Is Individuality Lost?

The responses that I received from friends and family members were not what I was expecting.  I asked a diverse population of friends, all from different backgrounds and histories. 

Here are the definitions of culture that I received:
     * A persons upbringing and or background
     * Culture is simply our way of life
     * Distinctive traditions and beliefs of a group of people
     * What people believe in such as: the arts, things people appreciate


Here are the definitions of diversity I received:
     * The economic status of people
     * Diversity encompasses ALL ways of life
     * When one thing is not like another
     * People of a variety of beliefs, color and background and experience all living in a community

As a society we are a diverse population dealing with different cultures of people.  Our culture can encompass our simple way of life down to the food we eat, the music we listen to, the places we go.  For the most part our economic status is also defined within our culture.  " The roots of our current dominant culture were planted by those with the power-that is, White, English-speaking, male landowners, political leaders, and Christian religious leaders".  Diversity is the uniqueness within everyone that brings together our sense of culture. 

It is interesting that a persons' heritage was left out, yes they can be incorporated into distinctive traditions and beliefs, but I expected some mention of some respondents heritage.  I think that is one thing that has been list along the way, or it is just overly assumed that we choose not to verbally recognize it anymore.  Are we loosing our sense of individuality to a society that has just assumed the obvious?