Multiculturalism and Assimilation

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with assimilation.
The multicultural notion of the melting pot is contradictory to assimilation. The notion of the melting pot as defined by multiculturalism is the idea that the national identity of a nation, like America, is defined by the dynamic and varied cultures that live there. All the cultures equally contribute to the identity of the nation. By encouraging such a definition of national identity, multiculturalism while placing equal value on all cultures, also undermines the development of ethnic minorities in their host country. As Ronald Skeldon argues in "Multiculturalism to Diaspora" "Multiculturalism, by officially endorsing cultural differences, may unintentionally reinforce the linkages back to areas of origin and weaken the development of ties at destination"(Skeldon). It follows then, that the multicultural ideology that views all cultures as equal, and the melting pot notion that comes out of it, actually undermines the success of immigrants in their ...

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