I wouldn't say they are caused PRIMARILY by discrimination. I would say many/most socio-economic discrepancies are. But otherwise, there are entirely distinct cultures with distinct priorities, ways of speaking, and ways of living. I would argue your own cultural influences are notably stronger. Someone from a chill islander culture might struggle to keep up in a bustling corporate culture. Someone from the bustling culture might find the chill culture unstimulating. If they both live their own cultures, the chill one would probably earn less. But what benefit would they get from moving to a world of constant stress? People need to be given equal opportunities, and we need to be able to analyze discrepancies to find answers about them. We need to be able to reduce barriers, but also accept that people, given their own agency, will prefer different things that will create different outcomes. Would you rather be poor on a tropical island, or wealthy in a rainy city with bad traffic? That answer isn't the same for everyone.

**There are several possible 'differences' that we may refer to when evaluating this claim.** Note that this discussion is assuming that 'discrimination' here refers to the unjust treatment of another, as opposed to the neutral definition of discrimination: the mere recognition of distinctions between entities. _What is an ethnic group?_ Ethnic groups are [defined](https://www.britannica.com/topic/ethnic-group) as communities of people who share in their cultural backgrounds and ancestry. Particular characteristics of these communities, including norms, beliefs, language, history, traditions, etc., set them apart from others. _How can ethnic groups_ differ _?_ Inherent Characteristics - Ethnic groups, as defined, are distinguishable by their differences. A difference in language between two ethnic groups is a clear example, while subtler patterns of interactions that are defined by a group's cultural norms are not as easy to pinpoint but are equally, if not more, significant to the group's identification. Treatment by Other Ethnic Groups - Ethnic groups can differ by the manner in which they are treated by other groups. One ethnic group might be discriminated against, while another is welcomed and more easily integrated. Treatment of Other Ethnic Groups - Ethnic groups can differ in how they themselves treat other groups. Their historically and socially informed interactions with other ethnicities can differ from how other ethnic groups choose to engage with the same communities. It may be argued that differences between ethnic groups can only be ascribed to discrimination when discussing the latter differences - i.e., differences in how groups are treated and received, as opposed to differences in the nature of a group itself. Yet, discrimination may have the potential to _cause_ differences, i.e., by simply impacting the history of a group. When marginalisation by one group leads to the isolation of another, for example, both groups may begin to branch apart in certain characteristics. The same separation, however, could have occurred through geographic phenomena - e.g. the separation of communities by water bodies and/or mountains - and therefore, is not _solely_ a product of discrimination. Another interpretation is that 'differences' can refer to clashes or disagreements. Ethnic groups can differ in this manner without one enacting the unjust treatment of the other - e.g. disagreements that stem from differences in religious beliefs and practices are not necessarily discriminatory, and can arise simply from irreconcilable notions within the distinct faiths. _Are differences in opportunity and a lack of equity in society caused by discrimination?_ Many times, yes. [Indigenous Assyrians](https://books.google.com/books?id=NY7RzLXR79wC) who resisted conversion to Islam during the Muslim conquest of Persia, for example, were rendered "second class citizens" and subjected to ethnic and cultural discrimination. In other potential scenarios, no. By virtue of their differences, certain ethnic groups are better equipped to succeed in certain settings. Language barriers, most simply, can often make it difficult for immigrants from new ethnic groups to effectively assimilate and/or climb up the social ladder. Differing social norms can introduce hurdles in an ethnic group's integration as individuals are unable to communicate effectively. - Are these instances of unjust treatment, or merely consequences of differing perspectives and cultures interacting? - Is a culture discriminatory if it cannot easily integrate any individual from any alternate ethnic group?

**I think that because of ethnic and racial discrimination, social integration and cohesion becomes much more difficult. But also, there are a lot of cultural differences that create and show differences between ethnic groups in society.** Some [examples of discrimination that cause rifts in society](https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-racial-discrimination) between different racial and ethnic groups are: - During the 2015–2016 school year, Black students represented only 15% of total US student enrolment, but they made up 35% of students suspended once, 44% of students suspended more than once, and 36% of students expelled. The US Department of Education concluded that this disparity is “not explained by more frequent or more serious misbehaviour by students of colour.” - In New York City, 88% of police stops in 2018 involved Black and Latinx people, while 10% involved white people. (Of those stops, 70% were completely innocent.) - From 2013 to 2017, white patients in the US received better quality health care than about 34% of Hispanic patients, 40% of Black patients, and 40% of Native American patients. Repetitive instances like these create alienation between different ethnicities and racial groups and doesn’t allow integration when people aren’t all treated the same. There are of course cultural differences between different group that create more differences for example religion, food, beliefs and down to hair and fashion that make people’s life experiences different. But I think that discrimination is the main perpetuator of societal differences.