With immigration remaining a hot topic in American society, the negatives associated with allowing foreigners into the country are typically on full blast. Between Donald Trump's promise to build a wall to keep out Mexican immigrants and the refusal to allow Syrian refugees into the country, many Americans seem to feel that allowing foreigners into US society will bring with it the downfall of our current country and culture.
Although these negatives associated with immigration are often talked about, what is often forgotten are the positives: growing up in a multicultural household has many benefits that are often overlooked. My mother's family is from Greece, and growing up I was exposed to a lifestyle rich with Greek culture while also maintaining my American-ness. Personally I feel that this upbringing, although different from that of my friends, actually allowed me to have a much more interesting and exciting life. Here are a list of four benefits of growing up in a multicultural household:
1. Being exposed to another language
From the beginning of my life I was exposed to not only the English language but also Greek. My Pappou's (grandfather's) English was decent, but certainly not perfect and whenever he would talk to other people from his home country he would often revert back to speaking Greek. This helped me to pick up some words and phrases as I grew older, which made learning another language later in life slightly easier. Additionally, I feel that because I often would have to pick apart the thick accent in order to help others understand him better my communication skills are superior than they would be otherwise.
Side note: Growing up your friends automatically think you are cool because you can teach them curse words in another language.
2. Different foods
As an extremely picky eater I cannot say that this necessarily is a big benefit for myself, but for others who have grown up in a multicultural household the ability to cook and eat many different foods is definitely an added benefit. Truthfully, I feel quite sad for those who haven't experienced the taste explosion of loukoumades or actual Greek yogurt.
3. Bonding with people who share your experience
When you meet other people who grew up surrounded with the same culture as you did, it's like a shared connection. You have other people to laugh with about your families F.O.B. moments, they get your weird references, and you have someone to talk to about the things that non-multicultural friends just don't quite get.
4. Getting to experience another country's culture
My summers spent in Greece helped me to realize that the American lifestyle is very different from those of other countries. Yes, if you spend your time in major cities like Athens you will find that there will still be McDonalds and Starbucks and many other luxuries that Americans are used to, but when you venture outside of the tourist areas you will find that life is very different. Major chain restaurants and paved roads are suddenly replaced with dirt paths and small family owned businesses, there are sheep literally everywhere, and naptime is the norm for adults too.
Ultimately, immigration and a lack of full assimilation isn't all that bad. Being multicultural means that you get the best of what American society has to offer while also getting to experience the culture of your ethnic roots.
