Multiculturalism Equals Marginalization From The Perspective Of Culture And Identity?

As a trend of thought, Multiculturalism emerged in the United States in last century. Thanks to a series of social movements, such as Feminist Movement, Civil Rights Movement, and so on, it reached its climax in the 60's, and spread its universal influence to all fields of America. Due to its advocacy of espousing equality between the main streams and the ethnic minorities as well as women, the multicultural ideologies were soon obtained populace and approval among the weak, and even receive support from the part of intellectuals as well as commoners in the dominant group. Under the influence of the multicultural ideology, people began to retrospect the traditional American culture embodied by Melting Pot, and strove to redefine the American society with the idea of Salad Bowl.The special historical background of the United States requires the founding fathers of the country to put the amalgamation of the diversified ethnicities as well as the unification of the state in the first place, then the thought of Melting Pot is thereafter fostered, accepted among the citizens, and reflected in the letters and the works of the French immigrant, de Crevecoeur as well as the great thinker of the United States, Emerson. At the end of 19^th century, a play written by a Russian Immigrant, Zangwill offers the phrase—Melting Pot the opportunity for the first debut in front of the world. Since then, as the symbol of American culture, Melting Pot shoulders the responsibility of defending integrity of American culture internally, and propagandizing the image of the country externally. As time passes by, the meaning of Melting Pot, however, degrades gradually, from the original...