Re: civil rights/60s/Multiculturalism

Candida Ellis (cellis@uclink.berkeley.edu)
Fri, 10 May 1996 23:28:50 -0400

Andi (are we twinned somewhere?) asks if I cannot see that the benefits
of multiculturalism relate to its exposure of the melting pot idea and
its subsequent absorption of difference into the universal standard.
Gosh, Andi, I thought that's what I said. . . .

My objections to multiculturalism stem not from its recognition of real
divisions; it stems from its failure to ground its ideology of difference
in differences that shape most of our lives, e.g., economic. I say
GROUND because I do not mean to imply that cultural differences are
irrelevant in any sense, but that resistance (which is what I think
multicultural agendas ought to be about and too often are not) ought to
incorporate resistance to the forces that flatten peoples lives into the
vanilla shape that makes subservience to oppressive ideologies (indeed,
incorporation of those ideologies; the worst racism among peoples of
color is not anti-white, it's anti-self) automatic.

Candi Ellis