Cultural Literacy- So what?

Talking about cultural literacy is not just enough to use it and help society and our students, so why bother? Cultural literacy is about understanding each other and where we come from, as well as where we are going.  Every person has a different culture to them, some connect and some differ.  It is these differences that need to be celebrated and understood to really function with each other and as citizens not just of our nation but as part of citizens of the world. It is impossible to work with people who have the exact same culture as you on a day to day basis.  Even our parents may have differences in culture from their children if they were born in different areas or just from time differences. This goes back to the fact that culture changes with time.  Think about music from the 50's to music now, this reflects changes in time and culture.  To expect the era from which parent to children or teachers to students to be the same would not be realistic.   These differences are important to look at so that we can understand where each other is coming from and respect it.  It is hard to respect things and really accept them if we do not understand them.  We tend to push away and fear the unknown.  This only causes problems for our interactions and our future.