Running Head : MULTICULTURALISM IN THE UNITED STATES

THE ROLE OF MULTICULTURALISM IN AMERICAN SOCIETY

MULTICULTURALISM IN THE UNITED STATES

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MULTICULTURALISM IN THE UNITED STATES

What is Multiculturalism?

Multiculturalism is the concept of people from different geographical locations, different

cultures and mythos, different languages assimilating under the big umbrella of a common idea

or theory. Multiculturalist people have a common identity to be and act as one people with a

common value or values and at the same time be different as per their respective cultural

definitions. In multiculturalism, different people are free to follow their own cultural beliefs and

rituals, but also to be willing to act and be identified by a single identity. The statement that the

whole is more than just the sum of its parts is sociological acceptable model of the concept of

Multiculturalism.

The US is a multicultural country as per the logic of the founding fathers who had

declared that all men are born equal in the declaration of Independence. As time goes by, ideas

and their significance also mean different to different people. At the time of American

Independence, both Washington and Jefferson had black slaves who worked for them. This fact

may have drawn skeptical remarks from critics at that time. However today, the US has a black

President or Chief executive. This shows that founding fathers had actually wanted to take the

country along the way of multiculturalism. Some social systems do have very high elastic

properties but given reason and commitment, all theories against multiculturalism either are no

longer active (Ku Klux Klan) today or have long since dried out to the irreversibility of social

system changes.

THE CONTROVERSY OF MULTICULTURALISM

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We all have a huge ally inside of us called the ego, an ally of our judgment. Ego both hurts and

harms multiculturalism.

There are two age-old complaints about multiculturalism, which were(01)all men cannot

stay equal as their abilities differ, and that multiculturalism may be dangerous in the interests of

national security. Coming from the reverse side, it was soon seen that multiculturalism was in no

danger to national security or it posed no threat to national interests. In the Gulf war and in

Afghanistan, the Caucasian American, the European American and the African America have

already proved themselves as having commitment to the country in Korea and Vietnam before

the above. Abraham Lincoln, probably the first super hero, of modern day America, believed in

the peoples government. He wanted immigration to be open and not only confined to Europe.

Multiculturalism Lincolns idea of citizenship granting was that the immigrant should be put to

some reasonable test of his [or her] fidelity to our country and its institutions, and he or she

should first dwell among us a reasonable time to become generally acquainted with the nature

of those institutions.(Currant, 1993). This proved to be effective for the majority Today we are

still discovering and finding out that there has been an assault on this multiculturalism by the

forces of religious fanaticism, extreme right of leftish views.

As Dana Warmack points out, multiculturalism is a subject, which has many contrary

arguments socio-political arguments embedded and is hence is not very easy to comprehend.

Social functionalism, social conflict and symbolic interaction are three sides to a social triangle

that connect three different views equaling the concept of multiculturalism. (Warmack, 2010)

Each of the three are perspectives, and while the sides may be said to be the right and left

versions of political theory, the third unites them, representing a particular side of the whole idea

of cultural diversity of equivalent value.

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THE FUTURE OF MULTICULTURALISM.

Post 9/11, the Asian immigrant has been subjected to assault, intimidation, hate-speak etc.

in the USA. As such can we really say that multiculturalism in the US will remain same in the

future. From the above discourses, first of all multiculturalism is a phenomenon is a concept

applicable with immigration laws being more resilient. People emigrate from one country to the

other to rise above social adversity due to lack of ability to live life as they want, at their

homelands. The immigrants bring their own cultures with them, which they try to live with.

However, with time, the immigrants fine-tune themselves to take on the principles-cultural and

general of the country. In this way, the quality of life changes and the immigrants align

themselves in the way, which is the best way of living in the country. In time as different

generations etc., come about, they become more culturally proficient in their adopted country

then the country to which their roots have come from. This is multiculturalism However, post

9/11, racism and terrorism have reared their heads in the US. Hence, it is doubtful that

multiculturalism will be an important term as per social trials and tabulations are concerned, the

global economic order undergoing reversal in a major way.

What type of people will emigrate now? Highly qualified and skilled professionals will

now be wooed across continents. Therefore, there is going to be a day when multicultural

education and studies will cease to be of relevance. Multicultural society is going to be replaced

with one culture i.e., global culture. Everyone, immigrants or locals will have to make

adjustments. This change is going to come very soon and the author is of the opinion that we will

see it in a recognizable state within the next six-seven years. Maybe not exactly as the above, but

change will definitely come in a world of a single culture (Global Culture)

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REFERENCES:-

1. Current. R.N. (1993) What Is an American? : Abraham Lincoln & Multiculturalism",

Milwaukee, WI, USA: Marquette University Press.

2. Ivison D. (2010); The Ashgate Research Companion to Multiculturalism; Ashgate

Publishing Company Inc, Burlington, VT 05401-4405; USA

3 Warmack.D (2010) ; Global Economy Issues-Multiculturalism; Accessed and available

on 5th January 2013 < http://www.globalrp.org/multiculturalism.html>