Teeterigng on the Edge of Xenophism

Cheers

Most african languages have their own words for white people, Toubab, Dogonyaro, Oyinbo are some that I am aware of.

None of these are derogatory though.

I do mean multi-culture rather than simple ethnicity, although I appreciate there is an overlap. Multiculturalism is a pretty ill-defined term anyway, and edging towards a better definition is half the point of this site!

Its a very interesting point you raise about the ‘success’ of a culture. Clearly sucess is a subjective thing, as is the evolution of the culture in a ‘positive’ way.

I have to disagree though.
I think many people confuse multi-culturalism with multi-ethnicity. They are two very different things.

I don’t believe there is any country that demonstrates the success of multiculturalism.
On the other hand, multi-ethnicity as derived from the US model, to a large extent works. Everybody subscribes to The American Way. Whether you’re Afro-American, Mexican-American, etc.

Where you have a dominant culture, it may be influenced by other cultures which are not in conflict with it. It can (and must) not accomodate any culture which has views that are opposed to its success.

In Nigeria, where we have alot multi-culturalism, some of it caused by the British, some of it pre-existing their arrival.
It has caused nothing but trouble.
There are ethnic groups living amongst each other, physically and linguistically indistinguishable, who’ve been fighting for hundreds of years.

As an African, I think it is important to stress that we view all of the English-speaking Western World as being “English”. This includes Australia, Canada and the US. The Scots, Welsh and Irish are merely “English” regions with their own accents like Mancunians and Liverpudlians.

You’d be shocked at the number of Africans who think London is in the US!

I am fairly sure that Dr. Sentamu’s use of the word English is a semantic misnomer. When he talks about “English” culture, he really means the culture of English-speaking west.

In Yoruba, the word for Englishman is also the same word for White man.
When Yoruba’s speak English as a 2nd or 3rd language, they frequently refer to white peopole, be they French, Italian, American or Spanish as being “English”.

It would only be baffling (as far as I can see) to someone who saw the motives of anti-multiculturalists as being randomly and bafflingly anti-Middle East, just for the sake of it. Personally, I think that’s rather a simplistic way of looking at the issue, even if it is quite understandable. I think the racist element is a symptom rather than a cause of anti-diversity.

I don’t think it gripes anyone in york that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, that’s one fact that gets trotted out proudly every year, you don’t see anyone trying to cover it up or anything, do you, even when people were painting Jesus as a white european.

It is not because things are from the Middle East that some people object to them (cf ‘the Christian roots’). but because they threaten and undermine people’s feeling of belonging and security in their historically derived (and comfortable?) way of life. When people get defensive, it’s because they’re frightened. If we’re not prepared to try and understand that, then I don’t think we’re going to overcome it terribly well.

And FWIW, I think the real threat to british society (and to the Palestinians) is domination full stop, regardless of the dominating ones’ abilities. And one thing that makes domination impossible is empathy. It’s a great shame its in such short supply.