Social and Cultural interaction

"Social and cultural interaction between immigrants and established residents creates the cross-cultural understanding that helps all community members gain a level of comfort with one another and widens their appreciation for all cultures.

It shifts everyone's attention to commonalities that can unite, rather than differences that can divide.

Our nation of immigrants has always been a culture of many cultures. The two-way integration process, in which the cultures of newcomers are valued as they learn the traditions of their adopted country, is not one of dilution or loss but one that enriches the fabric of the receiving society.

Culture plays a significant role in defining our identity and worldview. For newcomers, culture is the primary frame that shapes their interaction with other newcomers and with established residents in their new community. This interaction can occur anywhere and everywhere, such as the park, community center, school, and grocery store.

However, such interaction will not likely happen or be meaningful without programs that intentionally bring people from different cultural backgrounds together.

This section highlights diverse approaches that promote social and cultural interaction. These approaches share many features that help lay the groundwork for building mutual understanding and trust across cultures, including opportunities for people from different backgrounds to:

• Share accurate information about the cultures involved. Accurate information, combined with frank discussions, can eliminate misunderstanding and misperceptions that create barriers to integration and community building.
• Get to know one another as individuals. Over time, such human connection is highly effective at breaking down harmful stereotypes about particular ethnic/racial groups or cultures.
• Raise questions, share concerns, and engage in a dialogue. Ongoing honesty and candidness, though sometimes difficult, are critical to creating authentic relationships. Concerns about immigration, race, and other tough issues should be addressed head-on.
• Build on the commonalities, but address the differences. The focus should be on helping participants identify shared interests and create shared experiences. At the same time, there should always be willingness to constructively address differences that arise along the way.
• Establish trust and work together on common issues. Effective programs not only help build trust over time but also help participants find common ground. The goal should be to engage stakeholders in joint problem solving and other efforts to strengthen the overall community.
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