yes or no to Multiculturalism?

In fact, social exclusion is likely to occur as well as all the problems that come with it: homelessness, unemployment, drug-abuse, and crime among many others. Minorities are required to deny their way of life and conform to the main stream, in the name of integration. Multiculturalism leads to prejudice, bigotry, rejection, discrimination, segregation and racism. But on the other hand, multiculturalism is an asset because you grow up aware of your rights and of other people’s rights and you are offered more opportunities of choice in many aspects of life. Multiculturalism brings with it innovation and cultural vitality, which widens our horizons and enhances our personality and it fosters tolerance, and a wider acceptance of other people’s lifestyles. Integrating into the mainstream doesn’t necessarily mean to give up one’s cultural roots but it really means the acceptance of diversity within a community.
After all it is often very difficult for outsiders to integrate into the mainstream, in spite of the many efforts endeavoured.

The Multiculturalism Problem

Living in a multicultural society has never been easy. There are many aspects that keep people closer like language, race, culture, religion or myths; the same aspects, however, can be sources of conflict when extremism, antagonism or even beliefs are at stake. Although many people claim that discrimination is not socially acceptable and no one considers himself to be prejudiced, in modern societies, be it Europe or America, full integration becomes extremely difficult especially when people suffer segregation for religious, racist, cultural or sexist reasons. All too often in the name of integration minorities are required to deny their entire way of life and conform to the mainstream (the majority culture). They are told to fit into a society that may be openly hostile to them and ostracises them. They are treated as outsiders. Black people have suffered the stigma of colour and they have often expressed their anger through crime, hate or prejudice. Mexicans have had difficulty in inserting into American society and even today they are discriminated against. And what to say about brown-skinned Muslims after September 11? Rightly or wrongly they have been the target of prejudice and discrimination and even persecution. And the Portuguese have always been looked down by Americans who don’t even know where Lisbon lies. It’s not a joke, but I read on the Net that when the German Chancellor, Merkl, came back from America, the American Press referred she had stayed a couple of nights in Lisbon and said Lisbon was located on the west coast of Africa!!!! It’s outrageous!

Multiculturalism in America

The Americans are supposed to be the result of the mixture of all the peoples and cultures that make up the USA and so the metaphor “melting pot” was mostly used and thought to be very accurate. Nevertheless, the different peoples didn’t mingle completely so as to make a single people with a single culture. Actually, elements of every race and culture have mixed up to a certain extent though the different ethnic groups still tend to keep their differences as a means of asserting their cultural identity. That’s why the metaphor “Salad bowl” seems more appropriate nowadays than “melting pot”.

What is meant by Multiculturalism?

According to the dictionary, multiculturalism is the existence of several different cultures within a society, within a country , because in those countries live people with different cultures. Though the USA and Britain share the same language, English, this language is a vehicle that conveys two different cultural backgrounds, two different ways of life, two different kinds of nations.
As far as the USA is concerned, its main feature is diversity as this nation is the result of the mingling of all sorts of people coming from all over the world and because it is a huge country made up of different states with a certain local autonomy. However, there are some cultural aspects that may be identified as typically American and help keep the nation together. As a matter of fact, we all recognise McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken as American.