Arts and Humanities Commons^™

What Lies Beneath? Contemporary Notions Of Multiculturalism And Their Impact On Irish And American Immigrant Communities, Amanda Nelson

American Studies Honors Projects

This thesis explores the contested contemporary political and social uses of the term "multiculturalism" in American and Irish rhetoric and public policy, and interrogates how its multiple uses have influenced immigration law and created tensions among immigrant enclaves and communities in both countries. The concept of multiculturalism is an overused explanation for massive waves of immigration and the various multi-ethnic and multi-national communities that inhabit local and global communities. Many individuals assume multiculturalism's popularity in contemporary discourse is a positive indication of less racist and more culturally inclusive societies. The term is often treated as a political and/or social agenda …