David Brooks People Like Us

Adrienne Johnson
Ms. Vetro
English 101
9-26-15
Essay
Americans Fear Diversity
The United States is known as free and diverse country including in race, ethnicity, culture, gender, and religion. People fail to have the good intention of becoming more diverse with other people who are absolutely different. Therefore, segregation still exist in the United States, not just the difference in skin color, but the differences in interests, personalities, and communities. There is solution to this problem because people will not reach out of their comfort zone to others who are not like them. People fail to take advantage to know others because of being rejected and judged. Americans are more interested in others who are mostly like them so diversity

does not really exist in the United States.
The United States tries to be a good example of diversity.

The United States may look like a diverse country, but, overall it is not because people fail to demonstrate the true meaning of diversity. In David Brooks’ essay “People like Us” notes, “Maybe somewhere in this country there is a truly diverse neighborhood in which a black Pentecostal minister live next to a white anti-globalization activist, who live next to an Asian short-order…(62). Brooks provides a sarcastic quote about a perfectly diverse neighborhood in America, which is a joke. There are not many neighborhoods that are absolutely perfect filled with different occupations and different lifestyle. People usually live in neighborhoods where they can fit in to make their life easier. As Brooks adds: “But in the information age, the late writer James Chapin once told me, every place becomes more like itself”(63). Brooks supports a comment from late writer, James Chapin, that a neighborhood or a community can be like itself, meaning with the same people, personalities, or same lifestyle, and nothing different (62). A community may have its own lifestyle because the people who live in a particular community are similar. As a result, people feel comfortable being around others who are just like them because they will not feel judged or

rejected.
Diversity can be defined as people joining from different races, nationalities, and genders to form organizations and communities.

People can view diversity as a good matter, but they do not take the chance to experience different aspects outside of what they are normally accustomed to. Instead of people taking the chance, they get too comfortable staying in their own bubble that includes others who are just like them. As Brooks argues, “We are finding places where we are comfortable and where we feel flourish. But the choices we make toward that end lead to the very opposite of diversity”(63). Brooks explains that Americans are most comfortable in places where they can feel wanted and accepted, but accepting people who are similar is the opposite of diversity. People choose to be with their associates with whom that has interests in common. Brooks also expresses that “The United States might be a diverse nation when considered as a whole, but block by block and institution by institution it is a relatively homogeneous nation”(63). The United States may be considered as the only truly diverse country because of all of the different nationalities represented here. However, many American communities and organizations look the same; as a result, it is the opposite of

diversity.
The lack of a bond between races, genders, and cultures is due to distrust, stereotyping, and cultural beliefs, and language barriers. When these problems are not supervised people could lead to the inability of agreement, and the inability to take united action. Human nature can be described as characteristics shared by all humans, and Brooks states, “What we are looking at here is human nature. People want to be around others who are roughly like themselves”(65). Human nature means people live in primary groups like communities, and these communities are made up of people who are all the same. They have the same morals, behaviors, and characteristics. People do not realize that communicating with other people who are just like them is the lack of cohesion with other people who are different. Americans do not know the meaning of diversity if they feel comfortable with only people who are the same as they are. Brooks explains, “It is appalling that Americans know so little about one another”(65). Brooks makes a point that Americans do not know so much about other people who are different. Americans know themselves and the people who they associate with mostly. Finally, Americans fear getting rejected or judged of differences.
Finally, America became a multi-cultural country, but the people who live in the country do not express this diversity. As a result, American citizens do not know the true meaning of diversity. Diversity should be a positive matter, not something to fear. However, people feel comfortable with people who they can relate with. To fix this solution, instead of being with the same people, people should experience differences, in cultures, beliefs, and perspectives. In this society, though people do not usually choose to experience different aspects from their everyday lives. There is really not a solution to the lack of diversity because people fear getting hurt and rejected so Americans fear diversity.
Brooks, David. “People like Us.” Acting out Culture. Ed. James S. Miller. New York: Bedford/St. Martin, 2015. 62-66. Print