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What about the Chinatowns in San Francisco and Boston? Boston's isn't too big, but as far as I know they live there, speak Chinese (except to the toruists), and all the stores are Asian. Maybe this isn't fully considered multiculturalism because most of the people go to the city schools and many probably have regular jobs? But I still think this is different than the Irish or Italian sections of Boston, because in those sections it's mostly but not only Irish or Italians who live there.
What about the Chinatowns in San Francisco and Boston? Boston's isn't too big, but as far as I know they live there, speak Chinese (except to the toruists), and all the stores are Asian. Maybe this isn't fully considered multiculturalism because most of the people go to the city schools and many probably have regular jobs? But I still think this is different than the Irish or Italian sections of Boston, because in those sections it's mostly but not only Irish or Italians who live there.
What you are looking for is absolute answers. Sadly, there are none. Man is imperfect, therefore his solutions are imperfect. In the dealings between different groups the goal is not absolute perfection but rather a small enough level of imperfection that all groups can live as harmoniously as possible. That is why I say Multiculturalism will not work. The melting pot is a perfect simile. All the ingredients are still there, they are simply mixed.It is like Ben franklin said at the signing of the Declaration of Independence:
We must all hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately
Multiculturalism tears the country apart while assimilation draws it together.
What about the Chinatowns in San Francisco and Boston? Boston's isn't too big, but as far as I know they live there, speak Chinese (except to the toruists), and all the stores are Asian. Maybe this isn't fully considered multiculturalism because most of the people go to the city schools and many probably have regular jobs? But I still think this is different than the Irish or Italian sections of Boston, because in those sections it's mostly but not only Irish or Italians who live there.
First, I think you'd also have some non-Chinese living in the Chinatowns, even if the percentage is small. They would not be able to exclude people based on race or ethnicity from living in those areas - at least not under the law. Second, I think there's a difference between a place in a town called "Chinatown" and a section of a town that is traditionally Irish, Polish, Italian, or whatever. Immigrants to America often settled in immigrant communities within cities and they had common ethnic parishes that they worshiped at, restaurants they ate at, and so forth. Eventually the succeeding generations spread out to other neighborhoods and the ethnic communities gradually dissipated. I imagine that Chinese communities had a more difficult time blending in with mainstream culture and therefore remained more constant than their European counterparts. Perhaps after a while such communities simply had themselves established as "Chinatowns" and found ways to make money from tourism doing this. Without an economic base I don't think such ethnic areas would otherwise survive as they do.
multiculturalism? This is what goes on daily on this planet, and has always transpired. It is the futile efforts from multiple cultures on this planet to adapt, and accept one another. Probably one of the largest generators of war.Multiculturalism is what humans have fought about forever, at least after our forefathers left Africa. That you query its meaning does not give this one any hope. You still ask for what is evident, while it has been so through out human history.
multiculturalism? This is what goes on daily on this planet, and has always transpired. It is the futile efforts from multiple cultures on this planet to adapt, and accept one another. Probably one of the largest generators of war.Multiculturalism is what humans have fought about forever, at least after our forefathers left Africa. That you query its meaning does not give this one any hope. You still ask for what is evident, while it has been so through out human history.
What you are talking about is multiple cultures and their interactions, not the modern day phenomenon known as multiculturalism. Multiculturalism asserts that all cultures are equally valid at all times and in all places, this is simply not so.
I do not agree with your summation. Cultures grow, and blend. That's what makes us unique, and tough. To suggest, as you do, that the mixing of cultures is horrific, would be to suggest that Hitler was right …..
Not sure either scout or HF are 100% correct here.Cultures are (or at least should be) judged by their success. Survival is the goal, if they do they win. If we make the mistake of judging other cultures by our own standards... they will always lose.The growth and blending of cultures is a process that has helped make the US what it is... what is required for this to succeed is for the acculturation of the various groups into one common culture. As long as people came here with the idea of becoming an American (like my GF, not letting my Mom go to the "ethnic" school, for their cultural group for fear she'd learn too much about it and not be assimilated enough into the US)... we don't seem to be going for acculturation and assimilation; too many Hyphenated-Americans. This observation if shocking to some has nothing to do with the extermination of the other groups.We can be tolerant of cultural differences w/o Balkanizing the US. So too, we can be critical of this Balkanization w/o being for ethnic cleansing. After all we are all immigrant stock, eh?
I am not suggesting that cultures do not grow and change over time. What I am saying is that the modern phenomenon of multiculturalism is inherently unstable, mainly because it's proponents assert that multiple cultures can cooexist within one society. I am simply arguing that a society in which multiple cultures attempt to form one society while maintaining distinct cultural norms is unhealthy for that society because it promotes divisiveness and thus weakens that society in the face of external threats.I will cite a current example from contemporary society. It is quite obvious that some of the cultural practices under Islam are incompatible with modern western culture. Among these are the subordination of women, lack of freedom in religion, the press, speech, and legal constraints on different classes of society. These are all cultural attributes that cannot exist within western society because these practices have been rejected in the course of western cultural growth. That is what I am talking about when I say multiculturalism is bad.
multiculturalism? This is what goes on daily on this planet, and has always transpired. It is the futile efforts from multiple cultures on this planet to adapt, and accept one another. Probably one of the largest generators of war.Multiculturalism is what humans have fought about forever, at least after our forefathers left Africa. That you query its meaning does not give this one any hope. You still ask for what is evident, while it has been so through out human history.
What you are talking about is multiple cultures and their interactions, not the modern day phenomenon known as multiculturalism. Multiculturalism asserts that all cultures are equally valid at all times and in all places, this is simply not so.
Quite true. We still fail to communicate culturally. The proof for this argument is obvious - look at all peoples around the world. Still fighting. Humans support a culture that suppports murdering foes. That is where we are, and will be for a long time.
According to Mrs Merkel, multiculturalism has failed in Germany: “lmmigrants should learn to speak German”Attempts to build a multicultural society in Germany have "utterly failed", Chancellor Angela Merkel says.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11559451 France and some other European countries seems to follow the trend.Multiculturalism : mission impossible ?
Before the term multiculturalism came into vogue, I heard another from those who did not like the concept of a melting pot. They preferred to view the USA as a salad. I grew up in a melting pot. I worry multiculturalism will lead to irrevocable Balkanization and all the ills that come with it.
To be honest, I don't believe in the concept “we live with our culture side by side”. One has to integrate where he chose to live. (to make it short)
The problem with this debate is that in general both sides tend to talk past each other. It is almost as though there is no desire for true debate about what multiculturalism means to take place in the first place. I think the west is willing to listen while those that move to the west tend to want to dictate terms. That is not to say that everybody in the west is willing to listen, I just think that westerners tend to be more tolerant of external differences than non-western immigrants are. Donroc makes an excellent point about Balkanization. It seems that the multiculturalists have Blakanization as a goal and not integration.
