America.gov-Diversity: Introduction

Ellis Island Honors Immigrants to United States

Melody Merin — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:57:19 GMT

Some 40 percent of Americans can trace their ancestry to immigrants who passed through the Ellis Island immigration center between 1892 and 1954. Each year, the Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards honor the accomplishments of these immigrants, such as songwriter Irving Berlin, and their descendants.

Cinco de Mayo Shows the Americanization of a Mexican Holiday

Melody Merin — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:28:07 GMT

The Cinco de Mayo (fifth of May) holiday, which honors the Mexican heritage of a growing number of U.S. citizens, is now observed in communities all across the United States. As a celebration of all things Mexican, the holiday has become a vibrant annual event that recognizes the contributions of Mexican Americans in a variety of fields.

Business and Activism Intersect for Designer Kenneth Cole

Melody Merin — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:52:30 GMT

Kenneth Cole, successful fashion designer, has aired his concerns about social issues in magazines and on billboards for years. In 2008, he launched an “AWEARNESS” blog and a fashion ad campaign themed “We all walk in different shoes,” a series of ads highlighting diversity of ethnicity, life choices, politics and even physical handicaps.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month a Celebration of Diversity

Melody Merin — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:10:03 GMT

Throughout May, Americans celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month with community festivals, parades and cultural performances. People of Asian descent comprise the third largest minority group -- and the second fastest-growing group -- in the United States, constituting about 5 percent of the U.S. population.

New Intercountry Adoption Standards Implemented in United States

Melody Merin — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:34:31 GMT

Following the entry in force in the United States of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, the U.S. departments of State and Homeland Security implement new procedures to help ensure that foreign children being adopted into the United States receive the highest level of protection.

Women Deserve More Credit for Their Inventions, Author Says

Melody Merin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:03:04 GMT

Women have been discovering, innovating and inventing throughout history, and it is time to give them the credit they deserve, says author Ethlie Ann Vare. Her 1988 book Mothers of Invention was the first book in America on women inventors, and she has published two more on the neglected subject since.

Arab Americans Present “Spirit of Humanity” Awards

Melody Merin — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:05:27 GMT

Hundreds of Americans, many of Arab origin, attend the Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards ceremony. The awards, created to celebrate the life of Arab-American writer Gibran Kahlil Gibran, recognize individuals and groups whose work "promotes inclusion, cultural understanding and cooperation across ethnic, racial and religious lines."

Life of Nobel Laureate and Africanist Ralph Bunche Honored

Melody Merin — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:29:06 GMT

The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs honors Ralph Johnson Bunche, a scholar, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, career diplomat and Africanist who sought to study and understand Africa from the African point of view. The occasion celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Africa Bureau’s founding.

U.S. Adopters of Foreign Orphans Undergo Tough Scrutiny

Melody Merin — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:53:56 GMT

The United States adopts more children from abroad than all other countries combined. This is because of a culture of adoption in America, where a child does not have to be genetically linked to its parents to be loved, experts say. Strong institutional safeguards protecting children’s rights and well-being also play a role.

Pope Benedict’s First U.S. Visit Draws Large, Lively Crowds

Melody Merin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:08:33 GMT

President Bush welcomes Pope Benedict XVI on the South Lawn of the White House April 16 in one of the largest arrival ceremonies ever held at the White House, saying Americans are “open to your message of hope.” The pontiff’s April 15-20 visit to Washington and New York is his first trip to the United States as pope.

Martin Luther King’s Dream Lives on 40 Years After His Death

Melody Merin — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:13:36 GMT

Americans remember the assassination of Martin Luther King 40 years ago as a shock that forced the nation to confront the dilemma of the racial divide and forge the “American consensus.”

Iranian Americans Observe Persian New Year Traditions

Melody Merin — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:23:04 GMT

Some 2 million Iranian Americans -- and other immigrants from neighboring countries that were once part of the Persian Empire -- celebrate Nowrouz, the Persian New Year, starting March 20 with rituals that go back thousands of years.

U.S. Religious Landscape Is Marked by Diversity and Change

Melody Merin — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:09:35 GMT

Religious affiliation in the United States is “diverse and extremely fluid,” according to a new poll. While more than three-fourths of those surveyed classify themselves as Christian, the survey also finds that more than 28 percent of American adults leave the faith of their childhoods to practice another religion -- or no religion.

America Goes Green for St. Patrick’s Day

Melody Merin — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:20:11 GMT

St. Patrick's Day might be one of the world’s most celebrated holidays, with city-sponsored festivities held in Japan, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Great Britain and the United States, as well as the saint’s beloved Ireland. That geography reflects the broad dispersion of Irish, through choice or necessity, during a 300-year migration.

American Identity: Ideas, Not Ethnicity

Melody Merin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:03:31 GMT

Since the United States was founded in the 18^th century, Americans have defined themselves not by their racial, religious, and ethnic identity but by their common values and belief in individual freedom.

Immigration and U.S. History

Melody Merin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:53:59 GMT

Tens of millions of immigrants over four centuries have made the United States what it is today. They came to make new lives and livelihoods in the New World; their hard work benefited themselves and their new home country.

Commemorative Stamps Honor Civil Rights Movement

Melody Merin — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 16:31:52 GMT