The United States is one of the most diverse nations on earth, originally conceived so, and often described as a great melting pot, as “all nations blend into a new race of l' man, whose labors and whose posterity will one day cause great changes in the world" (Saint John de Crèvecoeur, 1782). However, despite the country's diverse population, the workplace remains a site of inequality as women and minorities continue to earn less than their white male counterparts (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011; U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 ) and advance less in managerial and professional positions. positions (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2008). The issue of diversity in the workplace is a polarizing debate with supporters of diversity measures arguing the business benefit of diversity (Herring, 2009) and opponents arguing that diversity programs are a form of reverse discrimination (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2008). To what extent should employers, both in government and business, seek to promote diversity and encourage equality, and what are the ethical considerations of doing so? Both government and employers are powerful entities that can continue to reinforce white male dominance or dilute the existing dominant hierarchy by increasing diversity and working to break the glass ceiling. Given that both types of institutions are empowered by civil society, a society increasingly composed of minorities (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2008), it is a social obligation, an ethical choice, and good business to increase diversity, address equality issues in the workplace and turning the myth of the American melting pot into reality. Employers are powerful institutions responsible for allocating resources such as salary, benefits, bon...... middle of paper ......x. In cpsaat39.pdf (ed.). Washington DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics.US Census Bureau. (2009). HINC-05 Table. Percentage distribution of households, by selected characteristics within income quintile and top 5% in 2009. In new05_000.htm (ed.). Washington DC: US ​​Census Bureau. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2011a). Enforcement and Litigation Statistics: All Statutes FY1997 - FY2010 Retrieved September 25, 2011, from http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/all.cfmU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2011b). Federal Laws Preventing Employment Discrimination: Questions and Answers Retrieved July 23, 2011, from http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.htmlUnited States. (1776). In Congress, July 4, 1776, a declaration of the representatives of the United States of America, assembled in the General Congress. Philadelphia: Printed by John Dunlap.