E Pluribus Unum Out of Many, One

2019

E Pluribus Unum Contest

Awarded Essays

미 주 한 인 재 단 하 와 이KOREAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION HAWAII

KOREAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION HAWAII 1881 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822

Phone: (808) 230-3133 Website: kafoundationhi.org

President

Daniel J. Y. Pyun

Vice President

Gina Kim Nakamura

Secretary

Edward J. Shultz

Treasurer

Myung Hyo Jang

Board of Directors

Ann H. S. Chung

Yun Hee Chung

Don D. K. Kim

Taeyong Kim

Yoon Jung Kim Lee

November 23, 2019

Aloha!

The Korean American Foundation Hawaii (KAFH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that

promotes Korean culture, heritage, and history. KAFH annually commemorates the January 13,

1903 arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the United States/Hawaii. KAFH also maintains the

Centennial Monument at Pawaa In-Ha Park in Honolulu and Puuiki Cemetery in Waialua,

commemorates historic sites via site plaques, sponsors important community events such as the

annual Korean Festival, and awards grants for other mission related projects.

During these turbulent times where immigration is a major issue, we believe that Hawaii should

serve as a national role model reflecting the meaning of the unofficial US motto, E Pluribus

Unum - Out of Many, One.

To accomplish this, we need to look beyond our ethnic silos and work collaboratively with other

communities. With cooperation from several other ethnic organizations, KAFH recently

developed and presented 3 events (multicultural photo exhibit, multicultural festival, and essay

contest) using the E Pluribus Unum theme to celebrate the commonality of our immigration

experience and promote the concept of strength through diversity and unity through shared

experiences.

The essay contest was an opportunity for students, adults, seniors, 1st generation immigrants, and

distant descendants of immigrants from all of Hawaii’s communities to share their thoughts and

experiences relative to the E Pluribus Unum theme. We received submissions from Oahu and

neighbor islands, public and private schools, young and young at heart.

We are pleased to present the award winning essays from the adult, senior, and youth categories.

Daniel J.Y. Pyun

President

Table of Contents

President’s Message ........................................ 1

Essay Contest Flyer .......................................... 2

Table of Contents .............................................. 3

Adult Category

First Place: Lynn Araki-Regan ...................... 4

Second Place: Edra Ha ................................ 5

Third Place: James Mariano ........................ 6

Senior Category (60+)

First Place: Gail Tuthill ................................. 7

Second Place: Paul Kim .............................. 8

Third Place: Roberta Serai ........................... 9

Youth 1 Category (Grade 6–8)

First Place: Elyse Everest ............................ 10

Second Place: Reesa Zhou ......................... 11

Third Place: Yen-Han Lin ............................. 12

Youth 2 Category (Grade 9–12)

First Place: Chaewon Lee ............................ 13

Second Place: Mandy Jang ......................... 15

Third Place: Stephanie Bittle ....................... 16

4

ADULT CATEGORY: First Place

Lynn Araki-Regan

“What the Motto, ‘E Pluribus Unum’ Means to Me”

Our great country’s unofficial motto, “E Pluribus Unum,” means “out of many, one.” The

motto originated in the 18th century when a new single nation emerged from the uniting of the

original thirteen colonies.

Over the span of nearly 250 years in our country’s history, there have been countless

examples of how the United States succeeded when we united, collaborated, or came together

instead of being divided. Even in our global and local societies, it has been proven on many

occasions that we prevail when we unite and fall when we are divided.

The motto is perhaps especially relevant in Hawai‘i where, while we are part of a single

nation, so much of what makes Hawai‘i the “Aloha State” is that its population may be one of the

most racially and culturally diverse in the world.

Born and raised in the small town of Wailuku on the island of Maui, I learned about my

family’s roots and how thousands of families, like mine, immigrated to Hawai‘i over a century

ago to work in the plantations. There were racial tensions, disparate treatment of the newly

immigrated plantation workers, and segregated housing based on one’s ethnicity. Nevertheless,

as the plantation workers began to integrate and communicate, learn about each other, and

share their challenges, life experiences, as well as their ethnic foods and traditions, the

community truly evolved into a “melting pot.” The beautiful blend of multiple cultures, ethnic

foods, and traditions makes Hawai‘i such a special place to our residents and visitors.

The multi-ethnic community that we live in also instills the importance of being as

inclusive as possible, to respect people’s differences, and to find common ground in hopes of

promoting harmony and preventing divisiveness. My Uncle George, a Korean War veteran, and

Uncle Sam, a Vietnam War veteran, each shared with me their personal experiences and

inspirational stories of overcoming challenges, in extreme conditions, through unity and

cooperation. These stories inspired me to be a connector and, in more recent years, serve as a

mediator.

Over the last decade, to my dismay, social media has triggered divisiveness in our

communities. Many opinions clash online; people spew toxic rudeness; and harassment is a

common occurrence. Consequently, cyberbullying, suicide, and depression continue to be an

exponentially growing crisis in our society.

To curb these devastating tragedies, I strongly believe that the significance of our

country’s motto, “E Pluribus Unum,” should be re-emphasized to remind everyone of the

importance to embrace and respect our differences, agree to disagree, and, most importantly,

unite as we truly are one -- one community, one state, one nation, one world.

5

ADULT CATEGORY: Second Place

Edra Ha

Nothing is void of diversity. From the countless stars and planets that comprise the

galaxy to the multitude of countries habituating this home we call Earth, diversity permeates

life. Even on a molecular level, the human body can only function when its variety of cell types

work in harmony. Eliminating these differences would be the beginning of the end, for it is

diversity that gives us the capability and capacity to tackle challenges and create change.

As a resident of Hawaiʻ i, I am surrounded by an environment of collaboration and am

able to witness what “E Pluribus Unum” truly means. The constant fusion of people, ideas, and

thoughts has produced everything from internationally-renowned architecture and art forms to

festivals and, not to mention, fantastic food. But above all, the blending of many cultures and

customs cultivates one important element: the Aloha Spirit.

While the word “aloha” is used as a well-known greeting, Chapter 5 of the Hawaiʻ i

Revised Statues defines the Aloha Spirit as a “mutual regard and affection that extends warmth

in caring with no obligation in return. "Aloha" is the essence of relationships in which each

person is important to every other person for collective existence, and ''Aloha'' means to hear

what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.” When humans from

all walks of life unite to celebrate our differences, we create a greater sense of tolerance,

understanding, and harmony. Diversity is encouraged, renewed, and most of all, welcomed

because of the creativity, innovation, and change it brings.

Today, diversity is jeopardized by social strife and political division. In the face of this

threat, we—myself included—must continue to embody the Aloha Spirit through our actions and

words. Although the average resident is probably not in a position to hire ethnically diverse

employees in all businesses or mandate an overhaul of current governing bodies, we can

continue to treasure our diversity in many ways, big and small. Even though the problem is

larger than mere individuals, and even though I am just one person, just a college student, I

must believe that I can offer my Aloha Spirit to others, those who suffer and are suppressed

because of their differences. Especially today, a pair of gentle hands, a smile, a kind word, or a

loving embrace can go a long way.

Diversity creates a tapestry that unites us. By weaving together the strands of many

cultures, personal experiences, and values, we protect ourselves from bigotry and selfishness —

ideas that prevent us from progress and improvement. In the same way diverse musical

instruments meld together into a beautiful symphony, our collective individualities create a

unique, human experience.

E Pluribus Unum: out of the diversity of the many cultures and communities in Hawaiʻ i

rises one distinct element that lives within all of us — the Aloha Spirit.

6

ADULT CATEGORY: Third Place

James Mariano

This phrase describes the fabric of our nation woven with the numerous threads of

individual efforts (lives). We have our forefathers to thank for travelling to new worlds to

improve their and our livelihoods. What is discovered in their stories are the differences that

make us special and the ‘sameness’ that makes us ‘whole’. While we are of different ethnicities,

we are of one race: Human. There may be things we cannot change in life but there are some.

We each have worth. We share common languages of love, food, music, to mention a few. Food

brings people together and fulfills a basic need. It’s exciting to see the commonality of a food

item prepared by different groups. For example, the fiddlehead (edible) fern. Filipinos call it

pako, Hawaiians have a similar dish called pahole and the Japanese call it warabi. Amazing;

how similar but different.

In the end I think we all want to be recognized for our individuality but also our ability to

be part of a group. We want to feel valued, loved, and feel purposeful. That’s why we engage in

solitary activities and also group social activities. We also have different motivations. We aspire

to different things or to achieve goals. Our strength is diversity. Sometimes events call for

certain skills; this is where individuals can shine to use their talent(s). The balance lies between

risk and rewards. We have a choice to be divided about ‘differences’ that exist or accept them. I

choose the latter.

Things can coexist. Just look at Water. There’s pristine clean water, polluted waters, salt

waters, etc. It takes different forms (liquid, solid, gas) but all water. We need different forms at

different times and for different purposes. Another example: Love. The many forms of it can be

expressed directly or indirectly. Some have never heard “I love you” in their life. Maybe that’s

what could heal the world if people heard that more often. What about “touch”? It’s easy to

avoid showing emotional vulnerability and easy to judge someone outwardly because of

difference. It is harder to judge motive because it requires illumination and discovery. It takes

work to find things out. Like looking for gold. Rarely is it just in front of you. Sometimes the very

thing you need IS in front of you but you can’t see it.

We create a stronger ‘fabric’ of community by binding together, in harmony. We will find

‘truth” by interacting and being our genuine selves with others. Harmony is also achieved by

judging the appropriateness of action. Sometimes it is better to choose peace than to ‘be right.’ It

requires self-awareness to ‘reach out’. The risk of vulnerability may be worth the rewards of

connecting to another. That’s why people immigrated to find better lives. Harmony is about the

balance of Life. Sometimes it is best to have the light shown on others than ourselves.

Sometimes the reverse is true. It just depends. Life is like that. We have opportunities.

7

SENIOR CATEGORY (Age 60+): First Place

Gail Tuthill

“E Pluribus Unum: A Personal Interpretation”

As a third-generation, Asian-American growing up in the ‘60s, there was one fact I knew

with certainty: children should be seen and not heard. An extremely shy youngster, this axiom

worked well for me. It allowed me to keep to myself: never volunteering, never speaking to

strangers, always hanging back and staying out of trouble. A consequence my dazzling success at

being quiet and inobtrusive was that I spent a great deal of time within my own thoughts, and I

came to believe that I was at my best when working alone. I was that student on the team

assignment that took over and did the whole project single-handedly. Quoting my two-year-old

granddaughter, “I want to do it by myself.”

The idea that “one” was not the loneliest number was further reinforced when I was a

new teacher, being the sole instructor for several classes and blissfully appreciating the total

autonomy of working by myself. Then, I took on a new teaching assignment requiring me not

only to work in tandem with other teachers, but also to share a noisy, chaotic office with them. I

no longer had the freedom to work in my own private vacuum; all of us had to march together. It

was distressing.

I spent the last nineteen years of my teaching career in that noisy, chaotic office, trying to

keep in-step with my colleagues. Somehow, over those years, my resolve to be completely

autonomous softened. My colleagues not only helped me become a better teacher, but they

offered their help when I was in need and asked me to provide support when they needed

uplifting. I slowly came to realize that while I could do many things myself, I was constrained by

my own disposition and by the limits of my God-given talents. I was better when I allowed

others to help me, and I was happy when I could help someone else.

My limitations became even clearer to me when both my mom and my husband died

within a two-week span, leaving me alone to sort out two estates with no past experiences to

draw upon. At this time, many people—some friends, some complete strangers—came forward

to assist me. To personally experience and appreciate the power of community was a mind-

blowing, gratifying revelation. English poet John Donne famously wrote “No man is an island,” a

metaphor that underscores the importance of relationships between people. An individual life is

precious, but living, itself, is greatly enriched when one chooses interdependence over isolation.

E pluribus unum—motto of the USA—means “Out of many, one.” It refers to the

unification of many states and many people to become one nation. It is a simple phrase, but one

that evokes a sense of strength and completeness accomplished by revering the pooled talents,

thoughts, passions, creativity and compassion of many diverse individuals. Though a single

fallible human, when you stand united with others, you are part of something greater and more

magnificent: you are part of humanity. Let us all go forward as one.

8

SENIOR CATEGORY (Age 60+): Second Place

Paul Kim

“E Pluribus Unum-Out of Many, One”

“I like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.....” was a 1971 T.V. commercial

jingle for Coca-Cola. The song portrayed a positive message of hope, love and diversity featuring

a multicultural group of teenagers on top of a hill singing the song.

Back then a bottle of Coke was only a quarter when my family immigrated to Hawaii in

1968. One of the first things I had to learn besides learning English was to learn how to tell apart

nickels from dimes and quarters.

On each coins, I noticed these words, In God We Trust on one side and E Pluribus Unum

on the other side but I never really bothered to look up what E Pluribus Unum meant. Back

then, I was barely struggling to learn English which was hard enough already let alone Latin.

It wasn’t until later when I became a U. S. citizen that I became aware of what E Pluribus

Unum meant and the history behind it.

It was first adopted as an American motto in 1776, referring to the thirteen American

colonies becoming one nation. Over time, however, most Americans understood the motto to

mean one people from many different backgrounds and beliefs.

In other words, America doesn’t care about your nationality or ethnic origins.

The United States Constitution guarantees every immigrant who immigrates to this

country will be regarded as fully American – as American as any other American – the moment

he or she becomes a citizen.

Also as the Declaration of Independence states, all people “are endowed by their Creator

with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

In other words, rights of the citizens of this country come from God, not from men, which makes

America unique compared to the rest of the world.

If rights are given by men, men can take them away, for example North Korea.

When I became a citizen of this country in 1971, I felt as though I hit a million dollar

jackpot. Looking back, it was an amazing experience and an awesome privilege to be a citizen of

the greatest country in the world.

Who would have thought then that I would have a son someday who would become a

United States Naval Officer. “The land of the free and a home of the brave” has a new meaning.

Of course, we know that America has not always lived up to the “E Pluribus Unum” ideal.

But the ideal was always there. And I believe it was applied to virtually every immigrant to

America, legal or illegal, in spite of its imperfections throughout its history including me and my

family.

However, we as a nation have lost the ideal of “E Pluribus Unum-Out of Many, One”

which the founders of this country had envisioned. Instead of living in unity out of diversity, we

live in a world that is in disharmony with endless political strife at home and international

tensions abroad.

I can’t help but reminisce about the song I’ve heard in 1971 when life was a little more

harmonious.

“I like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.....”

9

SENIOR CATEGORY (Age 60+): Third Place

Roberta Serai

“E Pluribus, Unum”

Many moons ago, Hawaii was a home to native Hawaiians. Then, warring Kamehameha

came with his warriors and conquered the islands.

He established a monarchy and commenced to improve the life of the natives and his

people.

He improvised the lives of his people by reaching out to other countries - England and

America.

The monarch that followed did the same.

With the growth of agriculture, plantations began to grow sugar cane. They needed more

workers to tend to the lands and crops.

Many people came from many parts of the world - Japan, Korea, China, South Sea

Islands, Norway, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Puerto Rico, Russia, Philippines - even

White and Negro Americans. They all began by working for the plantation in growing sugar.

Many years later pineapple farming was established.

Coming from many diverse cultures, they had difficulty speaking with each other. So

they established what was called, "Pidgin English." They used words from their native tongue

that they all understood and interjected broken English to converse, like - "You like kau kau at

my uchi?" The grammar wasn't perfect, but it got the message across.

All the children picked up this ingenious language and spoke to each other.

Then, as time went on the parents and children improved in speaking English. Children

went to school. Parents dreamed of having their own dream realized - to have better jobs and

professions to allow their children's dreams to be realized.

Hawaii slowly became a unique wonderland. It first started with the Hawaiian people.

Then entrepreneurs came and developed the land with agriculture. People from foreign lands

came to fill in the need of laborers. They intermarried. We became a beautiful rainbow of mixed

cultures in our children. We shared our cultures and our languages.

We are the only state that began as a monarchy and ended as the 50th state in the United

States!

E Pluribus, Unum - from many we became one! One proud and wonderful state with

their people!!

10

YOUTH GROUP 1 (Grade 6–8): First Place

Elyse Everest

Punahou School, Grade 8

“Out of Many, One”

I am Norwegian and Slovakian. I am a paddler and a swimmer. I am a student, a

daughter, a sister, and a friend. I am myself. No one else is like me and that is important. You

will never find another you and that is significant. Diversity is the differences between us. We

cannot ignore these. Diversity according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary is “The condition of

having or being composed of differing elements; Variety”. ” However, to me, it is embracing

everyone and their ideas no matter what.

The unofficial “motto” of our nation is “Out of Many, One.” I could not think of a better

way to describe our diversity. Everyone is different and when we work together that is who we

are. Although we are all extremely different, it is our differences that bring us together. You

cannot build a car with only the wheels.

We cannot be blind and live thinking that everyone is the same... that is not reality.

Imagine meeting someone who is an exact image of you. At first, it may seem like destiny, but

after a while, life would grow mundane. Now picture everyone in the world exactly like you.

There would be no excitement, no purpose. As human beings, we are made to acknowledge

diversity, it’s a key concept of life.

Growing up in Hawai’i, I have always been submerged in diversity. Hawaii is truly a

“mixing pot”. We are blessed to live in such a place with racial harmony. The way to build

harmony is to not be scared of the difference. Humans have this innate feature where we tend to

subconsciously be scared and wary of things different than us. This helps us distinguish friend

from foe. There is no way to forget differences and we should not strive for that. It is dangerous

to not realize everyone is different. Instead, everyone needs to be more embracing.

Everyone has special skills and certain things that they tend to excel at. I am not great at

math and science, but I am proficient in humanities. If everyone loved math or only excelled in

certain areas, then we would be missing so much. Everyone’s uniques abilities are what shape

our daily life. Think for a moment of the members of your community and all of the different

roles they take on. We have strengths because we are all not the same.

I challenge every person to this...the next time you see someone different, don’t put them

down because of your differences but bring them up because you are differences. Whatever you

are good at acknowledge that and use it in useful ways. Diversity is a blessing, not a curse, and if

we do not use it as such, then we will not fully achieve our true potential as a society and as

individuals. My words can only do so much, it is your choice to make the change.

11

YOUTH GROUP 1 (Grade 6–8): Second Place

Reesa Zhou

Moanalua Middle School, Grade 8

“If Only”

I have never really thought about how I was different from everybody else, or how I was

the same. There have been times where I was envious of other people’s talents, wanting to be

special in some way. Whether it be drawing, writing literature, calculating, or even something as

simple as being confident, my jealousy would always come back to haunt me. There have been

times where I wanted to be someone I wasn’t, not to satisfy others, but to satisfy myself. There

have been times where I didn’t want to be myself and detested who I was. All these thoughts

crossed my mind, and not once did I think that being different was special. I have only started

thinking about it this year. How was being different special? Well that’s because there’s only one

of me. It doesn’t matter if I can barely draw a person, or write inspiring texts. It doesn’t matter if

I can barely hold a conversation, or stay focused on a task. It doesn’t matter if I dislike the color

pink or happy themes. All these attributes make up the foundation of who I am.

This isn’t just about me. Every single person on this planet is different and special in

their own ways. Although we may be different from each other, we are also the same. We all can

feel some form of emotion or sensation, like sadness, anger, joy, fear, or insecurity. We all can

cry and smile. We are living together in communities that are composed of different cultures,

people of diverse nationalities, diverse races, diverse religions, and so much more. This brings

up the topic of diversity. There are so many different cultures and traditions from a variety of

places. This gives us chances to learn from each other and experience exciting, new things. Not

only does this spread cultural awareness, but it also keeps the cultures and traditions alive. I

myself have actually forgotten how to speak my native language. I can still understand the

language up to a certain point, but it shows how quickly such things can just disappear.

The motto “E Pluribus Unum” or “Out of Many, One” describes individual places coming

together to form one large community. If everyone could accept that being different isn’t bad, we

could finally spread our wings; away from the discordance and towards order. There wouldn’t be

unfair judgments or fighting. There will come a time where the walls that we’ve built will

crumble like sand, clearing our misjudgments. People will see why different is special.

12

YOUTH GROUP 1 (Grade 6–8): Third Place

Yen-Han Lin

Moanalua Middle School, Grade 8

Diversity. It comes in many forms, including but not limited to: gender, race, age,

culture, religion...all that contributes to the uniqueness of one in the world. It may seem like too

much difference would be tearing a community apart; but actually, diversity is the glue to

accepting others and helps us see life from a different perspective.

First of all, diversity leads to productivity. Think about it. When you’re stuck in a sticky

situation, what would you do? Drop down on your knees and cry, “We’re DOOMED!”? Probably

not. Most people would probably try and interact with the others to discuss a way out. When a

conversation is in action, each person would probably contribute an idea as of how they would

handle the situation, shaped by each of the life experiences that they have had in the past. By

listening to one another’s ideas and experiences, each person will learn something new and

observe life from a different viewpoint. When dealing with an issue, wouldn’t it be better to have

multiple interpretations and approaches, rather than everyone contributing the same exact

views and solutions?

Diversity also helps one become a better world citizen. If you go to school or work, you

will probably be exposed to people from different cultures and backgrounds on a daily basis.

Because of this, each person will learn the skills to communicate and interact with communities

and customs that they are unfamiliar with and gain a more worldly view. This will not only help

with social skills and development; but also help one gain a better understanding of the world.

Being with people of different cultural backgrounds will prepare you to be a part of a global

society, whether it’s traveling to a new country or working with diverse classmates or co-

workers.

Lastly, diversity helps us with growing acceptance for others and reducing the practice of

discrimination. Throughout the history of our world, people have been discriminated for many

reasons, such as race, religion, gender, and age. An example would be Jim Crow laws, which

forced African Americans to use separate facilities from white people. This was a practice called

segregation. But what if the whites and the African Americans started to mingle and start to talk

about their ideas and struggles? Each party might find out they have things in common with one

another. Even if their views are completely different, it’s still okay because understanding each

other’s differences can help generate a new point of view, acceptance for one another, and

putting out the fire of the practice of discrimination.

Diversity is a practice that gives us richer life experiences. It gives us customs, cultures,

and ideas that we learn from and be inspired by every day. It also helps us accept one another

regardless of their background. Let’s all learn to accept one another and understand their

experiences and viewpoints. We might even learn some things we can apply to our everyday life.

13

YOUTH GROUP 2 (Grade 9–12): First Place

Chaewon Lee

Roosevelt High School, Grade 10

“The Land of the Free; the Home of the Free”

This country I live in, the United States of America, can be depicted as a cultural melting

pot. There are 350 different languages spoken in our country, which are more languages than

the number of countries in the world. Within the United States, there were 562 Native

Americans. From the history of the United States of America, it is clearly presented that our

country lives up to this motto; E pluribus Unum -- Out of Many, One. This motto reflects how

people in America behave, and most importantly, this motto shows how gratitude Americans are

towards diversity. Now, could any country be strong as present America with how diverse our

country is? From our founding fathers, we developed their idea of accepting diversities.

Diversities make differences, can evolve as a speciality by learning from each other, and allow

individuals to improve.

There are many strengths of diversities. In fact, things that represent America aren’t

even from America. For instance, the Statue of Liberty was from France who commemorated the

French alliance during the American Revolution. Hamburgers and hot dogs are also from

Vienna and FrankFurt. Last but not least, the honorable national anthem, the Star Spangled

Banner, was written by John Stafford Smith, a British composer. All these different ingredients

made it possible for the cultural melting pot.

First, diversity makes differences. Through the diversities in the United States, the first

amendment was created. People from different cultures, which made it very diverse, thought

differently and viewed events differently. This caused our founding fathers to amend the

constitution and create the freedom of speech, religion, petition, press, and assembly.

Differences in life experience, and thus differences in the thought processes decides how people

view events.

Second, the diversities can evolve as a specialist by learning from each other. Like how

America is full of different ethnicities, each ethnicity believe in their own beliefs. These

differences will lead the diversities to help learn each belief from each ethnicity. For example,

the diversity among students in education might directly impact each other on their

performance. Throughout the different environment they are from, some might get inspired by

each other and try harder. It is the people themselves that encourage and change for their own

sake.

Lastly, diversities allow individuals to improve. It is very similar to how people learn

from each other through differences. People improve by staying with others. This is how

America could improve. America was first developed by European settlers, now known as the

colonies. There were mainly British, Spanish, French, and Dutch colonies that settled in North

America. These different people improved the America to get better and started the great nation,

the United States of America.

To me, this “E Pluribus Unum”, the unofficial United States motto, tells me how diverse

America is. One of the many; one of many, one. Through the diversities, the nation grew

stronger, and I know how much this motto reflects within me. I am not even from this country. I

have lived in Korea for a very long time, and thought of homogenous as a dominant factor of life.

14

However, after knowing the strength of diversity, I realized how important and helpful it is to

have a little from everyone and form a diverse society.

15

YOUTH GROUP 2 (Grade 9–12): Second Place

Mandy Jang

Roosevelt High School, Grade 11

“E Pluribus Unum”

Adopted as the unofficial United States motto, E Pluribus Unum translated from Latin to

English is, “Out of Many, One.” From a personal perspective, this motto means that the union of

diverse individuals fuses into a universally shared community. This phrase promotes the idea

that, regardless of any differences, we all thrive and work as one. With racism and prejudice still

present in current society, this motto can represent and encourage the unification of people

from many different backgrounds and cultures. While everyone possesses their own unique

qualities, it is important to acknowledge that we are all the same and essentially equal as

humans.

Differences reside within ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and personal qualities, which

help to distinguish unique individuals. Not only am I ethnically Korean and Japanese, I share a

strong connection with my cultural background of being half Korean, half Japanese. With my

parents being immigrants from foreign countries, I feel that the relationship between my

upbringing is exceptionally important. However, these feelings of connection with my personal

background is most definitely a commonly shared concept, emphasized on a worldwide scale. In

many cases, differences can be perceived as a negative aspect within an individual’s life. Many

are often conscious about their own special qualities and hide them as their insecurities. From

dealing with an inferiority complex, feeling incompetent and subservient among others soon

became an attribute of my character. Although this should be fixed, it is crucial to note that all

differences and unique features should be welcomed because differences essentially make us

who we are as individuals.

From being born and raised in Hawaii, diversity should be recognized for its potential to

positively accept and adapt to differences in race and culture. Diversity can strengthen

relationships between people of different backgrounds within the merging of communities,

especially in Hawaii. Furthermore, diversity urges the welcoming of differences and expansion

of cultures in efforts to foster a more unified society in today’s world. While these efforts may be

hindered by remaining prejudice, it is important to understand that every person has individual

significance in society, regardless of any differences or qualities. Differences can be transcended

through widespread interests that can gather people from a range of different communities. This

can help to venture beyond differences and close the gap between disparate people.

Furthermore, diversity also builds harmony because it does not restrict a certain group of people

to a particular community. It rather disregards differences in an attempt to unite different

individuals into one.

Therefore, E Pluribus Unum is to be considered worldwide to promote the statement

that we are all virtually equal to each other, despite the notable differences. In order to further

advance the notion of diversity, boundaries must be pushed to reach beyond the differences

which separate and obstruct the journey for unification. While people are still learning to

embrace their own differences, including myself, “Out of Many, One” is a reminder that

unification forms under the influence of acceptance of diversity and equality.

16

YOUTH GROUP 2 (Grade 9–12): Third Place

Stephanie Bittle

Moanalua High School, Grade 10

“Out of Many, One”

Diversity is unity. Diversity is the state of having different ideas or forms. E pluribus

Unum, “Out of Many, One” is the unofficial United States motto. This motto comes from the

concept that out of the union of the Thirteen Colonies emerged a single new nation. The United

States is a country of many races, backgrounds and cultures, all with different stories. Through

diversity, the unique ideas and experiences of different people create opportunities society has

to offer.

Diversity can create cultural conflicts and self-denial within our identity. As a person

who has grown up with a father working in the army, I have lived in seven different states. All

states had different demographics as I lived in the east coast to the west coast. Now I am in a

beautiful island in the pacific ocean, Hawaii. From as young as I could remember, I always

reicieved discrimination in school for being Asian, indirectly and directly. I knew I looked

different from my peers around me. But I didn’t think it was a problem until someone asked me,

“If your asian, why can’t you speak your language?” This indelible memory provoked insecurity

about being of asian descent and speaking another language.

When I was ten years old, I moved to California. I was very surprised when I saw the

diversity of my new elementary school. I was finally beginning to feel like I fit in my group of

peers. However, being in places that induced self-awareness for being asian made me forget that

I am mixed. People would tell me I don’t look asian or mixed. Again, creating cultural conflict

for me. I asked myself, “What is wrong with the way I look?” “Why is this a problem?” Now that

I am older, my thoughts are finally put to rest. I have self-reflected and accepted myself for who

I am. I wouldn’t want to change a thing. Nonetheless, our society has a long way to go.

I believe that the motto, “Out of Many, One” means that people of many differences can

come together as one without bias and discrimination.The unity of many differences that I

believe the motto has can be possible with the transcendence of limited thoughts. We can be

kind to one another. Kindness transcends the courtesy that strengthens communities and a

healthy society. In addition, we can transcend differences by opening up our hearts and minds

beyond the stereotypes and stories we have created about one another. Transcending differences

allows personal growth for each and everyone of us. We can recognize the significance of our

individual differences. Different perspectives are important as we are able to enrich our

experiences and education. By understanding, we are able to foster mutual respect and love

ourselves.

In conclusion, the motto is not just a message we go by. It is a story that allows us to

learn and develop ourselves from to accept one another because by the end of the day, we are all

one. We are all here in this world to keep improving and learning from our mistakes, whether

they are personal or societal. There is always a potential to be a world of equality and inclusion

no matter the differences we have.