Comment
The pros and cons of the multicultural society in the USA!
The USA is regarded as country with unlimited possibilities. Because of the American Dream giving hope to so many people to make it America has the highest immigration rate. People immigrate into the USA legal but there are also many people entering the country in an illegal way. Because they hail from so many various countries they speak different languages and have different cultures. In the USA consequently develops a mixture of this languages and cultures.
This multicultural society has it´ s good sides but, however, there are also negative aspects.
In the following I will discuss the pros and cons of the multicultural society in the USA.
On the one hand in a society with so many different languages and culture people from one culture have the possibility of learning from people with other heritages. They can exchange experiences, so everyone is able to broaden his mind what will cause an intellectual improvement of the society.
However, in order to change this idea into reality all Americans must show tolerance towards other people living in America and everybody must respect the various cultures in the same way.
On the other hand there´s the so called “ thirdworldization “.
According to population researchers the American population structure will change decisive.
There will immigrate more and more Hispanics, Afro- Americans and Asians what provokes by many Americans the fear that their standard of living will get worse.
Another negative aspect is that such a multicultural society gets really complicated when cultures based on contrasted ideologies come into conflict what can cause a bloody battle.
In my opinion such a multicultural society is something good on condition that every member of this society shows it´s respect to all other people of it
Facts ( Britain and America, page 34- 35 )
Background:
• Predominance of English settlement
the American colonies developed into a largely English- speaking nation
– for the most part northern and western Europeans immigrated in the USA
– Native Americans were granted American citizenship in 1924
– Until 1865 Africans were kept as slaves
– In the late 19th century a large number of Irish and southern and eastern Europeans arrived “ old Americans “: Anglo- Saxon Protestants
↕ distrust and discrimination
“ new Americans “ : Catholic and Jewish
• before 1965 : US immigration policy favoured Europeans
1965: Immigration Act
→ Latin Americans and Asians were allowed to enter the USA
Today:
• African –Americans, Native Americans, Asians and Hispanics aren´t able to assimilate in
the American mainstream as easily as Europeans
→ non- white groups stress their culture and heritage
→ Europeans did the same with their culture and heritage
→ division → American society not longer seen as a “ melting pot “ but as a
“ salad bowl “
• In some areas the white population is no longer the majority ( e.g. California)
→ tensions following the attempt to introduce English as the official language
• Supporters of English as the official language believe it´s important for the well- being of the
nation that every citizen speaks the same language
• Many Hispanics and Asians want to keep their cultural identity, so they go on speaking their language
• Tensions because the WASP ( white Anglo- Saxon Protestants ) don´t want to give up it´s
cultural dominance
• Fear among African- Americans to lose their economic power through the new arriving Latin
Americans and Asians.
http://www.lmg.pf.bw.schule.de/faecher/englisch/landeskunde/page7/page7.html