Liv Multifamily is always working toward an important goal: Create an inclusive and diverse environment in each apartment community by renting apartments and employing everyone qualified to work in the community, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Creating a diverse environment encourages growth among everyone. Diverse relationships allow people to understand and appreciate different cultures and ways of life. Diversity opens one's eyes and mind to new thoughts and experiences, cultivating an inclusive environment through love and acceptance. Liv Multifamily strives to help our residents to find love and friendships in our diverse communities.
Why Diverse Relationships are Important
According to research conducted at the University of Michigan, maintaining diverse relationships is as, if not more important than having a large number of relationships. People with more diverse relationships tend to have a lower risk of mortality. They also tend to experience less physical and cognitive decline as adults.
Diversity in the community enriches the lives of everyone involved. It allows people to see the world outside of their own. People can experience different things and open their minds to new cultures. It creates another level of understanding of the challenges different cultures face.
Introducing diversity into the lives of residents and employees can create a genuine feeling of inclusion for people of every background. Inclusive relationships allow one to have a deeper level of support in their life. It can make one feel validated, help produce a healthier self-image, and strengthen mental health. True inclusion leads to belonging, better overall health, and happiness in one's life.
Why Diversity Matters In Friendships
Having diverse friends can boost creativity. The power of diversity in friendships is infinite! It allows different views and opinions to be discussed and experienced. The different outlooks on life help one think outside the box, leading to ideas and conclusions that they would only think of in a diverse environment.
Diversity in friendships can help one be a less critical and judgmental person. People may begin to look at strangers through a different lens, allowing them to see with more empathy and friendliness, breaking the invisible barriers they might not otherwise break. Having diverse friends opens the world to more experiences, new foods, music, cultures, and families and creates a new sense of happiness and appreciation.
Diversity in Romantic Relationships
Adam Galinsky, a business professor from Columbia Business School, conducted a study with his colleagues to measure changes in creativity among students involved in intercultural romantic relationships. The study shows students with a deep connection with someone from another culture or country can spark a significant enhancement in their creativity. It wasn't just about being around a different culture. It was the desire to fully immerse themselves and understand the culture without judgment or biases.
Fortunately, intercultural, interracial, and all-gender inclusive relationships are becoming increasingly common. Though certain obstacles some couples face may still exist, such as interactions with the less-enlightened, diversity in romantic relationships is beneficial overall. Learning and accepting another person who is different from oneself leads to more options in one's life. The world seems bigger and full of more exciting opportunities. Inter-twining of other races and cultures allows a blend of lifestyles that can be truly rewarding for all parties. Sharing acceptance and fondness for such differences among families and friends can spread the desire for such inclusive behaviors.
How do you build relationships with people of different cultural backgrounds than your own?
Building relationships with people from different backgrounds can be challenging, especially if someone has only lived in one culture and continues to associate with people just like themselves. The key to branching out is by being honest with yourself about personal biases and preconceived ideas of how different groups are and what they do. It is essential to let go of learned stereotypes and accept people for what they are - people.
Educating oneself about different people helps start a conversation. Learning about other people and cultures is beneficial for building relationships. Still, it is also helpful to learn about others' lives and experiences to erase personal biases and stereotypes.
The easiest way to start a conversation is by smiling and saying "hello." Pleasant conversations may come quickly but don't force a relationship when the chemistry is not there. Let others teach you about their beliefs and cultures but let them do so at their own pace. Some may wait to open up to new people. Respecting others' boundaries and letting conversations and relationships flow naturally is imperative. Cultivating a genuine and heartfelt connection with others is the best type of relationship.
Attend Liv Multifamily Social Events
Fortunately, residents don't have to go door-to-door to get to know their neighbors. Liv Multifamily holds many social events and has several communal spaces to interact with those in the community. There are many events to encourage exercise and wellness, getting kids or pets together for fun, or just connecting with neighbors in a relaxed and joyous environment. To access Liv's events calendar, go to the "Residents" tab on the community's homepage and click "Community Calendar." We hope you build new, healthy, fulfilling relationships to last a lifetime!
