From Multiculture To Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism has been a hot issue in academic circles for the last two decadesboth in China and in Western countries, especially in the United States, Canada andthe UK. In fact, research work on it in China began with the introduction of the notionfrom Western publications. Scholars in the mainland have done a marvelous job onthis subject in recent years, with some ever broader and more profound researchresults. Introduction of foreign resources and importation of foreign works continue,which has brought late comers in this field great feats to enjoy and a large burden toshoulder. Happiness lies in the process of the appreciation of the published works,while anxiety comes now and again when a green hand tries to write something new.This has happened to the author of this small piece of thesis. Here is what this thesis ismainly about.With a brief review of major academic works on multiculturalism in Chinesejournals and papers, and a short one of Western publications on the same subject, thispaper begins by drawing history as a weapon for analysis, namely, analyzing themulticultural history of American society from even before the land was namedAmerica, showing that the society on the land has always been a multicultural one,which has in fact been the social and ethnic foundation of multiculturalism. Then adiscussion of social movements and government policies explains howmulticulturalism gradually came about and expanded to different social fields. Thelast major part of the paper is set to discuss the most influential schools ofmulticulturalism and their significances. Finally a summary is done with sometentative propositions concerning multiculturalism in the present society. It is almostalways hoped that by learning about others we could do better and be better, which isalso a humble hope for this paper.