Press Release

By Elizabeth Pathy Salett
President, National MultiCultural Institute*
Washington, DC
May 14, 2004

It is unfortunate that Comptroller William Donald Schaefer, and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. decided to vent their frustrations on immigrants with limited English proficiency, and on a distorted definition of multiculturalism. As politicians responsible for a State with an increasingly diverse population, they should be looking at how to harness the energy of a multicultural population rather than disparaging a group of immigrants who are working to support themselves and their community.

Let’s start by getting something straight. English is the first and major language of commerce, education and government in this country. There is no dispute with that and no move to change it. We know from research on the subject that immigrants want to learn English and understand that they need it to succeed in this country. If there were more English classes available, more people would learn it faster. In the past as in the present, immigrants often come here not speaking the language. But in time, the vast majority of immigrants learn English and in fact, speak it as their first language. Multiculturalism, clearly, does not mean that people don't have to learn English.

I, for one, am very pleased that we have a growing reservoir of people speaking different languages. In a time of growing globalization, having people who speak several languages is an enormous asset and not a detriment.

But the bigger issue with Governor Ehrlich's statement that multiculturalism is "bunk" and "crap" is a total misconception of multiculturalism. First, to state the obvious: we are a multicultural nation and always have been. When Montgomery County schools have students from 138 nations, it's hard not to recognize that we are multicultural and it makes no sense to deny it, as it's not going away.

Critics of multiculturalism have not only mis-used the language issue, but also make other claims that are inaccurate and misleading. They believe that multiculturalism is a threat to this nation and that it supports a political agenda to dismember and divide us into warring, conflicting groups. They claim that it represents a monolithic, politically correct set of beliefs that includes white male bashing, and cultural relativism that accepts all practices from all societies. They also claim that it serves to nurture a sense of ethnic grievance and victimization among ethnic minorities; and that it encourages racial and ethnic groups to maintain their identities and emphasize differences rather than commonalities. These claims are scare tactics to discredit the changes taking place in our society.

The U.S. has been dealing with issues of multiculturalism since its inception, just under different names. What is new is that more groups are seeking an opportunity to participate in what has been a mostly white and exclusive vision for this country while not having to deny their own experiences and identity.

Group identity is also not a new concept.. One hundred and twenty-five years ago, German was the second most common language in the United States, and people with names like Ehrlich and Schaefer probably got most of their news and views from some of the hundreds of German language newspapers. Then too, there were unwarranted fears that we were a culturally divided country. Then too, shortsighted politicians failed to see the greatness in our American experience.

So how do we define multiculturalism?

I think it is an acknowledgment that the U.S. is a very diverse nation whose history and political philosophy make us both exceedingly proud and unabashedly ashamed. It does not assume that any cultural tradition is ideal or perfect. Racism and homophobia embedded in Western culture can be as destructive as genital mutilation or domestic abuse in other cultures. But there is no denying that we are a people drawn from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, speaking many different languages, and following diverse religious and cultural traditions.

Multiculturalism, in my view, looks to the equitable participation of all individuals in our society. It assumes that our society can be both unified and diverse, that we can be proud of our heritage and individual group identity, while at the same time working together on common goals. It is a reciprocal process, one where we each learn to understand and respect one another while supporting democratic principles and a shared value system.

Those of us who believe that we are richer and stronger because of the diversity in our nation must not allow the misinterpretation of multiculturalism to shape the dialogue. That would not bode well for the future.