Multiculturalism: integration or segregation

Interestingly, I am writing this blog post in a game and hobby store in Loganlea, Queensland, because my friend forgot to drop me off at the train station. Right now, they are playing some games with miniatures. Gathering and playing games in person may have become a practice, a tradition or a culture for them.

As a foreigner in Australia, I experience many different cultures here. To me, Australia is a multicultural country and I feel like differences are welcome. If we look at the 2016 Census, 33.3% of Australian residents were actually born outside Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2019).

I always wonder: should different cultures integrate or segregate to achieve “real” multiculturalism?

(How) To integrate? For many global businesses, when they expand their businesses to a new country (globalisation), they usually consider the local cultures and main religions (localisation) - it is also known as glocalisation.

Famous fast-food chains including McDonald’s, KFC, Domino’s, Taco Bell and Subway have adapted new menus and recipes to the cultures and religions of different countries (Stern, 2010).

(How) To segregate (When not to integrate)? Sometimes, I find it funny or awkward when I go to an Asian festival where bands are playing Western pop music.

I think it is fine to embrace different cultures but if it is a “festival” for a specific culture, we should focus on that.

Instead of putting different cultures into a cultural festival, leaving it alone for celebration or recognition seems to be a more appropriate and respectful way.

So... how to strike a balance? I do stress that all cultures should exist harmoniously. If a new culture is brought in, we should consider the existing cultures to avoid further serious conflicts. However, when one is being embraced/celebrated/practised, I do not think that it is a good idea to blend in various cultures to try to make one fit two or more.

Then, it comes to another question: what do we really need to do to preserve the value of a culture in a multicultural environment. It may be another topic for a blog post.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2019). 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved from https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/036?opendocument

Stern, S. (2010, April 8). Fast-food chains adapt to local tastes. CNN International. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/