blog.