Living and Working in a Multicultural Society Essay

One of the major principles of multiculturalism is the equity among various cultural groups living in one community such as a nation. For example, multiculturalism in a certain country seeks the equality among the existing ethnic groups that speak distinct dialects and follow unique cultural practices. None of such groups either dominate the community or take the role of the minority. Thus, multiculturalism competently promotes the awareness and appreciation of other cultures within one’s community which, in effect, help build good living and working conditions among the people in the society. Since multiculturalism â€Å"refers to the presence of people of diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds within a single polity† (Citrin, et al. , 2001, p. 249), its competency rests on how numerous individuals from different racial and ethnic backgrounds are able to interact with one another and produce significant positive results. During the time of the American Revolution, immigrants were considered as inassimilable and, thus, they constitute a threat to the American cultural identity which was predominantly composed of White Protestants (Spencer, 1994, p. 549). Blacks were considered as a minority group and a large number of them were placed under slavery or servitude by the majority group. With the large differences in the social status and individual rights between the White Protestants and the Black Americans during that time, it is not surprising that such differences stood as barriers from attaining an America that is tolerant of multiple races and accepts all individuals as equals regardless of ethnicity. Equal treatment among the minorities was not a significant issue until the time when the American Revolution has ended and the creation of the United States of America has begun. In fact, slavery of Black Americans was not entirely abolished until twenty years after the formal creation of the United States. While the majority group at that time was able to fully participate in various social affairs, most of the members of the minority group were confined to servitude and bondage to their so-called â€Å"masters†. The stark contrast alone between the majority and minority groups was already a seemingly insurmountable status quo that benefited the ruling majority. The lack of multiculturalism as a social movement at that time also hindered the full interactions of the races in America for there was very minimal avenue in which the minority group was given the chance to vent their side. The â€Å"shift in the self-designation of Black Americans†Ã¢â‚¬â€from ‘Negro’ to ‘Black,’ to ‘African American’—apparently describes the change in the position of these individuals in the American society, for instance (Spencer, 1994, p. 548). While the previous barrier concerning the social participation and position of African Americans during and before the American Revolution greatly set-off their group to the minority, it is argued that such earlier perception has not totally withered away (Citrin, et al. , 2001, 252). Still, there are present forms of racial discrimination and racial intolerance that persist in America and some other parts of the world where societies of the past have barely changed through the years. In a sense, not much has changed since African Americans living in urban areas tend to live together in small communities; racial segregation is still apparent in the country even though federal laws were already established to proscribe the treatment of so-called minorities as lesser beings. Living and working in a multicultural society such as the United States do not go easily because the reality from the ground speaks differently from the theories in academic tomes—intolerance and indifference towards the other races living in America remain parts of the contemporary American society in general. President Barack Obama may execute the needed policies to bolster multiculturalism in America but such policies can not easily discount the idea that the conditions of the lives and works of the â€Å"minorities† living in the United States do not always stand at par with those who comprise the larger if not the largest part of American society. References Citrin, J. , Sears, D. O. , Muste, C. , & Wong, C. (2001). Multiculturalism in American Public Opinion. British Journal of Political Science, 31(2), 247-275. Spencer, M. E. (1994). Multiculturalism, â€Å"Political Correctness,† and the Politics of Identity. Sociological Forum, 9(4), 547-567.