Reflective Essay on Multiculturalism

First, what is multiculturalism?  In a general sense, the term multiculturalism refers to a social reality characterized by the coexistence of various communities of different origins, habits, and cultures. Specifically, it indicates the policies undertaken by some nation states to limit inequalities between different ethnic groups and to enhance languages, beliefs and lifestyles. Multiethnic and multicultural society is an inevitable challenge today. The most elementary, widespread and capillary force at work, and therefore less contained is misery and the survival instinct. 

We live in a multicultural society filled with people of all ages, ethnicities, sexes, sexual orientations, religious beliefs and political beliefs. In this historical era, multiculturalism must be interpreted as an opportunity that favors the growth of both the company and the worker.

A multicultural work environment can be very stimulating and enriching. Coming into contact with people who have knowledge different from ours by culture or life experiences, helps to see the world from a different point of view, very often more positive. But the advantages are not limited only to this, a multi-ethnic work team offers the organization great opportunities.

Multiculturalism in the office can create a sense of cultural awareness among all workers, for example, employees who are exposed to other people's ideas and points of view different from their own culture will learn to think "off the screen" when faced with a problem. In fact, once the worker has been exposed to a culture other than his own, he can begin to reflect on how narrow his vision of the world is and how it possibly negatively affects his ability to think and solve problems. Multiculturalism can therefore help in problem-solving.

Managers who manage a culturally diverse workforce can benefit greatly from this diversity, as they will have a larger but one-group social network at their disposal. This can generate an interest in products and services in many ethnic communities within the larger community.

Workers exposed to different viewpoints and cultures in the office will be more likely to practice tolerance, consequently to cooperate with others and compromise when faced with differences. This will strengthen relationships and also make the company business stronger.

Also, employees who learn about different cultures in the workplace can learn many things, so this will stimulate not only learning but also creativity. This is why the corporate executive should consider the idea of hiring more people from different cultures.

Working in a multicultural team requires more advanced skills and a certain interpersonal skill. Students who are going on Work and Travel have many opportunities to practice these skills. 

It is not a surprise to hear students say “it is a challenge to work with a multicultural team”, “we are struggling” or “I am going to come out of this experience with even more prejudice than before”. Ultimately, they learn and deliver results they can only be proud of. After gaining some experience, Work and Travel students often conclude that working in a multicultural team is worth the effort made to make the team effective. The added value of the culturally diverse team members is enormous, it makes all the difference in terms of results. Collective intelligence is more important, teams ae more creative thanks to the mixture of different perspectives and origins. 

I was one of the many Work and Travel students this summer. As soon  as I knew I was getting the J1 Visa I cried, cried with a joy of having such a chance… it was something I had been aiming for about three years and seeing it come true was incredible. My family and friends were so happy for me, as they knew it was my goal for a long time, but at the same time the idea of not seeing me for three months was difficult to overcome and it was for me too. I had not taken into account the difficulty of leaving everything that could be called comfort zone. At first, I felt lost, almost I would have given up.

It was my first time travelling to United States and I can say it was a great and tough experience. The country where anyone can try to make their dreams come true, an economic and cultural superpower, a land full of contrasts and opportunities, all of that is America. It represents a real reference point for the aspirations of millions of young people around the World. Of course, being able to enter as students or workers is not easy, but for those who succeed, the road can be very rewarding. 

I was working as a server in one of the most popular restaurants, “Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen and Restaurant” in Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. When you find yourself working in a multicultural team, you face many challenges. 

First was definitely the language barrier. English is most popular language within multicultural teams, the international language of business, but even if you have a good command of English, it is sometimes necessary to adapt to the “local” English, used in the company. Communication  problems can sometimes arise within a multicultural team and rise to misunderstandings which can be detrimental to your job. There were a lot of Jamaicans, Mexicans and Dominicans working in the restaurant during the summer. Sometimes, it was hard to understand each other because of different accents and language level.

But language is not the only difficulty I faced. It is also very important to know the culture in which you work and the codes associated with it. Particularly within the company, one has to ask oneself which are the codes specific to the national culture and those related to the corporate culture, just as important. Discovery and curiosity about these two cultures is fundamental to working effectively in a multicultural team. It is important to remember that cooperation between people of different cultures leads to a lowering of the level of clashes and conflicts. The more you live with people who are different from us, the more you understand them. They gradually become part of us and we of them.

So, on a daily basis I interacted with a lot of different nationalities and at first, I did not know how will I fit there. I had to observe and learn the way they work. It took me a while to get used to that, but I managed to adjust on almost everything. Developing that skill made me flexible, awakened my desire to learn and gave me the ability to observe details.

It is hard at first, when people who come from different groups interact, they experience a certain concern in one way or another. Concern that they may be due to the possibility of not being capable enough to function, concern of being harmed from the encounter, concern about being the victim of misunderstandings... The anxiety generated by all these possibilities can create in itself difficulties and affections that make the relationship difficult.

I am aware of the differences between people of different cultures. I respect and appreciate other cultures and trying to learn more about them to better understand their context. I was trying to use clear and open conversation with everyone, applying active listening, especially I was working for the first time in different country than mine. It was easy for the misunderstandings to arise, as I said before, due to differences.

After I felt valued, supported and had the opportunity to carry out work correctly, multiculturalism turned out to be a great competitive advantage for me and the restaurant. I have strengthened skills that I had already been developing from my past work experiences and I have managed to acquire other skills related to my ability to have a much broader vision of working in hospitality. 

We learn something new from every experience. They all motivate us to continue growing as individuals. I had good opportunities to acquire greater responsibility within my sector, I had the need to update my knowledge regarding hospitality and management.

More than setting goals, I have been letting myself be carried away by my instincts at all times gradually discovering the goals that today motivate me to continue developing professionally. However, I always knew that I wanted to perform in international environments and that is why I started studies in International Hospitality and Management. Learn languages and live and work in other countries to have a multicultural profile that can generate differential value in an international business environment, such as the one I am in right now.

After all these experiences, and reading a lot about international studies, I am thinking of finishing my Master studies in another country than mine. I think it would be another great experience for me and my future job. Living for two years in another country could have a lot of benefits again as it was living for three months in the United States. I am looking forward updating my knowledge once again and getting to know another country and culture.

Being a part of multicultural environment allowed me to learn things that no book has been able to teach me, I left the comfort zone and now I am a more complete professional, capable of adapting to different environments. This work brought me much learning; I was learning something new every day. It allowed me to see things through other people’s eyes and it is a way to see the World in one place. I realized that all cultures have something to teach us and that it is in the differences where the true value and learning lies.