One walks into a food court at a mall and wonders what to order. They look around at the Chinese restaurant to the right, the Italian restaurant beside it, the Japanese one to the left and a sandwich shop straight ahead, all in one building. This is a perfect example of the blend of cultures that is America. An important and prevalent American ideal is diversity, or the blend of and respect for different cultures and the people of them, especially in tradition, business, and pop culture.

First of all, diversity is apparent in the fact that many deeply rooted American traditions originate from the practices of other countries. An excellent example of this is Saint Patrick’s Day. This tradition comes from Irish roots and grew stronger as more and more people who practiced it immigrated to America. Even though many Americans do not believe in Saint Patrick’s Day religiously, they respect the culture and practice. Therefore it has become an American tradition and on the 17th of March, in any given place, you will see a sea of green. American architecture is also heavily influence by many different cultures, for example, Greek and Roman. All of these are examples of the American ideal of diversity in traditions.

Second, the American ideal of diversity is obvious in the pop culture of today. People are aware of the rituals and traditions of other cultures. These are built into things such as TV shows and the news. Therefore people are knowledgeable about them. Indian style shoulder bags are seen on the arms of a third of the girls walking down a school hallway. These Indian patterns and styles are all the rage, not just in bags, but clothes, jewelry, and furniture. Yoga is another growing trend in America that has foreign roots. These are western items with an exotic touch, and it is stylish to be exotic. This exemplifies America’s ideal of respecting diversity and a blend of cultures.

Finally, diversity makes itself clear as an American ideal in business. Everybody in America is given equal economic opportunity for success. Many CEOs of large companies are immigrants or people of foreign heritage. Some of these people are even the entrepreneurs who started the businesses. In American even the poorest or easily prejudiced against people have an opportunity to be successful. Discrimination and prejudice are overcome to increase the diversity because people are interested in it and respect it. This allows anyone who is willing to work hard a chance at a decent life, not just Caucasians, who are the majority. This diversity in business is an important aspect of the American ideal.

In conclusion, diversity is an important American ideal. It is best represented in America through tradition, pop culture, and business. So next time when deciding where to eat, walk around and take a sample of each, and remember what a unique culture America has for offering so many choices.