Maha's Diversity Palate of Perspectives:
I am an Egyptian, American female, politically liberal, but conservative. I came to the United States of America after marrying my American Caucasian husband. I wanted to merge in America where I could achieve personally and professionally without losing touch with reality and my own culture. I liked the idea of joining the government, so I did in 1992. In America, I thought I could eat the foods and dance the dances of many different people. I have discovered, however, that curiosity is not diversity. Dancing the dances and eating the foods is not diversity. The workplace is not a world's fair or a cultural show. What was missing was a true exchange of ideas. I was better educated and culturally enriched, but I had not related my own experiences.
When I began my leadership positions, I began to interact more with the members and leaders of the government and many other cultural diversities. While my conversations with them were enlightening, they were still limited because I was unable to realize the impact their causes had on me. I was unable to bring my own identity to the table to create true multicultural understanding. It was then when I decided, in fact, to step forward, connect , engage and interact; this is when I became a more active and aggressive learner.
My knowledge of myself and my position within my workplace has made me a better leader, has enriched my personal relationships, and has made me a better citizen. I believe that the true value of diversity began to be felt when I started reaching out. Working as a volunteer on a number of multicultural issues, including the proposals for several diversity programs, I have come to see the importance of inter group dialogue and coalition building. This dialogue identified key issues and provided a vehicle for coalition building. It focused on attempting to understand the issues that affect each individual and community and how issues affect the entire government. Through this work, I have come to realize that an issue that affects one group will inevitably affect the community and society as a whole. I have also come to realize that learning about diversity is a life-long endeavor. Through diversity, I learned how to learn. I learned that no area of learning is limited to only one perspective. True learning occurs when problems are approached from many perspectives. The value of diversity in my education and in my life finally became clear to me only after having many of these sorts of experiences. Because I have experiences unique to the groups with whom I am affiliated, and because I recognize that no problem is ever isolated within one group of people, I am personally invested in matters of concern to groups other than my own. In addition, for the same reasons, members of these groups have become invested in addressing my needs. Diversity is a multi-part citizenship: of smaller communities that define identity, of the workplace, of the nation, and of the world.
I realize that there is a peculiar strength of education in America. In America, I do not need to give up who I am to be American. I do not have to choose between being Egyptian and being American, between being secular or religious. Affiliation does not mean separation. Distinctions among peoples ensure that we can approach life with a full palate of perspectives. This is the value of diversity for me “Maha”.
Maha H. Witherington