Was wondering how multi-cultural people think Australia really is? Sitting around the campfire I thought that there are a lot of different cultures represented and perhaps this is enough to fall under that umbrella, but the way people say it they seem to think that we are culturally diversified. I don't think we are. All through high school and university ethnic groups, whities are an ethnic group too ;-), would hang-out with each other. There were exceptions, but in the real sense of the word. Thoughts?
Are you confusing 'multiculturalism' with 'assimilation?'
Multiculturalism as I understand it is where people can be culturally different and live in harmony with each other. I think that multiculturalism, if done properly, is a temporary thing, because after a couple of generations the cultural differences blur, and the society becomes more .
I think Aus is very multicultural. We've been doing it for a long time.
Already, the children of the post war European immigrants are becoming indistinguishable from their Anglo neighbours. (They mightn't think so, but I believe it's the case.)
The problems happen when there's a policy of 'assimilation.' This just causes friction and encourages the ethic minorities to isolate themselves in the community.
So, it's a bit of a contradiction. If you want people to eventually 'assimilate,' then practice 'multiculturalism.' If you force 'assimilation,' it's likely that the process will be delayed or not happen at all.
I'm not so convinced. One of the first immigration laws this country passed was to limit the number of Chinese coming for gold, and we haven't got a whole lot better. Europe is so closely packed that assimilation was always inevitable in some sense, but I'm more concerned with other ethnic groups, as well as 'white Australians' who are quite clan centric in themselves.