Front -- Multiculturalism Observed Exploring Identity -- Brussels University Press -- 1. Introduction: Reflections on Multiculturalism -- Richard Lewis -- The genesis of this volume lies in the heated debate now taking place not only in Europe but in other parts of the world regarding the nature of our societies as a result of migration. We live in a highly mobile world. Two per cent of the wor... -- This has resulted in a retrenchment in political and media circles, pitting 'conservative' thinkers against more radical elements who consider that we have to bow to the inevitable and accept that mobility of populations and especially the po... -- It is entirely legitimate to express concern about identity and what makes British or French or Italian cultures what they are and what they offer to the world. In a sense, the term 'multicultural' is a misnomer because what these short essay... -- Before developing these themes further, it is worth reflecting on what may seem self evident but which needs to be restated. The nation states of Europe, and indeed elsewhere, are the products of their history and geography. There is not one ... -- In the second place the concept of the nation state and its various identities - language, citizenship, passports, national sports - is a modern construct which took its present form as late as the French Revolution. Benedict Anderson in Imag... -- Is there any reason to think, therefore, that this 'limitless future' will produce a steady state of the culture of the nation? Given European history, it is an extremely unlikely outcome. There are, furthermore, political and historical impe...

This discourse leads me to the conclusion that the identity of people and nations runs very deep and causes soul searching and conflict when it is challenged by immigrants or even, as in the case of the Balkan conflicts of the late twentieth ... -- Ignatieff was writing in the context of the Balkan wars but I would like to transpose the important issue he raises into the context of immigration. When, as in Western Europe currently, there is a substantial influx of people with very diffe... -- To put this into focus, what we now have in many parts of Europe are two conflicting phenomena: the economic advantages of immigration to replace a declining native population supported by the majority of the political elite, set against a pe... -- The situation of the Jews in Europe in the aftermath of the horrors of the Holocaust is addressed in an essay by Rabbi David Meyer. However, he does not discuss the success of the Jewish immigrations from Eastern to Western Europe at the end ... -- This was especially true in Germany, which, tragically, did not prevent their annihilation. I would suggest that had it not been for Nazism, they would still be in that position in Europe and that thus there is a lesson to be drawn from the p... -- The question of integration has to be addressed from a number of different aspects. The first is the legal framework under which migrants are admitted to their host countries and the conditions and protection they enjoy there. The situation o... -- However in most cases, once an immigrant is legally admitted, for successful integration individuals should enjoy the same protection of the law as citizens, in particular against racial discrimination or discrimination in the workplace, the ...

The second aspect is that of social support especially in relation to learning the local language, a skill without which integration is virtually impossible. The particular circumstances of women and children especially regarding health may b... -- And the third aspect which needs addressing is the all important area of employment. Making an economic contribution to the host society is the way in which immigrants have a visible stake in that society and where they can begin to feel that... -- None of the foregoing means that what is generally termed 'multiculturalism' is necessarily the solution to immigrant integration issues. It is an expression which embraces a number of concepts. The essays contained in this volume do not, in ... -- The conclusions that I draw are best expressed by the White Paper put forward by the Flemish Community in Belgium in 2005: -- I interpret this abridged analysis as simply reflecting actuality. The certainties of the nation state have been called into question. There are some who deplore this reality but I would advocate reaping its benefits. -- Some authors, for example, Jacobson (1996) have written about "de- territorialised identity and post national citizenship that somehow change the relationship between the citizen and the state". I can understand the reasons for this terminolo... -- The question is often posed to what extent the state should be activist in integrating immigrants? Historically, the United States and Canada have taken two very different approaches to this question, the latter making a far greater conscious... -- The authors of the essays in this volume have addressed many of the issues that I have raised especially from a historical and cultural perspective. The subject is virtually inexhaustible on a number of different planes. Aristide Zolberg's to...

Zolberg analyses the work of Richard Alba and Victor Nee and its relevance to the European situation. He agrees with Alba's thesis that the receiving populations impose a social distinction with immigrants along the lines of religion, populat... -- Zolberg believes that it is vital to keep in mind that integration is a two way process involving adjustments on both sides and that a reasonable and just balance needs to be achieved. This is certainly the common sense approach. It is, in my... -- Marco Martiniello takes as his theme what he calls "the diversification of diversities" described in the American context by the historian David Hollinger. He notes that the EU has its own sub-cultures (Catalonia, the Basques, the Corsicans f... -- I agree with Martiniello's viewpoint.The reasoning is that there are obviously substantial variations in the culture, religion and physiognomy of the people in the current 25 Member States including approximately 15 million Muslim citizens. T... -- Martiniello poses the question whether the state or the supranational EU should intervene in the management of cultural diversity and integration? Some argue for an interventionist approach, others that the state is in retreat and should rema... -- Howard Duncan highlights and applauds the shift of Europeans from denial to acceptance of the fact that immigration is a phenomenon that is desirable. I think that this is largely true of the political elite but is not a valid comment on the ... -- Duncan describes the difference between his own country Canada and that of the United States which has a laissez-faire attitude to migrant integration. This works in the US because of the vibrant economy and the philanthropic tradition of the...

Howard Duncan enumerates the essentials for a successful integration policy such as equality of all before the law, non-discrimination in access to employment, housing and other social services. Less obvious are setting conditions for the imm... -- Duncan undertakes an illuminating discussion of the notion of social capital. If "the good life" to which immigrants aspire is in short supply (as perceived by some people), then why should one welcome immigrants at all? He considers that soc... -- Howard Duncan also notes that multiculturalism has been the dominant conceptual framework for integration in the post war years (especially, but not only, in Canada). However, it is now coming under scrutiny for its failure to deliver a genui... -- Geoffrey Van Orden has taken a radically different viewpoint. He believes that any discussion of multiculturalism cannot be divorced from issues of nationhood and national identity. He says that the very openness of our democratic societies h... -- I think that Geoffrey Van Orden makes a number of valid points in his analysis of what constitutes a nation - a common history and common interests. Equally valid is his wish to retain a distinct national identity. Or as Ernest Renan put it i... -- However, the issue is not just the intangibles that make up a national identity, but of hard economic and political realities. Countries like Britain and France have inherited a colonial legacy of their own making and, like slavery in the Uni... -- Van Orden discusses what he calls "the immigration industry" which includes the civil service, non-governmental organisations (often funded by national governments or the EU) and the substantial number of lawyers dedicated to the interests of...

If I do not wholly acquiesce in Geoffrey Van Orden's arguments, I nevertheless understand his valid concerns for national traditions and identity and for his stance in proposing countervailing arguments on a theme which is often sensitive and...