As individuals, we need to get comfortable with ourselves so we can reach out to people who are different. Take a risk and ask someone about their religion or skin color. The less information we have about others, the more we tend to stereotype. Take comfort in knowing that we are more alike in our values than we are different. Once comforted, try to move out of your world and experience new cultures.
Variety is the spice of life.
The experience reminded me of how white my world has become. I grew up in Wauwatosa in the '60s and '70s with one black kid in my high school class. I'll always remember his name because he was one of the very few African-American kids I knew at the time. But, since then, I've worked with, or have been friends with, people who are culturally different than I am. In high school and into college, I worked at a social service agency on 12th and State.