Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is an approach to education, public policy, and other areas of social life that affirms the cultural diversity of a multiracial and multiethnic society.

The word “multicultural” first emerged after World War II; its derivative, “multiculturalism,” came into use during the civil rights movement and gained currency in the 1980s. Whereas “multicultural” is a descriptive term referring to the presence of many cultures in a multiethnic and multiracial society such as the United States, “multiculturalism” is a prescriptive concept that entails attitudes, value judgments, public policies, and controversies with regard to the diverse cultures present, especially as to how such cultures are to be identified and represented. Although differences in race, ethnicity, gender, age, ability, and sexuality are subsumed under the term “multicultural,” some groups, typically conservatives, have viewed multiculturalism as a challenge to Western culture, particularly the culture of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) male. Encoded as the identity politics of people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community, starting in the 1990s and into the 2020s it became a major aspect of the American “culture wars”— the struggle to control the symbols and interpretations of American culture—and hence the definition of the national identity and the exercise of political power.

The US Reality

In the United States, Americans contemplating the history and reality of their country as well as their own identities must come to terms with the fact that their nation was shaped not only by the settlement of Europeans but also by other circumstances, including the deprivation of Indigenous people, the enslavement of Africans, the conquest of the Southwest (which once was a Mexican territory), the colonization of other countries (Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines prior to its independence), military interventions in the politics of other regions (Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, and South America), the immigration of peoples from all over the world, the contribution of American women from all races, and the global contexts of American politics and economy. This fundamentally multicultural fact, which is reflected in the nation’s motto, e pluribus unum (out of many, one), has been either suppressed (as in segregation and discrimination) or recognized at different historical junctures, usually after political conflicts of varying magnitudes ranging from the US Civil War to racial riots and civil rights demonstrations. On the legal level, such recognition came in the form of constitutional amendments, Supreme Court decisions, and civil rights legislation. The counterpart of such recognition in the domain of culture production, ideological discourse, and education is multiculturalism.

As a loosely defined set of principles meant to orient the social behavior of Americans, multiculturalism is closely related to the concept of “cultural pluralism,” a doctrine that encourages the recognition and coexistence of differences. What sets multiculturalism apart from the assimilation and integration of ethnic minorities into the mainstream is its explicit criticism of the dominant culture as a kind of ethnocentricity, xenophobia, and oppression—hence the rejection of the melting pot model of acculturation in favor of the promotion of difference, self-esteem, and ethnic pride. As the cultural extension of the civil rights movement, multiculturalism became a celebrated cause in itself. Gaining support from educators, cultural workers, and various agencies across the nation, it was gradually implemented in the curricula of schools and colleges. The cultural sector, especially publishers, filmmakers, and other creatives, also began to respond to the needs of multiculturalism; results of this include efforts to potray people of color more sensitively in mass media, increased support for and attention to the work of artists of color, and the critical reassessment of historical events such as the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas and the First Thanksgiving. These reassessments often challenged traditional narratives by focusing on the negative impact some of these events had on Indigenous peoples and other peoples of color.

However, some groups, namely some conservatives, criticized these efforts as an attack on "traditional" values and potentially damaging to free speech. By the 1990s, the term political correctness, which had been used for decades in a variety of ways, had become a common way to describe efforts to protect or avoid offending marginalized groups in society. The term was often used by conservatives to negatively label terminology, policies, or programs which they felt were intrusive or damaging toward free speech and other values. Controversy over political correctness continued into the twenty-first century; by the 2020s, the term cancel culture had emerged to describe the backlash people receive when they engage in offensive, discriminatory, or otherwise problematic behavior. A person who is "cancelled" may suffer negative consequences in their professional and personal lives. As with political correctness, some people viewed cancel culture as potentially damaging toward free speech.

Multiculturalism and Education

Multiculturalism at the school level is often seen to be instrumental in the successful education of an increasingly diverse student population in terms of their scholastic proficiencies, civic aptitudes, and comprehensive preparation for the global economy of the twenty-first century. Important themes and issues in multicultural education include the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, bilingual education, cultural sensitivity, tolerance of difference, overcoming prejudice and racism, heroes from other cultures, self-esteem, and the strength of diversity. Some educators suggest that by means of multicultural education, an individual should be transformed intellectually and emotionally into a person who is capable of seeing things from another’s perspective, committed to the unity and equality of the human race, and ultimately ready to take action in bringing about social justice. To accomplish this, teachers create assignments that celebrate multiculturalism. Writing assignments about heritage, for instance, encourage students to learn more about their family background. These projects also help students value and appreciate the culture of others in the classroom.

In higher education, the adoption of multiculturalism is reflected in the curriculum, especially the creation of programs and departments, the transformation of core requirements, the diversification of course offerings, and the incorporation of texts addressing the history and culture of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, American Indians, women, LGBTQ communities, and other identifiable groups. Initially, curricular expansions of this kind were sometimes accomplished through the activism of students of color, but gradually they have been institutionalized. One important result of this curricular reform in the humanities is the revision of the “canon”—that is, the inclusion of previously silenced or ignored texts (usually by women, writers of color, and non-Western authors) and their displacement of certain other privileged classics (books by White male authors). Another effect is the critical rereading of canonized texts from the perspectives of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.

As publicized—sometimes sensationalized—in national magazines, at the height of the early multicultural movement (late 1980s to early 1990s), its advocates began to draw the critical attention of the public. Some critics were alarmed at the erosion of Americans’ “cultural literacy” (E. D. Hirsch, Jr.), “the closing of the American mind” (Allan Bloom), and the “disuniting of America” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.) as a result of multiculturalism. Complicating such controversies were certain policies regulating the multicultural reality of college campuses; for example, affirmative action admissions and hirings, the distribution of scholarships and funds, the treatment of identity-based student groups, and sexual conduct. Much discussion at this time related to codes of proper behavior and speech with regard to women, people of color, and people with disabilities. Attempts to promote greater sensitivity towards these groups were praised by some as an important step toward equality and a key part of efforts to correct historical wrongs. However, some groups, namely some conservatives, criticized these efforts as an attack on "traditional" values and potentially damaging to free speech. The impact of these policies on school curricula remained a divisive issue in US society for decades, lasting into the twenty-first century.

In 2021, the topic of critical race theory (CRT) added to the debate about multiculturalism in education. Several bills were introduced in state legislatures seeking to ban the teaching of CRT, which is a framework that teaches how legal policies have led to discrimination and systemic racism throughout American history. Supporters of those bills—most of whom were conservative Republicans—argued that the concept caused divisions and intolerant behaviors. The theory's central tenet that racism is part of everyday life has led critics to believe it goes against the fundamental democratic ideals of the country. However, opponents of anti-CRT legislation advocate for the importance of studying how racist systems and polices originated in the US in order to better understand how to dismantle them. By early 2024, eighteen US states, including Texas, Virginia, and Arizona, had enacted laws banning or restricting the teaching of CRT in public schools. At that time, numerous other states were considering proposed restrictions or bans on CRT education.

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