Tom Evans | Contributing Editor It’s hard to talk about diversity these days without the conversation getting dragged into politics. That’s just the nature of the beast that is the year 2018. But I’m going to try, because no matter where your political preferences lie, there’s a fact coming our way that is indisputable — Arizona is becoming increasingly diverse, and will emerge over the coming years as one of the most culturally diverse states in the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2017 Arizona was home to just over 7 million residents. Of those, 55 percent classified themselves as “white, not Hispanic or Latino,” meaning a full 45 percent of our population consists of minority groups. That’s a 5 percent drop in the Caucasian population from 10 years before. Twenty-six percent of Arizona households have a language other than English spoken in the home. But when it comes down to it, as community leader Oscar De las salas pointed out to me, diversity is really nothing more than math. And it means nothing if it’s not accompanied by an acceptance of others. Not “tolerance” — that’s a term that leaves wiggle room, De las salas pointed out. “When it comes to diversity and community, the word ‘tolerance’ defines a way to harbor inner feelings of discomfort, and unpleasant emotions that could be damaging for all. I choose the term ‘acceptance,’ which has a more soulful, driven meaning, and speaks to inclusion,” he said. De las salas speaks from a unique perspective. He’s a tireless community volunteer, a proud gay man with a loving husband, and a naturalized American citizen of Latin American descent who has called Arizona home for about 20 years. He sees the diversity in the Grand Canyon State, IT ’ S NOT JUST ABOUT ‛ DIVERSITY. ’ It's about acceptance. ❝ ❝ Diversity is really nothing more than math. NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve} 28 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2018

When it comes to diversity, community leader Oscar De las salas prefers to talk about “acceptance” rather than “tolerance.”