In the month of July, just before starting to pack for our summer destinations, the Culture Working Group members found time for an online discussion of a controversial title: “Multiculturalism is Dead”. True? False? There we were: Carlijn, Dóra, Sergio, Özgün and Alexandra, trying to find an explanation to this statement, and to share our own thoughts, based on personal study and experience. These are the conclusions we reached…
On instinct all of us would have denied this statement. Multiculturalism is more alive than ever. Historically speaking, it is a recent issue, started only in the past couple of decades, with more and more people immigrating in search of work and study opportunities. Moreover, in some countries, for example Central and Eastern Europe, multiculturalism is not even born yet, as those countries have not (yet) been targeted by immigrants, or at least not to a big extent.
Lack of interest, perceived superiority, or just fear? Is multiculturalism something to be feared?
In many countries, people are more and more faced with multiculturalism, and they may not know how to deal with it yet. As a first reaction, we could accuse some people or even nations of acting superior in front of the “others” and their cultures, but it is, in fact, just a matter of familiarity. We all know there are many people who are afraid of the “others”, sometimes in spite of professing the opposite, for the sake of political correctness. Afraid of the unfamiliar, or afraid of the other’s culture being a threat to their own culture. But sometimes, exactly the opposite happens, and, while living together and interacting with the “other”, people will actually start being even more aware and appreciative of their own culture, even if they learn and apply some aspects of the new culture. Knowledge and open-mindedness makes us more aware of cultural similarities and differences.
Integrating into a new culture…
Some countries seem to be rather welcoming, whilst others struggle with the immigrant wave. Prejudices can deal with race, religion, or from the belief that foreigners came to steal the native people’s jobs. Unfortunately, in some cases, immigration is associated with negative news, such as criminality. Although immigration procedures in some countries tend to be quite strict, or unfair to the wrong people, it always seems that the really dangerous people manage to escape formal practices. From the cultural point of view, emphasis should be placed upon re-constructing a positive image of nations, by making people aware of the enrichment brought about by immigrants.
However, in some places, integration is conditional, depending upon the assimilation of the hosts’ culture by immigrants. The examples given were those of Spain and Italy, where your level of integration would depend on facts such as your educational and social background, practising the local culture and speaking the national language. The latter two factors are very powerful, and are seen as a proof of respect towards your “adopting nation”.
Of course, there are situations when a person finds it impossible to adapt to the new culture. It depends on the already existing mentality and personality, but also on the level of difference between the culture of origin and the one of adoption. We also mentioned the example of the people who find themselves in a different country, against their will, just to escape a dangerous or uncomfortable situation in their home countries. These people will most probably be less willing to understand and integrate themselves into the new culture.
Is AEGEE a multicultural organization?
It definitely is, because, when we enter it, we already enter it with an open mind and an open heart. And, most of all, we get to know each other, first and foremost, as people, and the fear of the “other” vanishes as soon as you get to know them as a person.
So, what are the solutions?
We agreed that improving the education systems and constantly generating awareness are the answers to this problem. What if Intercultural Communication became a subject taught in school, not just in university? Children could start learning about multiculturalism from an early age, first by playing, or with the help of books for children, showing pictures and information about other countries and nations, or reading international fairy tales. Later on, in adulthood, there should be more exchange programmes between schools or even companies, on international levels, and more social enterprises promoting intercultural communication.
Multiculturalism is an emerging issue, and learning about it is a continuous, life-long process. It has been alive for a long time now, and people need an open mind and a permanent commitment to discover, accept and respect the “other”. We don’t pretend to change the world in a short time, but, step by step, this world can become a better, multicultural place.
Written by Alexanda Vilcu, AEGEE-Milano & Culture Working Group