What do others define Culture and Diversity as?

I asked three people that I work with what their definitions of Culture and Diversity are. Each of these women are from different culture, different types of families, and are different ages.

Vanessa Said:

What is Culture - "The practices, beliefs, and traditions that are passed on from generation to generation".

What is Diversity - ""It is when you or someone else are introduced or exposed to another culture in the same setting".

Georgette Said:

What is Culture - "I think that culture is part of our collective identity. It includes our familial traditions, values, and practices. Culture encompasses our religious and ethnic histories. It influences how we cook, what we eat, what, when, and how we celebrate, how we parent, and the type of life that we strive to live. Culture can seem static at times because we stick to traditions. We've always done it this was, even if we can't remember why. Culture brings us together with our loved ones, even the ones that have died. It also connects us with others that have a similar history, such as ethnicity or religion. Culture is also dynamic and individualistic. As we bring new people into our circle of friends and family we add traditions, and adapt old traditions to be relevant with the modern era. Simply put, every latino I know has an arroz con pollo recipe, but none of them are exactly the same".

What is Diversity - "Diversity is bringing together a group of people who have differences. This most commonly refers to ethnically or racially diverse groups. However, diverse groups can include an endless list such as gender, religion, education, geography or political views. Diversity allows us to gain knowledge, share our perspectives, and grow as individuals and as a group.

Eszter Said:

What is Culture - "I think that culture is people doing the same things based on their religious and social beliefs. Culture of a county or people living in the same part of the world.

What is Diversity - "Differences or different choices".

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

• The first item that I would choose to take with me would be my iPod. I would choose this because in it I could have music, as well as pictures. Music is something that has always been something that represents me in many ways. Things can be expressed through music that can not be expressed with simple spoken words. I would take a my iPod with pictures in it because It holds the pictures of all of my loved ones, including my mother, my husband, and my children. These are all of the things I hold dear, and my photo's will represent our culture through the experiences that we have captured in them.
• I would take my bible. I would take my bible with me because I would want to be able to continue to read it, and to be able to read it to my children. I have a strong faith in God and feel that my bible would be the single most important item to take. I feel that with my faith in God I am never alone, and with his word I will always have the answers that I need.
• I would also take a letter that was written to me by my mother. It has sentimental value, and represents how important family is to me. My mom passed away a year and a half ago, and as an only child with little family me and her were very close.

If I had to only take one item with me, it would be my bible. I would take it because although I have read it, and am familiar with some of it, I could never remember all of it. I know that I would be stronger mentally and emotionally if I had the support of reading God's Word when I would most likely feel very lost, alone, and out of place in a strange world that I now would have to call home, possibly permanently. With my bible I could be reassured of all the many questions that I would most likely have, and would have the ability to continue to teach God's word to the others that were also misplaced due to the catastrophe.
Through this assignment I have learned a great deal about myself. Many people that I know would want to take things such as their make up, hair dryer, straightener, or things of that nature. That is not something that even crossed my mind when I was thinking about what kinds of things I would want to have with me. It was a hard decision of what I would like to bring. Many things that crossed my mind were things that have been in my family passed down to me, or things my kids have made. Although these are things I would hate to have to give up, the ones that I chose would have to be more important to me and my family as well as my culture.