According to the latest edition of the State of the Nation survey, a quarter of all Maltese say they are very uncomfortable with multiculturalism.
As reported in this newspaper, the survey reflects our mixed reaction to the country’s changing demographics where we are becoming overpopulated due to large numbers of foreign workers.
To try and understand why a substantial percentage of Maltese are uncomfortable with multiculturalism, we need to define what is meant by multiculturalism and see how it affects our national identity.
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Multiculturalism seeks the inclusion of the views and contributions of diverse members of society while maintaining respect for their differences and withholding the demand for their assimilation into the dominant culture”.
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana asserts, in an interview in this paper (June 30), that our economy is “labour intensive”. This means we need to invite foreign workers into our country for our economy to remain stable. We are realising, though, that many of these foreign workers are third country nationals, and, since they bring with them their own cultures and traditions, they are bound to have an impact on our national identity.
For most Maltese, dealing with people of different cultures on an everyday basis in all sectors of businesses and services makes us question our identity.
Geoffrey Brahm Levey, in Griffith Review, in an article entitled ‘National Identity and Diversity’, argues on the need to preserve one’s national identity in a multicultural society. He states: “National identity in its deepest sense of national character and most pervasive sense of a national culture remains vital and shapes the life of the polity and of society. It shouldn’t be denied, disparaged or eviscerated by reducing it to political values.”
Our traditions, culture and religion are part and parcel of our being Maltese, and so it is natural for one to feel a bit insecure when our very identity is being challenged, even in an unconscious and obscure way.
We are, as a nation, passing through a transitional period. We need to reflect well on the changes that this influx of foreign workers is bound to bring about in our society. We are one of the most densely populated countries in Europe and there is a need to control the number and kind of workers who come to work here.
As a nation, we are passing through a transitional period- Ray Azzopardi
National identity is not an ideology that one should adhere to unconditionally. Our society today is more pluralistic, and it is obvious that the lifestyles, beliefs and culture of the younger generation differ from the older generation. Human beings are not static beings. We grow, evolve and change as the world around us is continually changing. So when we speak about national identity we need to address it in such a context, realising that we affect and are affected by those with whom we interact.
Brahm Levey in the article referred to above, says: “The mistake is in thinking that (national identity) must be defined. This isn’t the case. It is always a work in progress. It unfolds and changes, driven by everyday human interaction. And it is not the business of government or politicians to complete the definition of what it means to be Australian.” (Here, the author is referring to his home country.)
In his book Thoughts on Politics and Society, Pope Francis, when speaking about tradition, expresses the same sentiments. He states: “The principles of tradition don’t change, the essence doesn’t change, but it grows, it evolves.” The pontiff goes on to assert that “tradition, when it becomes an ideology, is no longer tradition. It is no longer alive”.
So while we need to preserve and treasure those characteristics that make up our identity, like language, culture and religion, we also need to allow space for our identity to evolve and be enriched by interacting with people of other cultures.
The editorial of this newspaper (July 2), when commenting about the survey on multiculturalism, states: “It is debate that leads to greater convergence of what the issues are. If there is laissez-faire instead of policy, we should not be surprised if that is reflected in widely divergent understandings of what multiculturalism and its consequences are.”
Debate and dialogue are essential for a coherent policy on multiculturalism, as the editor suggests. The pope, when speaking about tradition, asserts: “Dialogue makes us grow. If we don’t engage in dialogue we can’t grow, we remain closed, small. I can’t just walk with blinkers on, I have to watch and engage in dialogue.”
So not to allow multiculturalism “dilute our cultural and ethnic values”, as one online commentator remarked, when formulating a policy, we need to reach a balance between those characteristics that embody a multicultural society, like a sense of belonging and recognition, and those traits that help us preserve and treasure our national identity, like language, culture and religion.
Ray Azzopardi is a former headmaster.