What exactly is multiculturalism?

reply to post by FOXMULDER147


Not anymore. It's not working on the Latino community. It's not working on the Indian community. It's not working on the Asian community. The only community that lost their culture was the African American community and we wont get into why THAT happened or why African Americans have 20 % European DNA.

.

Originally posted by FOXMULDER147
reply to post by SplitInfinity

 

That's a lovely story...

... but in one or two generations from now that Iranian family will be completely 'Americanized' and their (presumably) Persian culture will be drained from their blood.

Hence why some say multiculturalism is actually cultural death in disguise.

edit on 23-2-2013 by FOXMULDER147 because: (no reason given)

This is an extremely important point that often gets overlooked in the debate about multi-culturalism.

Look at Native Americans as an example. They have assimilated so much into "mainstream America" that their native languages are being forgotten, their native traditions are only things to be read about in history books, and the Native American kids today know more about how their cell phone operates than the story of their people.

Multi-culturalism sound great but it can also be very very destructive.

reply to post by Hopechest


I don't see that at all. Maybe because I have actually seen these people. I don't see them having lost their culture at all. Let's not confuse modernization with culture. Because you know, I don't see a whole lot of folks of Irish decent acting like their ancestors did eating mutton and drinking animals blood. There's a difference between modernization and culture.

Originally posted by skepticconwatcher
reply to post by Hopechest

 

I don't see that at all. Maybe because I have actually seen these people. I don't see them having lost their culture at all. Let's not confuse modernization with culture. Because you know, I don't see a whole lot of folks of Irish decent acting like their ancestors did eating mutton and drinking animals blood. There's a difference between modernization and culture.

I grew up right next to the Navajo reservation and have spent a lot of time there, trust me, the kids nowadays are rejecting the "old ways."

They are americanized far more than they ever have in the past. The younger generation rarely speak their native tongue anymore, I speak more then most of them do, and when these kids grow up and have their own then it will almost completely be lost.

reply to post by FOXMULDER147


VERY untrue. I know for a FACT as this is the case with my Family and I am 5th Generation American. My family makes it a point to celebrate such holidays as Christmas and Easter in our traditional native European way.

Also...as an American...an Imigrant Family will enjoy being a part of several All American Holidays such as everyones favorite...Thanksgiving. This most favorite of Holidays has Americans of all ethnicities eating a traditional Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings and watching Football all day.

Also the 4th of July and Memorial Day are great favorites as well as New Years Eve and New Years Day and of course...Super Bowl Sunday is basically a National Holiday.

So...we all have our own families Traditions but we all also all enjoy the American Holidays.

Split Infinity

reply to post by Hopechest


Of course they have cell phones. The WHOLE WORLD is AMERICANIZED and because we are the ruling power, we have a greater impact on MODERNIZATION.

Don't believe me ? Take a look at the Middle East protesters . Pick one . Any one. They're all wearing FILA and NIKE sweatshirts. Everyone is Americanized because we have the most MODERN technology, but that doesn't mean they lost their own culture. Culture is more than technology and clothing. Trust me, when they get among themselves and and include those who they have invited in their inner circles, they demonstrate that their culture is in tact.

reply to post by Hopechest


The vast majority of American Indians no longer exist as they were wiped out over 140 years ago. Those who survived have had their decendents wed and bred into many different peoples.

This is the naure of America...the Great Melting Pot.

Split Infinity

reply to post by snowspirit


Sort of, skin colour is more of a symptom of race than the defining characteristic. Culture is more the product of geographic differentiation area than anything else, and so is colour.

Basically, if we divide the world in to 3, each area will cause its own colour, and each area will facilitate the ease of distribution of ideas within the area. Ideological dissemination between areas is hard, or used to be.

If area A causes colour a, area B causes colour b, and area C causes colour c, each area, A, B and C, will have distinct cultures from each other, but similar within itself. Similar to colour.

If area A contains culture 1, 2 and 3, area B contains culture 4, 5 and 6, area C contains culture 7, 8 and 9, you can say that each area, and therefore colour, has its own distinct set of cultures.

You can then say that different colours are more likely to have different cultures than the same colours.

For example, individual x from A, with colour a has culture 1, individual y from A, with colour a has culture 1, individual z from area C, with colour c can not have the same culture as either x or y.

So obviously, the more different the area, A, B or C, the more different the colour a, b or c, the more likely the culture 1-9 is likely to be.

reply to post by SplitInfinity


That's fantastic that your family still does that but its not the norm. America is unique in the world this way, at least to the extent that it happens.

There are differing theories as to why the "American" way of life has such an impact on multiple generations but its very different from the rest of the world.

America seems to absorb and devour different cultures and americanize them as generations progress. This does not happen in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, or even Australia. People tend to retain their cultural identities there far longer than they do in America.

There is a plethora of literature on this subject and all the different competing ideas from scholars and its really interesting how it plays out. Definitely worth some research if your interested in the topic.

I lived in a city that had a lot of American whites, ethnic immigrant whites (Italians and Polish), blacks, arabs, and peurto ricans living together with no real racial or cultural issues. This was in the USA though.

Some cities have racial gang problems, mine didn't.

Multiculturalism is possible, I lived in it for 15 years.

reply to post by Hopechest


I think you will find that areas such as those in and around Arizona...Mesa...Pheonix...etc...are not like those of the East Coast were lies the largest number of people in the U.S. as well as most of these people carrying on the traditions of their origin Nations.

I have family in your state and I go there often...Arizona is not typical of the rest of the U.S. as far as this topic is concerned.

Split Infinity

Multiple cultures coexisting peacefully.