Sense of Belonging

‘‘If you feel different from other in appearance, experience, or belief, then it is difficult to fit in’’.
(A real sense of belonging is very closely linked to identifying with a particular group of people).
The retrospective view of human history shows that it has always been a moving and mixing populace. For centuries, the intervention of cultures has grown reciprocally, and as a result people have now mixed cultures, but there are still many conflicts regarding identity and belonging. Wherever you go, there will always be a surrounding of many people with different cultures, ethnic backgrounds, or appearance. We live in a very diverse and multicultural world, but many people still feel like they don’t belong. Everyone belongs, whether you’re a different skin colour, you have a different ethnic background, or you look different in appearance to others. Being the only person in a workplace from a particular ethnic background, or looking different in appearance to your parents, doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t belong. However there are still many incidents where, being a different skin tone can lead you to rejection.
Being the only person in a workplace from a particular ethnic background, doesn’t mean that you’re an alien from outer space, and you won’t fit in. In any workplace, there will always be a diversity of people with different ethnic backgrounds, and there will also be situations where you’re the only person from one particular ethnicity. Though this may be discouraging, and can make you self conscious of yourself, but we live in a multicultural society, and there are many people who accept you for the person you are, not of what ethnic background you’re from. In the text ‘A Sense of Belonging’ by Witi Ihimaera, Pari Wharepapa, a Maori girl, is considered as part of the ‘team’, because she was simply Pari to her workmates, not the Maori girl who works at the bank. Though there were times when customers treated her unjustly, but even then, the Head...