Multiculturalism is the ideological ocean that several theorists in the United States concerned with a wide range of issues may eventually have to cross, from immigration policy, conflict resolution, and international law; to archaeological research and educational policy. Multiculturalism waives the flag of intercultural exchange and understanding. As the term "multiculturalism" implies, a variety of cultures are allowed to co-exist, if not form the sine qua non of what it means to exist as a human being.
In a seemingly paradoxical but in fact quite rational order, multiculturalism becomes the long sought after Golden Fleece of our sometimes elusive balance between the rights of the majority, and those of minorities. Once acknowledged as a movement in its own right, multiculturalism offers a parallel bridge for diverse groups of people to live under a democratic regime without falling in the cataclysmic river of absolutist rule below.
In the United States, multiculturalism is couched inside legal, political and psychological "protective shields" that make it more than just a theory of social existence. Thus based on legal decisions handed down by the United States Supreme Court, which are in turn based on the court's interpretations of the Federal Constitution, minority ethnic or cultural groups may not be unreasonably discriminated against. This legal protection gives such groups the opportunity to coexist with all their rights intact even if a real or hypothetical "majority" were to prefer that they do not.
Our attitudes toward multiculturalism have been shaped by a multitude of court cases, and legislation, passed by Congress in response to the civil rights movement. Several of these cases and laws have also shaped educational policy, such as those that led to desegregation (protection extended to racial minorities), bilingual education (linguistic minorities), mainstreaming (students with disabilities), and Title IX (gender protection)...........
