Culture exists everywhere you go; walking down the street, at school, work, church, the mall, etc. We have grown up surrounded by people who look different, act different, and talk different. It is our duty as American citizens to absorb that culture and learn from it. Challenge yourself to try new foods, attend an event, or learn a new language!

Cultural differences have been know to trigger hate crimes in the United States. Hate crime laws in the United States protect against incidents that occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her race, ethnicity, religion, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, class, age, gender, or political affiliation. Although state laws vary, current statutes permit federal prosecution of hate crimes committed. For more information on hate crimes go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime_laws_in_the_United_States

Helpful Links:

African American Web Connection

• www.aawc.com/aawc.html
• stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/

Asian American Resources

• www.janet.org/%7Eebihara/wataru_aacyber.html

Bureau of Indian Affairs

• www.doi.gov/bia/

Bullying

• stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/

Cultural Diversity Resources

• www.culturaldiversityresources.org

Cultural Diversity Resources Native American Center Project

• www.culturaldiversityresources.org/NAC.html

Pow-Wows

• www.drumhop.com/ndpowwow.html

Refugee Services: Lutheran Social Services of ND

• www.lssnd.org

Sexuality: Gay Lesbian Straight Network

• www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home/index.html

Tribal Websites

• www.health.state.nd.us/ndiac/tribes.htm