The old Ellis Island was an arrival location for millions of diverse immigrants. Although we still see increased ethnic and racial diversity enter the USA through the traditional methods of arrival by automobiles, ships and planes; the increases in ethnic and racial diversity of the “New Ellis Island” are being driven by birth and mortality rates in our current citizenry.
On the new Ellis Island, in addition to creating greater demographic changes in ethnicity and race, there are other major diversity arrivals: those arrivals include such things as changes in the ratio of women to men enrolled in higher education institutions; growing age differences/gaps in our workforce; increase same sex marriages; increased in various religious beliefs in our country, etc.
Like the old Ellis Island, the new Ellis island produces hopes and dreams for some; fear of the future for others.
For each of us, this new Ellis Island, produces a belief of what the demographic shift will
mean to “me”. Many of those beliefs are not based on fact, logic or data. Many of those beliefs are based on implicit (unconscious) bias. Those unconscious biases created by the unique environments in which each of us grew up and our individual experiences with others.
The key to determining whether we perceive the new Ellis Island with hope, or fear, for our future has much to do with our own implicit biases. Those implicit biases and beliefs have a tremendous impact on how we view the outcomes of the changing demographics.
We wonder what's happening regarding the increasing levels of divisiveness in our great nation, and throughout the world. Maybe the question to be asked is, “What happens when someone’s implicit biases create a view of what should be, and that view doesn’t match the reality of what is occuring?" How do we, as individuals, orginization, institutions and businesses, resolve this conflict?
In summary, it is that disconnect between our implicit beliefs and actual events that are at the root cause of the increased divisiveness and tension in our country.
At Metrics2Results, we believe there are three important elements that can help in resolving this conflict:
Gain a better understanding of how your implicit biases have shaped your beliefs and filters as they relate to others
Gain a better understanding and respect of how others’ implicit biases have shaped their beliefs and filters regarding you
Learning to use tools and methods to help confirm, or disaffirm, implicit biases as fact or fiction
We believe these three elements of increased knowledge have a significant and positive effect on the health and success of individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses.
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