Multiculturalism and the Challenges Faced by Minority Groups

Students’ Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Multiculturalism
The structures of race, class, ethnicity, and gender have greatly influenced my cultural identity and the opportunities I have compared to other cultural groups. As a male Chinese living in a multicultural society, I am aware that I may be in an advantageous position in the society compared to some social groups, and also other groups may be more poised to better life and well-being compared to my group. Based on course materials by Stuart Hall, Will Kymlicka, and Paul Dumouchel, I reflect in this paper how my position in a multicultural society influences my perspective on multiculturalism.
I aspire to live in a society where my race and gender neither determine my position in society nor how I am treated by other people. However, I have come to accept the reality that a world without the “us” versus “others” structures and systems is quite impossible. As noted by Hall, “Discourses don’t change. They go on unfolding, changing shape, as they make sense of new circumstances” (p.221). Take the case of racism against Blacks for example. While it was characterized in the past by enslavement in agricultural farms, in the modern-day, it is embedded in the institutions. While unlike Blacks I get the opportunity to be perceived as a “model minority,” I have also been a victim of racist remarks. In 2020 where the COVID-19 turned upside down the lives of many, the US president kept referring to the virus as “Chinese virus.” The assertions impacted how my friends and I were perceived in the wake of the pandemic. I also happen to have read about the experiences of other Asian people who experienced racism during the COVID-19 pandemic ...