The United States continues to permeate other countries with its culture. Everything from American movies to food is rooting itself into the lives of people who live in other countries. Which is why I shouldn't have been surprised to find my roommate from Spain eating a bowl of Cocoa Puffs for breakfast. But I was.

Up until that point, Annie, my Spanish roommate, had eaten what she always had for breakfast: scrambled eggs with fresh mushrooms and a boiled potato on the side. A healthy meal by American standards. But Cocoa Puffs? Definitely delicious. But healthy? No.

Seeing Annie eat Cocoa Puffs made me wonder what other American customs has she adopted? Does this discourage her from celebrating her Spanish customs?

From what I have observed, Annie celebrates both American and Spanish customs with ease. I sometimes see her practicing the American custom of eating junk food while conversing with her friends in Spanish. Other times, I see her head to the bars, a common practice for both American and Spanish college students.

To my knowledge, Annie's background consists of only one ethnicity: Spanish. In the United States, 35% of Americans identified as non-white in 2010. This number does not include those who identified as multi-racial. The 2010 U.S. Census believed that whites will be a minority by 2043. This means by 2043, a majority of the United States will be multi-racial. But will they be multicultural?

Multicultural has many definitions. Yet, all of the definitions have one element in common: in order to be considered multicultural, something has to be a part of many cultures. But what does it mean to be a part of many cultures? Do I, as a person who has many cultures in my background, need to identify with all of them in order to consider myself multicultural? If so, does that mean I have to celebrate them by practicing their traditions? Or can I just say I belong to certain groups and be done with it?

And what about Annie? She is experiencing and being a part of a culture that is not in her genetic makeup. Can she then consider herself multicultural?

Annie's ability to experience both Spanish and American customs makes her, in my opinion, a multicultural individual. The workforce will benefit from multicultural individuals like Annie, because she, like other multicultural individuals, have a tendency to see how actions affect others, while those who are not multicultural tend to have a narrower viewpoint.

Not everyone chooses to celebrate their own heritage or experience the cultural customs of another country. These are the people who can't benefit in the experiences that becoming multicultural has to offer. They may never get to experience seeing the bright colors of different products in a bazaar. Or taste the flakiness of a true French croissant or the rich flavor of a true Italian pizza. They may never hear the string of another language's swear words that are often spoken at sporting events.

As I have continued to live with a roommate from Spain, I have found that experiencing other cultures can be fun and exciting to be a part of. Even though I don't often think about it, as Annie and I are experiencing each other's cultures, we are shaping ourselves into multicultural individuals—our perspectives and tolerances slowly shifting, becoming wider and wider with each passing day.

I encourage you to try to experience another culture by doing more then just trying the food. Go on Duolingo and learn another language. Or talk to someone who is from a different culture then you. Even if you don't see it right away, what you learn will make you a better person.