Multicultural

The United States is increasingly becoming a multicultural society. Multicultural can mean many things and has many applications – ranging from race, ethnicity and even religion to how someone identifies him- or herself and the lifestyles that people adopt. Multicultural broadly includes the population of people who do not identify as non-Hispanic white. Major segments of the multicultural population include Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans.

“Other” categories of multicultural people as classified by the U.S. Census Bureau include individuals who identify as Black or Asian in combination with another race, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, or some other race.

In many sectors, multiculturalism refers to acceptance of others’ ethnic, racial or religious attributes. In short, it’s another way of saying ethnic diversity. Multicultural studies and policies have become more common in educational settings, particularly colleges and universities. American society used to be characterized by its “melting pot” nature; that is, people from different walks of life blended to become “American”; they assimilated.

Multiculturalism instead recognizes and even celebrates differences among people living under the same country’s roof. It is not embraced – critics contend that losing a national identity can be bad for a nation, and that it’s an impractical construct. That is to say, a society cannot hold together if it is bound to honor differences.

Nevertheless, multiculturalism plays an important role in U.S. consumer markets. Advertisers and brand managers routinely portray and emphasize cultural differences when pitching products – albeit all within the framework of an American lifestyle.