Cultural Diversity in America: Examining African Americans and Asian AmericansMany ethnic groups reside and persist in America. Minority groups are misunderstood and undervalued in today's society. There are many cultures, history, social relationships, religious traditions and linguistic aspects that endure in our country due to our abundant diversity. Two misunderstood minority groups are African Americans and Asian Americans. These two groups of people have many differences, but they also have some commonalities. African Americans and Asian Americans influence society in the United States in multiple ways, such as specifically in educational contexts. Unfortunately, the dominant group, Caucasians, have difficulty interacting with African Americans and Asian Americans due to both positive and negative biases, prejudices, and stereotypes. Examining elements of African American and Asian American culture, interactions with the dominant group, and the effects of groups in a professional context is vital to understanding minority groups. Elements of Culture: Examination of Imperative AspectsCultural aspects influence the way a person presents himself. Culture incorporates different ways of life related to a certain group of people (Healey, 2012, p. 46). African Americans and Asian Americans have distinct characteristics within their cultures. By considering African American and Asian American culture, you will understand what encompasses or shapes the individual's attitudes, beliefs, and values. Different cultural elements that influence these groups of people include influential historical events, past and current culture, religious traditions, linguistic aspects, and social relationships. African Americans have a unique... medium of paper... athletics. While none of these assumptions are true for every individual, the dominant group tends to overgeneralize and accept that they must be accurate. Likewise, Asian Americans are susceptible to bias, stereotypes, and prejudice. Asian Americans are known as the model minority group. The journal Sociological Perspectives claims that “Asian Americans are believed to enjoy extraordinary achievement in education, upward career mobility, increased income, and are free from mental health problems and crime. The acclaim of Asian Americans as a model minority has become the dominant theme in media representation (…)” (Wong, Lai, Nagasawa, & Lin, 1998, p. 95-96). The predisposition that all Asian Americans are high achievers and wealthy is incorrect. By judging an individual based on an entire group, society fails to see the unique individual in front of them.