Multiethnic refers to that which encompasses or includes different ethnicities.
Multiethnic is an adjective that is used to refer to that which brings together or encompasses several ethnicities . An ethnicity , meanwhile, is a human group that is formed from cultural, linguistic or racial similarities .
A multiethnic country , in this framework, has inhabitants of different ethnicities . To a greater or lesser extent, all countries are multiethnic due to migratory movements, territorial conquests and other factors. This phenomenon can be seen in the national teams that compete in numerous sports , where the teams are made up of players of different ethnicities.
Coexistence in a multiethnic territory
The multiethnic condition, however, brings challenges in a State . The authorities have the obligation to meet the needs of the various ethnic groups that coexist in the territory, which must be balanced so as not to benefit some to the detriment of others.
There are contrasting visions regarding multiethnicity . While some positions promote integration into a higher unit (such as a national State ), others promote the autonomy of ethnic groups. When there is no cohesion or respect, multiethnic societies tend to register conflicts and may even collapse.
Historical examples
Yugoslavia is commonly mentioned as an example of a multiethnic country that dissolved violently. Among other problems that led to disintegration, there is the confrontation between Serbs, Croats and other peoples who demanded their independence .
Two other cases of multiethnic state were the Soviet Union and the Astro-Hungarian Empire. It is important to note that this concept is usually used illustratively and not as a category of analysis. For this reason, there are no fully defined criteria about the moment at which it is correct to determine that a state becomes multiethnic or the potential consequences of this cultural diversity .
Currently all countries are, to a greater or lesser extent, multiethnic.
Wealth of diversity in a multiethnic environment
It should be noted that a multiethnic State that guarantees the rights of all its ethnic groups has great wealth in its diversity. Heterogeneity can be considered a value that provides benefits in multiple areas. Curiously, it also gives rise to acts of racism that can reach untold levels of violence.
Let's start by analyzing the benefits of a multiethnic environment. Human beings are raised in families, small groups of people in which certain values are maintained and passed from generation to generation. Many of them correspond to those of the society in which they are found, but others are specific to each lineage . As expected, we grow up thinking that "our ideas are correct", and little by little we demystify the impossible perfection of our parents to accept the diversity of ideas.
Variety of looks and ideas
If a country limits the coexistence of people of different races and origins to the maximum, it harms its people by denying them contact with new points of view that could enhance their own. Given that it is an issue of great complexity, much greater than the income of one or two people in a house, governments must treat the issue of immigration very carefully, but not because they consider it a negative concept but because they must ensure that no one compliance with their rights in the process is affected.
On the contrary, countries in which the environment is multiethnic tend to be characterized by a greater variety of ideas, which can have a very positive impact on children. Growing up in a diverse environment makes us more versatile, it prepares us better to deal with unforeseen events because we have the experience of various societies. The richness can also be seen on a linguistic level, since where more than one language is spoken officially, citizens tend to have greater ease in learning others.