Ethnic Diversity

Ethnic diversity, also known as multiculturalism, is the acceptance and promotion of multiple traditions within society. Many believe that the promotion of ethnic diversity creates a more tolerant and open society, one that respects different viewpoints based on cultural identity. Ironically, ethnic diversity in a society is often the legacy of conquest, as one ethnic group achieved hegemony over other groups, but other forms of ethnic diversity, such as the United States, are also the result of assimilation of various immigrant groups.

Ethnic diversity in society results in pluralism, the view that power in a society should be dispersed among various groups, and not restricted to one single monoculture. The United States today, it can be argued, is caught in the struggle between an emerging pluralism, and an increasingly marginalized former majority. The United States is poised to become a majority minority society, in which the collection of ethnic and racial minorities outnumber whites. Many believe that the rising popularity of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race is the result of a reaction against ethnic diversity.

It was, however, the nation of Canada that first officially espoused ethnic diversity, as the result of both its large Francophone minority and its significant First Nation population. Multiculturalism became official Canadian policy in 1971, followed two years later in Australia. The United States continues to not have official policies regarding ethnic diversity, despite its reality across the nation.