When someone talks about multiculturalism, a lot of people think "uh oh". The far right loathes multiculturalism while the far left embraces it. In this take, I'll be giving my personal opinion on this topic. Since I am independent when it comes to politics, you'll see that my views on multiculturalism are moderate/centrist.
1.) The concept of multiculturalism has been practiced for thousands of years
Archaelogical findings have shown that humans of different cultures have been interacting with each other and even living together. The Tarim mummies are the most recent discovery that indicates a group of Asians and a group of Europeans may have lived together at some point. The mummies have been proven to have both East Asian and Caucasian DNA.
2.) Certain countries can make multiculturalism work
Countries like Australia (questionable), New Zealand, South Africa and countries in the Americas are multicultural countries. They've been able to be make it work, yes there is still room for improvement but eventually it should work out as a result of various cultures interacting with each other.
3.) Non diverse countries might not be able to make multiculturalism work
Countries like Germany, Japan, Finland, Sweden, etc might not be able to make multiculturalism work because countries like that already have people who are native to those countries. The natives of those countries might feel that their countries are being invaded and that they are being pushed aside. This is where nationalism comes into play.
4.) Nationalism, Patriotism and taboo
Nowadays when people hear the word nationalist, people think "neo nazis". The reason for this is because actual neo nazis use nationalism to suit their ideologies. What many people seem to forget is that nationalism predates the third reich. It even was even viewed as a good thing because it was the cure to communism. It was the only thing that could stop the spread of communism. Ever since WWII ended, nationalism has been associated with tyranny, nazism and evil. It's anti communism stance has never changed though. If nationalism stops being associated with nazism and bigotry, then perhaps nationalism would be embraced by more people.
Neo nazi nationalists don't want any kind of foreign presence or influence in their countries. Some of the more extremist neo nazis might even be violent towards outsiders. While the other neo nazis might not cause physical harm but they'll openly express their xenophobic views.
There are still some authentic nationalists who aren't neo nazis but unfortunately for them, they are rare. The traditional nationalists(authentic nationalists) simply want to prevent their countries from being overran by waves of undocumented outsiders, they don't have a problem with tourists or foreigners who live there legally and obey the laws, they also oppose communism and radical liberalism. Authentic nationalists don't hold any neo nazi or racist views.
patriotism, is technically almost the same but it doesn't have the same amount of taboo as nationalism because patriotism isn't associated with nazism and imperialism and because Charles De Gaulle associated nationalism with xenophobia while associating patriotism with love of one's own people. But authentic nationalism is neither National socialist or communist in nature.
5.) America is a land of immigrants
My birth country is a large country that is made of people that literally come from all over the world. We are the most diverse nation on Earth. Even though there is currently some social termoil going on, we weren't always like this which means America can still become United again. The other thing is that most of us Americans are of mixed ancestry. Even those that think they are "pure" may still be of mixed ancestry. I have a friend who looks like a Scandinavian, he has blond hair, blue eyes Caucasian facial structure and pale skin. His DNA test and his family history show that he also has native American ancestors.
Also, as a result of so many cultures being blended into one here in America, throughout American history each culture has contributed to the development of America. Sure, the Anglo Saxons(British) may have founded the United States of America which means they had more time to contribute to the development of the US. However, many other immigrants also helped shape America such as other European people, East Asians, African Americans and Hispanics. This is why multiculturalism in America can succeed in the long run.
6.) What happened to the native Americans?
Everyone knows the conflicts between the native Americans and the Anglo Saxons and how it impacted Native American culture. Nowadays Native Americans mostly live on reservations while others successfully integrated into American society. It's well known that a lot of casinos are owned by native Americans. You might see native Americans in public but perhaps you'll mistake them as Latin Americans or Asian-Americans. Lastly, interracial marriage also means that a lot of Americans are of part Native American ancestry as I mentioned above.
7.) Interracial romance
I personally think interracial romance is a beautiful thing, it's been practiced for many years. However, I don't think it should be forced onto people. If a person doesn't want to date outside of their race or ethnic group, then just let the person stick to their own. Likewise, if a person wants to date outside of their race or ethnic group then let them date outside of their race or ethnic group.
Summary
I think only a few countries can make multiculturalism work, such as New Zealand, Australia(questionable), South Africa and countries in the Americas(US, Canada, Mexico etc).
Non diverse countries(Germany, Japan, England, Sweden etc)might not be able to make it work. While tourists can still visit and some foreigners who legally live there might be able to integrate into those societies, those countries will probably never be able to be multicultural because those countries are home to specific ethnicities. Forced multiculturalism have also caused the rise of nationalism in these non diverse countries.
In general, I personally don't think there is anything wrong with multiculturalism but as I've said, I think it can only work in certain countries.
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