EMBRACING THE MOSAIC: MULTICULTURALISM
Multiculturalism is like a mosaic. A mosaic is an art form made up of tiny details that create the whole picture without the use of paint. I want to analogize this concept by saying that each and every culture is part of that mosaic’s details and is important in making a bigger picture of the world’s beauty. The coexistence and acceptance of many cultural, racial, and religious groups within a society is referred to as multiculturalism. [7]
It is a notion of justice and an idea that encourages respect for, inclusion of, and understanding of people of all cultural origins. This, however, can be understood in the context of cases of oppression in the context of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, a movement that sparked last May of 2020 because of the death of George Floyd. [4]
In the context of Filipino society, we can view the Lumads in the South as protecting their ancestral lands [8] and the tribes in the Cordillera as indigenous people’s rights that are recognized and protected by national legislation in the Philippines, but their effective implementation is a difficulty. As a result, minority groups want to create institutions that can take care of their particular needs and issues. [11] In a nutshell, multiculturalism attempts to guarantee that all groups have equal rights and opportunities while acknowledging that communities are made up of people with a variety of traditions, values, languages, and beliefs.
Multiculturalism differs from intergenerational justice and environmental justice. The scope and character of moral links among generations are related to intergenerational justice, as the older generation tries to convince the younger generation that certain moral obligations and responsibilities should be transferred to them [9]. The latter refers to the equitable and inclusive participation of all people in the formulation and implementation of environmental laws and policies, regardless of their race, color, country of origin, or level of socioeconomic development. [12] According to the premise of multiculturalism, it promotes the idea that society benefits from preserving, recognizing, and even nurturing cultural diversity among people of usually quite different backgrounds.
Some critics have said that this idea might result in cultural groups competing with one another for recognition and rights; another is that if individuals identify more as members of certain ethnic or racial groupings than as citizens of a single nation, national unity may become unachievable. [1]
Having stated the original assumption of multiculturalism, I state my position in this essay that I support the notion of justice that multiculturalism offers to society. With that being said, I present to you three compelling reasons why multiculturalism not only enriches society but also offers a multitude of benefits for individuals, fostering a better quality of life.
First and foremost, multiculturalism encourages us to engage in a deep understanding of different cultures and challenges us to move beyond superficial stereotypes and biases. It calls upon us to actively advocate against negative generalizations that perpetuate harmful narratives about minority and marginalized groups, fostering a society that values and respects the richness of diverse cultural perspectives.
Examples of negative stereotypes among cultures include that people from tribal groups or from the rural mountains are said to be less educated compared to people from urbanized areas; another is that people who wear a niqab,a covering of a girl’s face, or a kaffiyeh, a men’s headdress, are tagged as terrorists [6]; and Hispanic nationalities like Mexico and Cuba, as portrayed in action movies, are drug dealers and smugglers. [5] This negative stereotyping has to stop, as it dehumanizes people of different cultures or skin colors just because they aren’t well represented in the mainstream media.
Second, we are to recognize that the person with a distinct culture has the same rights as yours as well. They should be given a chance — an opportunity equal to everyone else’s. We shouldn’t underestimate their capacity, as society views them as marginalized and not equal to the normal person living in a very urbanized place.
Anyhow, by embracing multiculturalism, we dispel these degrading views of minor cultures that are marginalized in society and acknowledge the enormous talent and potential found throughout these cultural communities. With that being said, every person deserves the same amount of respect, decency, and chance as everyone else in society, regardless of their cultural origin. In order to adopt a more inclusive worldview that celebrates diversity and recognizes the distinctive viewpoints and abilities that people from other cultures bring to the table, multiculturalism urges us to go past preconceived assumptions. [13]
Third and last is that, with multiculturalism, we are able to share morals, ideas, viewpoints, and good practices with other cultures that we recognize. A diversity of cultures should not let us be divided and make a hierarchy of who is more privileged and less privileged since every culture is unique and beautiful in its own way. [3]
All things considered, we acknowledge that no culture is superior to or inferior to another by embracing diversity. Every culture provides its own unique history, customs, wisdom, and life experiences, all of which have the potential to deepen our understanding of the world as a whole. We can build a society that cherishes cultural variety and acknowledges the inherent value and beauty in each one by encouraging an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance.
Multiculturalism can be related to Aristotle’s notion of communitarianism, which acknowledges and upholds basic human rights for all individuals and forms the foundation of a just and inclusive society. [10] At the same time, recognizing and accommodating the specific needs and rights of minority communities ensures that their cultural identities and traditions are preserved and respected. This approach not only promotes a sense of belonging and dignity among minorities but also strengthens social cohesion and unity within a broader society.
In reflection of the notion of justice, multiculturalism helps us see through the lens of appreciating distinct cultures. Being a UP student, I observe this since the university is a diverse environment of intellects that were chosen from all over the country. We share different viewpoints, good practices, and stories. This is a good reminder that we ourselves should be connected with others because diversity increases our creativity, our understanding of where they come from, and our ability to build healthy relationships with other people in order to live a good life. The end goal in pursuing justice for everyone is fairness and equality; we should treat others as we want to be treated, as the Golden Rule suggests. [2]
REFERENCES
[1] Eagan, J. (2023) Multiculturalism | Definition, Impact, Challenges, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/multiculturalism/Challenges-to-multiculturalism
[2] Gould, J. (1983). THE GOLDEN RULE. American Journal of Theology & Philosophy, 4(2), 73–79. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27943626
[3] Grant, C. A. (1994). Best practices in teacher preparation for urban schools: Lessons from the multicultural teacher education literature. Action in Teacher Education, 16(3), 1–18.
[4] Heaney, M. T. (2020). PROTEST AT THE CENTER OF AMERICAN POLITICS. Journal of International Affairs, 73(2), 195–208. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26939975
[5] Jaramillo, D. L. (2014). Narcocorridos and newbie drug dealers: the changing image of the Mexican Narco on US television. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 37(9), 1587–1604.
[6] Kaminski, J. (2014). The Islamophobia Industry, Hate, and Its Impact on Muslim Immigrants and OIC State Development. Islamophobia Studies Journal, 2(2), 157–176. https://doi.org/10.13169/islastudj.2.2.0157
[7] Kymlicka, W. (2002). Multiculturalism. In Kymlicka, W., Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction (2nd ed.), pp. 327–376. Oxford University Press.
[8] Rodil, R. (2012). Magpuyong malinawon sa yutang kabilin (Living in peace in their ancestral domain). Asian Studies: Journal on Critical Perspectives on Asia, 48(1–2), 47–54.
[9] Ryberg, J. (2011). Intergenerational Justice, edited by Axel Gosseries and Lukas H. Meyer. Oxford University Press, 2009. ix + 419 pages. Economics and Philosophy. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266267110000520
[10] Sandel, M. J. (2009). Chapter 8: Who Deserves What?/Aristotle. In Sandel, M. J., Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
[11] Schippers, T. (2010). Securing land rights through indigenousness: a case from the Philippine Cordillera highlands. Asian Journal of Social Science, 38(2), 220–238.
[12] Schlosberg, D. (2007). Defining environmental justice : theories, movements, and nature. In Oxford University Press eBooks. http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA81954044
[13] Seglow, J. (2003). Multiculturalism. In R. Bellamy & A. Mason (Eds.), Political concepts (pp. 156–168). Manchester University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt155jbcx.17
