The concept of multiculturalism seemed fishy to me from the very beginning. Multiculturalism, not multi-ethnicity – the latter can be experienced almost everywhere nowadays.
Being a linguist, I am aware of the fact that influences are imported from one language to another. But, there must be a language to import influences to. Language is like a game. When you play bridge, chess, football you do not change the rules while playing. A word like “see” cannot be interpreted as German when you play the English game. And a culture, just like a language, evolves, which presupposes that there is something there to evolve in the first place. Well willing multiculturalists are not aware of the logical fallacy in statements like:
“Chinese, Japanese, Ukrainians, Poles you name it, were all considered undesirable in their day. Yet they were absorbed, and many of the cultural elements they brought with them enriched, rather than diluted ours.”
This “ours” is exactly the “American game”. It can be enriched or diluted because it is there in the first place. USA is not a multiculture of Chinese, Japanese, Ukrainian, Polish, and American cultures. Instead it is an American culture, which, when acquired by people from other cultures, can become modified by these people over time.
The existence of American culture is normally not denied, and immigrants aspire to become American. It is radically different in Sweden. Some neoliberals here say that there is no such thing as Swedish culture. Newcomers have a legally granted right to cherish their own language and culture. They are not obliged to learn Swedish, they get an interpreter free of charge whenever they need, their children get classes of their mother tongue at Swedish schools. Swedes are taught that nationalism is for nazis, and one should not get any pride in being Swedish. Hence, no incentive to aspire to be Swedish – nothing to aspire to!
Being Polish immigrant in Sweden I am painfully aware how hard it is to become genuinely acquainted with one culture only, not to mention many cultures. After more than 30 years in Sweden I am still hesitant about some cultural codes here. The doctrine of multiculturalism absolves immigrants from the effort to acquire the new language and culture. And what kind of democracy can they build when they cannot truly participate in the communication of the nation they live in?
Multiculturalist are actually ignorant about other cultures. They take it for granted that all cultures are simply like their own. A former Minister of Environment Åsa Romson once said that for an immigrant to become Swedish it is enough to be on a Swedish public transportation. If multiculturalists did not flee immigrant ghettos they could get a chance to learn some of the “multicultures” there.
Theresa May pointed out this problem: “If you are citizen of the world then you are citizen of nowhere”. If you are a multiculturalist you do not contribute to any culture, language or democracy, because there is no multiculture.
Unless you are very rich and your goal is globalisation …
… and the Tower of Babel:
Here is my “tricultural” song. In order to understand it you need to know English, Polish and Swedish.
Szwecjo ależ my cię love you, du som zawsze taka safe. Great utmaning czeka nas tu. Vem zostanie? Bara brave.
