American VS Indian Multiculturalism.

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Name:- Hitaxi H Bhatt.

Roll No:- 03.

Paper No:- 08( Cultural Studies)

Email id:- hitaxidave81@gmail.com

Topic:-  American vs Indian multiculturalism.

Submitted to:- Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

As a reader first you have clear concept of it that what is multiculturalism ?

we can say that multiculturalism can be defined as cultural diversity or the evolution of it, where people from different ethnicities coexist; it can also refer to an interagative policy adopted by a multicultural nation.

The meaning of the term multiculturalism can have many interpretations. Definitions of this term differ according to the reference made to; ..

1.) Demography of a country( population of various racial religious, linguistics backgrounds.)

2.) The normative ideological aspect( cultural rights of individuals).

3.) The political policy-level programs adopted to address ethnic diversity.
multiculturalism has been described as a “ Salad bowl” and “cultural mosaic”

·        American Multiculturalism.

Multiculturalism had gained significance during the 1970s and 1980s in American society. It was the period when Latin Americans, Africans- Americans and other ethnic groups explored their history. In those states in which ethnic religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities should not be denied the right in community with the other members of their group to enjoy their own culture to profess and practice their own religion or to use their own language.

Multiculturalism is diversity of two or more culture  in some region or country. America is immigrant country most people in America are immigrants. They come from different countries and different ethnic groups; they have different languages, educations backgrounds, customs, values, and religions. When they arrive America, they must communicate with other people in English. They learn English and the culture from American people earlier immigrants who are around them. In their public activity, they must accept American cultural traditions, but in their private lives, they inevitably use their own customs, values, religions, traditional festivals and experiences to influence their behaviors. They are still retaining their own cultures.

Since the 1980s, the America government has admitted, encouraged and supported cultural diversity. Fair policies allowed all citizens to have the right to preserve their cultural inheritance. Public school has bilingual education programs for new immigrant children. Under the laws, racism, discrimination and prejudices are significally decreased. The relationships of people in the country are friendly and harmonious and people’s lives have become rich and colorful. We are understanding and learning from each other more easily  than before. We can eat different cultural style food. We can watch different country’s performances.  We can enjoy the celebration events of different country’s festivals. Kids growing up in this multicultural background are easy to accept different views, values and behaviors of foreign countries. Especially following the development of the internet and wireless communication technology, the distance from country to country  and people to people has become closer, the economies between regions and countries are connected more closely.

Administrators of the 2000 census faced multiple problems with its assignment of racial categories, for many biracial or multiracial people did not identify with any of them. Henry Louis Gates uses the word “race” only in quotation marks, for it “pretends to be an objective term of classification.” But it is a dangerous trope  of ultimate,irreducible difference between cultures, linguistics groups or adherents of specific belief system which more often than not also have fundamentally opposed economic interestes.’ It is good to celebrate ‘the other” and bring others  into the mainstream or should be taught in colleges and universities. Leon Botstein believes a combination of traditional and news perspectives offers the best alternatives : students must read Aeschylus, Dante, Shakespeare, “ because what Shakespeare and Dante and the so called great books are all about is penetrating through details to what’s really essential about the common  experience of being a member of this species.” But at the same time that one reads Thucydides on the subject of being a member of a seafaring, global power.

We can say that American multiculturalism influenced by four factors they are:-

1)      African American writers

2)      Latina/o Writers

3)      African American Literatures

4)      Asian American Writers

 America is also founded on its own sort of multiculturalism, which has usually stood us in good stead. Here are four constitutional manifestations of this multiculturalism.

1)      Multiculturalism as increasing minority members happiness;- religious tolerance – coupled with federalism and localism has often let people live be free and pursue happiness in America without having to sacrifice or hide their belief systems.

2)      Multiculturalism as an engine of the search for the truth both federalism and and religious diversity often  produce a wide range of religious belief  produce a wide range of options- ideological and governmental that then complete with one another. In federalism, this is known as the “ states as laboratories of democracy” model. For religious and other ideologies, this best fits the metaphor of the “ marketplace of ideas..”

3)      Multiculturalism as a source of valuable citizens; the tolerance for wide range of religious belief systems has drawn more people to this nation and has avoided forcing people into exile. Recall the old joke, “ who was the most successful German general of World War II .? with the answer being “Eisenhower.” More seriously, America’s development of the atomic bomb during World War II, which relied heavily on European scientists who had fled Hitler, is one illustration – one of many- of the value to America to ethnic and cultural tolerance.

4)      Multiculturalism as a source of knowledge for dealing with a multiculturalism world. The world is filled with lots of different cultures whether we like it or not. Experience with different cultures within the U.S helps us deal with different cultures. Outside the U.S for instance by giving us a pool of American citizens who actually know the foreign language and culture and more generally by making our citizens more familiar with people of other cultures. 

 It’s a mistake to condemn multiculturalism in general just as it’s a mistake to praise multiculturalism in general. Rather  we should think about which forms of toleration, accommodation and embrace of differing cultural values and behaviors are good for America – in the light of American legal and social traditions and which are bad.

·         Indian Multiculturalism

 “Multiculturalism is a body of thought in political philosophy about the proper way to respond to cultural and religious diversity.” Multicultralism looks like coping up and living with other cultures. This means acknowledging, accepting and encouraging different cultures and customs. The idea of multiculturalism can giving equal rights to all cultures to accommodating cultural minorities. India is like a garden that accepts all kinds of plants to take root and to grow in  it and is continuous living whole. Though there are differences between Indians there are lot of strong similarities.

According to the 1961 census of India, there are 1652 indigenous languages in the country. The culture of India has been shaped by its long history, unique geography and diverse demography. India’s languages, religions, dance, music architecture and customs differ from one  place within the country, but nevertheless possess a commonality. The culture of India is an amalgamation of these diverse and subcultures spread all over the Indian subcontinent and tradition that are several millennia old. The Indian caste system describes the social classes are defined by thousands of endogamous heredity groups.

Religiously Hindus from the majority followed by Muslims. The statistics are Hindu (80.5%), Muslims(13.4%), Christians (2.3%), Sikh (2.1%), Buddhist, Jain, Jew and Parsi populations. India follows a three Language policy. Hindi is the official federal language. English has the federal status of associate or subsidiary official language. Further India  does not have any national language. Thus, many states differ from one another in language, culture, cuisine, clothing, literary style, architecture, music and festivities. See culture of India for more information.

India has encountered religiously motivated violence, such as the Moplah Riots,

The Bombay Riots, The 1984 Anti-Sikh riots, the 2002 Gujrat Riots, The Assam Violence, and mostly recently the 2013 Muzafarnagar violence in the state of Uttar Pradesh. This has resulted from traditionally disadvantaged communities in public employment such as the policing of the same locality.

    

I think similarities are more than the differences.  As far as India is concerned, I do not have to tell about Indian diversity in cultures and tradition as it known to everyone. So I will directly jump to the effect of a multi-cultural society. Lets see how these aspects affects the Indian society.

1)      Awareness:- The awareness subtly are subconsciously more aware about cultures. Indian with its colorful history knows more about religion such as Islam or Buddhism.

2)      Empathy:- The awareness subtly contributes to an understanding about other’s viewpoint. We tend to me in more accustomed to think what others think and why. This the big factor for national harmony.

3)      Tolerance:- This has also resulted in greater tolerance for other cultures. It is not uncommon to see a Jain (pure veg) restaurant side by side with a Mughai ( known for its non veg cuisine) one. ISIS does not have much takers here.

4)      Compassion:- Indians have by default an implicit compassion for others. There is after all a region that Indians NRIs are happily living in all geographies or the world.

5)      Non-discrimination:- Unlike  many other nations, India does not prohibit anyone from occupying any posts. Religion. Language, region etc.

 Conclusion:

The whole world became a global village. Multiculturalism is becoming more important than at any other time in history. In conclusion multiculturalism is a good thing for society and people, so it is positive. We need to enhance to develop multiculturalism in our lives.

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