It also makes note of the fact that the census of 2000 marked the first time that it was possible for a respondent to choose more than one race. This article is particularly interesting as it speculates on a future when it is no longer possible to separate people into minorities on the basis of race, simply because of cross culturalism.
San Juan, E. "Asian-American melting pot" Asia Times. June 14, 2005. This short article states there is an automatic prejudice against Asians within the United States, laughing at the idea of any kind of homogeneity of the Asian-Americans and referring to both near and far history in which Asians have been discriminated against in the United States. The author deals with the stereotype of Asians as the "model minority" and decries the change of something once considered to be exotic into a "plain American pie" the author is strong in his opinions but gives and interesting historical perspective to the idea that Asians in America will never fully be able to integrate nor should they want to.
Wooster, Martin Morse. "Multiculturalism damages liberalism" American Enterprise Jan-Feb 2002. This brief article brings forth the idea that multiculturalism is actually an attempt to change what is at the heart of American democratic processes and undermines the fabric of the United States in that we allow dominance of factions and the governmental enforcement of group relations. It is a brief but scary look at the "other side."
O'Sullivan, John. "Nationhood: an American activity" National Review Feb 21, 1994. This article sits at cross purposes to the previous one, stating that only with the emergence and continuation of multiculturalism can the United States continue to evolve as a democracy. It puts forward the idea that the stronger a sense of nationhood, the more people feel like brothers and one another, and that this will be the ultimate end to multiculturist policies. It also gives a nice history of ethnically diverse, and monoethnic societies, and what happens in them both.
Salins, Peter D. "Assimilation, American Style." Reason Feb 1997. This article investigates the idea that, multiculturalist or not, many American believe that in order for immigrants to assimilate...
If not, they will forever remain strangers in a strange land. It reviews the idea of cultural pluralism as the predecessor of multiculturalism and describes its application in other countries. The dimensions of assimilation are also described as well as bringing into question some of the tried and true definitions of "what is an American." Can we only be stronger by jumping into the melting pot and making some kind of an alloy?
Shinjo, Iwao. "Learning multiculturalism from yesterday, today and tomorrow." Multicultural Education Summer 2003. This teacher's journal gives an interesting look into how multiculturalism may be taught in our schools, specifically to a group of fourth graders. Some of the insights gained on essentially a report on the implementation of a project give a bird's eye view into how multiculturalism is being deployed, and is it effective in its goal.
Okin, Susan Moller. "Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?" Princeton New Jersey, University Press. 1999. A controversial paper on the feminist view of multiculturalism, somewhat extreme in its ideas. Okin compares the place of women in the multicultural society to that of puppets subjected to the whims of men. She has particularly strong feelings about the place of religion in multiculturalism, stating it is all in essence patriarchal and as such demeaning to women.
Zayd, Nasr Hamid. "Modernity, democracy are only for the privileged." Qantara Feb. 21, 2003. This Egyptian scholar reviews the idea of multiculturalism from a worldwide perspective, describing the pros and cons, as well as its impact on business and Third World Countries alike. He makes the interesting observation that it would seem the dominant world culture is one based on capitalism, wondering if this is inevitable or inherent. It describes the cultural reversion of Muslim nationalists as a response to the fear of losing ethnic identity, but then admits that much of the reversion in Islamic republics has not been based on a reasonable form of government but rather reactivity. It poses the idea that human rights and democracy are not rights, but only available…
