America.gov-Diversity: At Work

Americans Urged to Do Volunteer Work on Martin Luther King Day

Jeffrey Thomas — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:10:19 -0400

President-elect Obama calls on Americans to join his family on Martin Luther King Day in volunteering for a community service project, and to use the holiday as a springboard to an ongoing commitment to their communities. “It’s going to be up to all of us to renew America together,” says Michelle Obama.

Artist Heba Amin Explores Her Egyptian Heritage in America

Howard Cincotta and Deborah Conn — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:03:37 -0400

Contemporary artist Heba Amin, 28, has been drawing for as long as she can remember, but pursuing art full-time did not occur to her until she was a junior in college. At the time, Amin, who now lives in Minneapolis, was a math major and first envisioned herself as an architect.

Afghan American Gives Back to His Family’s Homeland

Howard Cincotta and Deborah Conn — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:01:15 -0400

Joseph Osman has packed a lot of accomplishments into his 25 years. He graduated from college in three years and earned a master’s in business administration, but found the corporate life not to be his calling. Osman soon found himself in Afghanistan helping to alleviate the deep poverty he found there.

Lebanese American Saves Families from Losing Their Homes

Howard Cincotta — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:07:53 -0400

Moose Scheib excelled in his studies and landed a job at a top law firm. One day, he was able to walk into the restaurant where his mother worked as a cook and tell her she would never have to work again. Today Scheib heads a company that has saved thousands of families from losing their homes.

Muslim Designers Create Clothes That Combine Fashion with Modesty

Howard Cincotta and Deborah Conn — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:07:31 -0400

Nyla Hashmi and Fatima Monkush grew up best friends in Hartford, Connecticut. Both have Muslim fathers from South Asia and American mothers who converted to Islam. And now, both are committed to designing chic clothing that offers Muslim women a way to dress both modestly and fashionably.

Imam Khalid Latif Builds Communities of Faith and Diversity

Howard Cincotta — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:08:31 -0400

At age 25, Imam Khalid Latif already has achieved important leadership responsibilities as director of the Islamic Center at New York University and as a chaplain for the New York Police Department. Both are “American institutions with growing Muslim populations who are trying to find their way,” he says.

Songwriter Kareem Salama Combines Muslim Faith and Country Music

Howard Cincotta — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:07:04 -0400

Kareem Salama grew up in Oklahoma, where country music is a soundtrack to daily life. But he also grew up in a devout Muslim household. When he started writing and singing his own songs, he combined a sensibility rooted in his Muslim faith with a compelling voice and a distinctive Southern accent.

TV Journalist Kiran Khalid Covers News from Texas to Pakistan

Howard Cincotta — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:06:30 -0400

As a kid, Kiran Khalid says, she sat inside a cardboard box facing outward — “so that I was literally in a TV.” Since then, Khalid has pursued a career as a television journalist and producer that has taken her from local news reporting to covering major national and international news events.

Young Muslim Sees Running Family Business as His “Life’s Journey”

Louise Fenner — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:22:17 -0400

Imran Uddin, 31, left a career in advertising five years ago to take over Madani Halal Lamb, Goat & Poultry, the business founded by his father, Riaz, 73, in Queens, New York. Imran discusses his struggles to take over the family business in 2003 and forge his own identity as an American Muslim.

Labor Day Marks Appreciation of U.S. Workers

Michael J. Friedman — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:47:04 -0400

Labor Day, celebrated in the United States on the first Monday of each September, is the nation's official commemoration of its workers' contributions to national strength, prosperity and well-being. It also marks the unofficial end of summer. America’s labor force is 154.5 million people strong (May 2008).

Business and Activism Intersect for Designer Kenneth Cole

Lea Terhune — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:52:30 -0400

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.

Women Deserve More Credit for Their Inventions, Author Says

Melody Merin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:03:04 -0400

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.

Life of Nobel Laureate and Africanist Ralph Bunche Honored

Melissa Martinez — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:29:06 -0400

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.

A Diverse Fighting Force

Bruce Odessey — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:52:33 -0400

The U.S. Army educates its military and civilian workers to understand and respect diverse ethnic cultures. It makes an effective fighting force from people of diverse backgrounds by valuing the strengths and experience of all and uniting them in the Army's culture.

Number of U.S. Minority-Owned Businesses Increasing

Bridget Hunter — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:06:17 -0400

Minorities -- Hispanic, black, white, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander --

own a significant percentage of U.S. businesses. Minority-owned businesses, and their revenues, are continuing to expand.

Religion-Based Employee Groups Enhance Culture of Inclusion

Louise Fenner — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:51:22 -0400

Employees at Texas Instruments in Dallas are proud of their company’s culture of inclusion, which is marked by the presence of employee networking groups for Christians and Muslims that encourage mutual respect and understanding.

Religion in the Workplace Is Diversity Issue for U.S. Companies

Louise Fenner — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:52:04 -0400

American companies are looking for ways to deal with a diversity issue they increasingly face: the need to accommodate workers’ various religious beliefs and practices. Companies “know they need to do something,” says David Miller, executive director of Yale University’s Center for Faith and Culture.

Muslim Employees Find “Welcome” Sign in U.S. Companies

Louise Fenner — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:49:45 -0400

Many U.S. companies are trying to accommodate the religious beliefs of Muslim employees by setting aside rooms for prayer and meditation, supporting the wearing of traditional head coverings, adjusting work hours and honoring leave requests for major Islamic holidays.

More Women in Powerful Positions Change Public Attitudes

Jane Morse — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:45:18 -0400

There has been a “seismic change” in cultural assumptions about women and leadership, says a top scholar on U.S. politics. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, in a 1995 book, documented cases in which women political figures had difficulty gaining a hearing or respect for their ideas, were tied to “female issues” and were perceived as not capable of winning elections. “Since I wrote the book, women have increasingly held positions as heads of state” around the world, Jamieson says in an interview. More American women are serving in elected and appointed political posts, as heads of major organizations and as university professors; and all have demonstrated their competencies as leaders to the public, she adds.

Work Is Changing as U.S. Companies Go Global

Elizabeth Kelleher — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 10:43:46 -0400

U.S. firms are tapping into a world talent pool and increasingly manage those workers with technology. They operate with fewer employees and facilities -- many workers do not report to offices, do not keep set hours or are not governed by a companywide vacation policy. A global work force and the Internet mean manufacturers often can operate around the clock. Experts interviewed by USINFO say other changes are in the offing, due to the increasing global nature of business: U.S. businesses will be led by foreign nationals, and even the notion of “U.S. headquarters” will fade.

U.S. Laws Protect Right To Wear Religious Garb at Work

Jane Morse — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:50:36 -0400

In 2007, Somali refugee Bilan Nur won a discrimination lawsuit after her employer refused to permit her to wear a head scarf. A jury awarded her over $287,000 in back pay and compensatory and punitive damages.

Financial Institutions Expand Products That Target U.S. Muslims

Elizabeth Kelleher — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:36:55 -0400

The University Islamic Financial Corporation, a subsidiary of a bank in Michigan, seeks to serve Muslim customers who do not want to buy a home using traditional home loans, which involve paying interest, because such customers interpret Islamic law as forbidding payment or charging of interest.

Companies Feted for Encouraging Hispanic Women at Work

Elizabeth Kelleher — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 10:37:42 -0400

LATINA Style magazine for the sixth consecutive honors 50 U.S. companies it says are the best places Hispanic women can work. At an event in Washington, representatives of several of the award-winning companies spoke about the importance of contributions of Hispanic women, and men, to their businesses. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao offers President George W. Bush’s “special affection and appreciation” to the Hispanic businesswomen in a keynote speech.

Companies Say Blacks in Management Give a Competitive Edge

Elizabeth Kelleher — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:37:22 -0400

The inclusion of black men and women in the top executive ranks at many of the largest U.S. companies is sound business strategy, not just a nice thing to do or a way to avoid lawsuits, the companies say. A recent snapshot, from research by the Executive Leadership Council in Washington, shows that blacks held 460 of the 2,000 positions that are within four steps of chief executive at Fortune 500 companies.

Congressman Takes Oath of Office on Thomas Jefferson’s Quran

David Shelby — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:39:16 -0400

Representative Keith Ellison, Democrat from Minnesota, became the first Muslim member of the U.S. Congress January 4, 2007, swearing his oath of office on a copy of the Quran that belonged to the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson.

U.S. Military Chaplains Support More than 100 Faiths

Elizabeth Kelleher — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 18:58:54 -0400

As demographics change, the U.S. military has become more intent on facilitating religious practices of all of its members. There are 3,000 military chaplains on active duty and 2,000 in the reserves. Here’s how some chaplains meet the spiritual needs of a military in which 109 faiths are represented.

Acceptance of Religious Garb in U.S. Shows Diversity, Tolerance

Lauren Monsen — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:37:50 -0400

Wearing the hijab (traditional headscarf favored by many Muslim women) at work is unlikely to elicit comments in the United States, primarily because the country always has embraced people of different backgrounds, faiths and cultures, says Seema Matin, an American Muslim who works for the U.S. Department of States.

U.S. Business Opens Doors to People with Disabilities

Elizabeth Kelleher — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:28:27 -0400

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) bars discrimination by employers and requires businesses to make accommodations to let a person with a disability to do a job for which he or she is qualified. Companies hiring workers with disabilities say they gain employees who often are skilled at planning ahead or communicating creatively.

With Women As Top Bosses, Other Women Gain

Elizabeth Kelleher — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 10:33:14 -0400

American women earn higher pay and a gender gap in income narrows significantly when other women in their workplaces reach senior positions, according to a recent study. “When women reach into the upper reaches of management – not just any managerial job, but higher-status managerial jobs – the women who work below them benefit,” says sociologist Philip Cohen of the University of North Carolina, who co-authored the study with Matt Huffman of the University of California. Low-level women managers have no effect on women’s wages, the study shows. While half of all managers in the United States are women, many are not in decision-making positions, according to Cohen.

Americans with Disabilities Act Transforms Lives

Michael Jay Friedman — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 15:52:21 -0400

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 protects the full and equal civil rights of Americans who have physical or mental impairments. It mirrors substantially the protections of the Civil Rights Act. The Census Bureau reports that more than 51 million Americans -- about 18 percent of the total population -- are in some way disabled.

U.S. Businesswomen Moving into the Executive Suite

Elizabeth Kelleher — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 10:32:35 -0400

Women’s participation in the U.S. work force, especially in upper management, is changing dramatically, with women now holding half of all managerial positions. Those studying the work force changes, in interviews with the Washington File, predict this trend will continue as women assume top positions in the nation’s largest companies.

John Herrington First American Indian to Walk in Space

Louise Fenner — Tue, 03 Dec 2002 08:23:57 -0400

The first tribally registered American Indian astronaut launches into space aboard the space shuttle Endeavour from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 23, 2002. John Bennett Herrington of the Chickasaw Nation is also the first American Indian to walk in space.

Bush Presents Congressional Gold Medals to Navajo Code Talkers

Butler Gray — Thu, 26 Jul 2001 12:36:03 -0400

President Bush on July 26, 2001, presents the Congressional Gold Medal to four of the five living Navajo "Code Talkers" and to relatives of the other 24 who developed encrypted messages in the Navajo language that were never broken by the Japanese and helped the United States win World War II.