I. IntroductionThere has been a marked increase in the migration of people within and between countries around the world. The 21st century is therefore a time when nurses and other healthcare professionals are eager to learn about the different cultures of the world and provide effective, safe and culturally competent healthcare. Some statistics show that the American population is becoming more diverse and this will continue over the decades. As demographics continue to change, cultural diversity begins to become a major challenge.II. Body of ArticleIn the 1950s, Dr. Madeleine M. Leininger noticed cultural differences between patients and nurses while working with emotionally disturbed children. This clinical experience led him in 1954 to study cultural differences in perceptions of care. In 1965, she received a doctorate in cultural anthropology from the University of Washington. She recognized that one of anthropology's most important contributions to nursing was the realization that states of health and illness are strongly influenced by culture. It is she who contributes to the development of stra...