Bridging Cultural Gaps in a Changing America: Lessons from Springfield
As demographic changes sweep across the United States, communities everywhere are grappling with inevitable and predictable culture gaps. These gaps often arise from differences in appearance, language, or the way people were raised. The situation in Springfield, Ohio, is a prime example of how fear and misunderstanding can lead to harmful consequences when a community fails to address these differences with an open mind. However, there is a path forward, and we can learn from Springfield's mistakes.
One significant misstep in Springfield was that community leaders, many of whom had lived there for generations, allowed fear of the "other" to drive their actions. Instead of fostering curiosity and seeking to understand the new Haitian immigrants, they let fear dictate behavior. This led to harmful, divisive narratives rather than opportunities for bridge-building.
It’s important to note that understanding another culture is not the same as agreeing with or liking everything about it. However, without understanding, misconceptions and stereotypes grow unchecked. Unfortunately, Springfield's leaders chose to share their challenges in national media without highlighting the benefits and contributions Haitian immigrants brought to the community. As a result, an unfair and unbalanced narrative took over, leading to game-changing negative impacts. Fear spread, tensions rose, and soon, the entire community suffered, with schools and hospitals closing due to bomb threats and an FBI investigation.
The problems that arise when people from different backgrounds come together are not new. These situations can either be fear-inducing or enriching, and much of the outcome depends on how leaders behave. In Springfield, we saw what happens when fear prevails, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
A Path Forward for Springfield
I know how to help Springfield and other communities become safe, welcoming, and productive places for everyone. For over 30 years, I’ve been helping people bridge "us versus them" culture gaps. My book, The Business of WE, explores this topic in depth, and I’ve spent my career helping communities and organizations navigate cultural challenges. I also grew up in Ohio, so this issue hits close to home for me.
What happened in Springfield, and more importantly, the solutions to the problem, can be understood by looking at what I call the cross-cultural continuum. This continuum shows us that everyone's behavior falls somewhere between perpetuating divides and fostering unity. When a new group—like Haitian immigrants—moves into a community, it’s natural for people to notice differences in language, culture, or race. But these differences don’t have to lead to division.
Most of the time, people go about their lives, noticing differences but not reacting in harmful ways. This is what I call inconsequential behavior. However, if things aren’t managed well, this inconsequential behavior can shift towards negative actions.
In Springfield, real problems like housing and healthcare grew as the population increased. Then things took a turn for the worse after a tragic car accident that lead to the death of a young boy. That incident triggered more negative behavior, and tensions escalated. The situation worsened with an unintentional but harmful Facebook post, which the author later claimed was based on a rumor and wasn’t meant to hurt the Haitian community. Unfortunately, that post fueled an untrue narrative about Haitian people eating pets, and leaders like Trump and Vance with large platforms perpetuated this lie. Now, Springfield faces bomb threats, FBI involvement, and school closures. These are the results of game-changing negative behavior.
Taking Action to Rebuild Trust
Despite all this, there’s hope for Springfield. The solution lies in fair-minded people—those who haven’t yet taken action to build bridges—stepping up. Many people in Springfield have been indifferent, not actively causing harm but also not fostering trust. Now is the time for these individuals, particularly those who have lived in Springfield for generations, to take action and reverse the negative trajectory.
There are large numbers of people in Springfield who are in the middle of this continuum. They aren’t perpetuating divides, but they aren’t building trust either. They may not have needed to build relationships with Haitian immigrants before, or they may not have known how to. But now is the time to learn and act.
There are three categories of actions that can help move toward understanding and unity. The first category includes safe actions that you can do privately, without any risk. For example, you could learn how to say "hello" in Haitian Creole or make a donation or send a message of kindness to a local immigrant support organization. These actions are small but meaningful steps toward bridging gaps.
The second category includes challenging actions, which require face-to-face interactions. This could be something like visiting a Haitian restaurant in town and engaging with the people there. These actions push you out of your comfort zone but create opportunities for meaningful connection.
Finally, there are radical actions, where you put yourself in the minority population. An example of this would be volunteering to help out at the Haitian Community and Support Center, where you're fully immersing yourself in an unfamiliar environment to learn and support others. Each of these actions, whether small or bold, plays a role in moving the community toward understanding and away from division.
Here are three actions I took recently. First, I made a donation to the Haitian Community and Support Center. I went to lunch with my family at Rose Goute Creole Restaurant, (it was delicious!) and I learned to say hello in Haitian Creole – "Bonjou!"
The good news is that anyone can take action in any of these three categories—whether it’s fostering understanding, reaching out to newcomers, or correcting harmful narratives. Every small action counts and can make a big difference in changing the direction of Springfield.
By taking proactive steps and learning from Springfield’s situation, leaders across the country can ensure their communities thrive in the face of demographic changes. When understanding, rather than fear, is the driving force behind our behavior, our efforts will lead to a safer, more welcoming, and more productive community for all.
