Assumption of/Focus on Difference
The essentializing generalizations of racial/ ethnic conflict strategies have been grounded in and, in turn, been limited by historical conceptualizations of racial and ethnic groups.
In large part, this has meant a focus on, and assumption of, racial/ethnic differences. This is not to say that differences among cultural groups do not exist. Yet existing research is limited in that it pays little, if any, attention to seeking similarities between different racial and ethnic groups. In this regard, few researchers have studied the interpersonal and intercultural nature of intergroup encounters (Gallois, 2003). While some studies have reported on both similarities and differences in communication patterns within intraethnic and interethnic relationships (e.g., Collier,1996), empirical research has generally hypothesized differences as the primary means of examination. Quite simply put, “racial/eth- nic ‘difference’ has been the dominant story in research” (Houston, 2002, p. 37).
The dominant focus on racial and ethnic differences does little to acknowledge the similarities that exist between groups or the ways in which diverse groups work together in harmonious ways (Diaz-Veizades & Chang, 1996). As described earlier, much has been written on how cultural differences between African Americans and Korean Americans have resulted in tensions across U.S. urban areas. However, according to the in-depth research of J. Lee (2002), these tensions fail to capture the full range of interactions that oftentimes are positive, supportive, and productive.