There are so many beautiful things in this world. Some people find beauty in a late evening sunset, the bright blue of a tropical ocean, or even a star-filled sky on a clear night. I have personally always found beauty in the gathering of people from different ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds.

Throughout my childhood, I met people of all different cultural backgrounds. I heard many languages spoken, ate a variety of foods and learnt about different cultures, mannerisms and religions. I watched and assisted my mum in helping foreign men and women integrate into the UK, I attended many international gatherings, and I can truly say that there is nothing more beautiful than seeing people from all over the world coming together to learn more about each other. I even developed a skill that I wasn’t aware of at a young age: this was the ability to switch to speaking a ‘universal English’, which simply meant speaking English with no colloquialisms, cultural references or slurring of words – perhaps you can relate? It wasn’t until my father told me that it was something they encouraged in his office when meeting with colleagues from different countries that I realised it was a skill I had. As a result, I have often been told things like, “When I first came to this country, I didn’t understand anyone, but I could understand you.”

As I grew older, I realised that a big part of who I am today is not only my ability to adapt language, but also the ability to adapt myself entirely to the different cultural settings in which I find myself. This is not to say that I was changing who I was, but I was simply making it easier for people to communicate with me. Taking a closer look at the process that was taking place in my childhood brain, it seems as though I would see colour first, then relate it to an ethnic origin, and then, drawing on my experience, knowledge and understanding, adapt my communication accordingly. Clearly I didn’t realise this as a child/teenager; however, I can see now that noticing the differences in someone is an important part of having a successful relationship with that person, which may be contrary to what is commonly taught. I have also learnt that cultural awareness takes time to develop. I remember often venting my frustrations to my mother as to why my school friends couldn’t see the world the way I did. She would simply respond, “It’s not their fault. You have been fortunate enough to travel the world and meet people from many different countries; some people don’t get that experience.”

Having a cultural awareness beats prejudice. As a child, I wasn’t looking at someone and making a preconceived judgement based on the colour of their skin, or even on what I may have been taught. In fact, I wanted to understand them better and adapt appropriately. I have always had a very diverse set of friends, which has occurred naturally to me as a result of my past experiences. I remember being made president of the Afro-Caribbean dance society at university. This was a society started by five black female students and, when I joined, most of the group members were black. It wasn’t until someone asked me that I realised how odd that may have looked from an outside perspective. Instances like this are common in my life.

One of the first similarities I had with my boyfriend was the fact that we were both British, but born in different countries. Our conversations would often revolve around our countries of origin, our family and ancestral roots, the way we were brought up and the perspectives we had of the world. I see now that these conversations would be very crucial in later knowing how to integrate into each other’s families. In addition, it broke down the stereotypes of our physical appearances. Some may argue that I look very Latin; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean I am tanned, loud and watch telenovelas all day. Equally, just because my boyfriend is black, that doesn’t mean he eats rice and chicken all the time and only listens to R&B music. Furthermore, just because a person is black, that doesn’t mean they come from Africa – there are black Hispanics, black Caribbeans etc. In the same way, just because a person is white, that doesn’t mean that they are either English or American. When I meet anyone, I am interested to know who they are beyond the stereotype of their physical appearance, but also to know what their world view is, based on their ancestral history.

Seeing colour in a positive and constructive way will help break down the sometimes unintentional racism and ignorance we are seeing in our world today. I always laugh at the slight confusion in some people’s faces when I say that I am British; it’s almost like they’re not satisfied with the answer. However, perhaps they are right to be inquisitive or to want to know more. There is more lying beneath the colour of our skin that is important to recognise.

Each country or ethnic group has something unique about its history, which has formed part of its identity. Many aspects of life build up a person’s identity – from music or food to a history of colonisation or even religion. Whatever it may be, when people started migrating across the world, they take a part of their identity with them. Therefore, it would be ignorant of me to have a group of friends, or even to teach and lead people from different ethnic backgrounds, and not acknowledge the diversity that brings. Taking time to acknowledge our differences and talk about them eliminates preconceived ideas and opens ourselves up to more organic relationships with our fellow brothers and sisters from across the world.

God created such a beautiful world, including some of the things I mentioned at the beginning of this piece. The colours of our skin are a part of that beauty; they were never meant to create division. For the Bible says in Galatians 3:28, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

God bless.

Author: Laura M Galarza

Editor: Melissa Bond