@crazyguy I don’t think about race or “look like me” at all. Not at work or socially. Work is about skills and being part of a team. I would agree a certain amount of cultural similarity usually is there between friends, but that is usually socio-economic related, and certainly some differences are expected, interesting, and very normal. Even two white Americans with families from the same countries can have their own uniqueness and different norms and mores.
I grew up in an extremely diverse city. I worked retail for many years with a diverse staff. My friends are from various parts of the country and the world. Currently, I am a business manager, I work from home, but I mostly interact online with people in Europe, Asia (primarily West Asia) and parts of Africa.
My America is diverse, Many recent immigrants, full of foreign languages, celebrating many different religious holidays and nationality holidays, and everyone is welcome.
My husband was not born and raised in America and we are very similar on most things. Little cultural things come up, but I know 5th generation Americans who think similar to him too.
The first time I was in a very “white” city it felt weird. That was college, Michigan State University.
I would argue the way to get more similar culture, more assimilation, is education for everyone, opportunity for everyone, a reasonable minimum wage, safe neighborhoods, and encourage social interaction among diverse groups. America has been pretty good at assimilating people overall, I hope we don’t screw it up now. Some communities have been much better than others.
My experience the more diverse the more acceptance. The more it is just 2 or 3 big groups in a community (I don’t consider that diverse at all) the more tension.
My high school was 40% “minorities” it’s probably more now. That’s Black, Asian, Latin American, and many “whites” were first or second generation Americans. To me my Euro-white friends were diverse too. Families from Italy, Poland, Germany, Ireland, and Jewish from many parts of Eastern Europe, when you live in a diverse place you are just one of the many.
No one is just like me, everyone is unique in the end.