Surviving in a multicultural society / Edwin Nickels.

Talk by Edwin Nickels on the realities of living in a multicultural society, and his experiences as an African-American in the United States. He begins by reflecting on the necessity of going to Europe as the only was a Black man could get a good education, and the shock of his return to the United States where his credentials could not overcome prejudice. He goes on to trace some of the historical roots of white, Black, and Asian views of the world, as reflected in their socio-economic development. He points to connections between potential production and cultural views of ownership–both of property and people. He goes on to discuss how cultural differences shape the experience of Blacks, whites, and Asians in the workplace. Next he examines the different epistomoligcal constructs of the three cultures, creating vastly dissimilar learning experiences. A result, he argues, is that the dominant white society continually labels non-white behaviors as “inappropriate,” when they simply fit into an alternative value system. He concludes by suggesting that racism is a result of western dichotomous logic, where only good-evil exist.