In a recent episode of EquianoPod, host Ada Akpala, Head of Content for The Equiano Project, delves into the complex world of multiculturalism, immigration, and cultural diversity.
Lots of excellent questions and comments from Ada Akpala. I don't think the conversations around immigration and multiculturalism in the USA tend to work particularly well for conversations around immigration and multiculturalism in the UK.
In the USA, what would be termed as the 'indigenous' ethnic group sits at 1.12% of the population (according to Wikipedia). A 'melting pot' approach is inevitable because there isn't a sizeable 'native' population and culture for relatively recent immigrants to integrate into.
In the UK, the majority ethnic and 'indigenous' group sits at 83% of the population. Therefore, there will be some resistance and opposition to a 'melting pot' approach that turns the 'native' culture into some generic, amorphous grouping of disparate cultures. Rather, the expectation is that relatively recent immigrants will integrate into the dominant culture and group to the best of their ability.
Perhaps money powers profit from the division. With major institutions telling people that we cannot get along bc of various categories seems intentionally destructive. My own experience throughout life in USA doesn’t prove out this assertion (that we cannot relate or get along) at all. A picture is being painted other than what is real and has existed for ages. It takes a bit of work to get people to self select into tribes when they actually don’t have to. The psychodynamics of human behavior (and its interplay with technology) is well known to some people, but not to others. So, there are points at which human behavior and psyche can be exploited.
In the US, black American are not a distinct culture they were Americans almost from the beginning. They are not immigrants. Many have pointed out the distinction between the perspectives and outcomes between black Caribbean people and black Americans. Multiculturalism can be what it says, many cultures. But in the UK for example it is state multiculturalism. Dominant groups within minority groups have gained influence within the state and they control the narrative. This becomes a problem not just of weaker groups not being recognised, but of people being forced into homogeneous blocs at state level. Specifically in the UK and US too, we have black activists dominating the race agenda, so it's identity groups themselves (or leaders) who have a vested interest in controlling minority communities and non-conformists.
Lots of excellent questions and comments from Ada Akpala. I don't think the conversations around immigration and multiculturalism in the USA tend to work particularly well for conversations around immigration and multiculturalism in the UK.
In the USA, what would be termed as the 'indigenous' ethnic group sits at 1.12% of the population (according to Wikipedia). A 'melting pot' approach is inevitable because there isn't a sizeable 'native' population and culture for relatively recent immigrants to integrate into.
In the UK, the majority ethnic and 'indigenous' group sits at 83% of the population. Therefore, there will be some resistance and opposition to a 'melting pot' approach that turns the 'native' culture into some generic, amorphous grouping of disparate cultures. Rather, the expectation is that relatively recent immigrants will integrate into the dominant culture and group to the best of their ability.
Perhaps money powers profit from the division. With major institutions telling people that we cannot get along bc of various categories seems intentionally destructive. My own experience throughout life in USA doesn’t prove out this assertion (that we cannot relate or get along) at all. A picture is being painted other than what is real and has existed for ages. It takes a bit of work to get people to self select into tribes when they actually don’t have to. The psychodynamics of human behavior (and its interplay with technology) is well known to some people, but not to others. So, there are points at which human behavior and psyche can be exploited.
In the US, black American are not a distinct culture they were Americans almost from the beginning. They are not immigrants. Many have pointed out the distinction between the perspectives and outcomes between black Caribbean people and black Americans. Multiculturalism can be what it says, many cultures. But in the UK for example it is state multiculturalism. Dominant groups within minority groups have gained influence within the state and they control the narrative. This becomes a problem not just of weaker groups not being recognised, but of people being forced into homogeneous blocs at state level. Specifically in the UK and US too, we have black activists dominating the race agenda, so it's identity groups themselves (or leaders) who have a vested interest in controlling minority communities and non-conformists.