I've never been to NYC, but the diversity there, as you describe it, seems pretty amazing. You're lucky to have grown up within it. I'm married to a Brazilian,

I've never been to NYC, but the diversity there, as you describe it, seems pretty amazing. You're lucky to have grown up within it. I'm married to a Brazilian, and she was the only one who spoke English when I'd visit her there while we were dating. She couldn't translate everything for everyone, so I had to pick up Portuguese as quickly as possible. I can confirm that the welcome I received into that new and different culture was an amazing experience. I agree with your message about the value of diversity, but the challenge I see is getting everyone to embrace that value. Imagine that group of suburbanites was the majority in a city/industry you want to be in. What do you think can be done to help them understand the value of being open to learning/trying new things from different cultures while they share their own culture with those who want to learn?