Multiculturalism is here:

...Immigrants should learn English, for it will remain the lanand the laborers are certainly worth their hire...

...any notion of a substantive common good...

...PATRICK JORDAN California, this only means one thing: that English is no longer the official language of the state of California...

...But it does not born human life as at least equal in digment of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to necessarily follow, as Time magazine re- nity to the lives of all the animals, large replace him has Court watchers off and ports (October 4, 1993), that she will cast and small (from whales to sea lion pups), running looking for clever things to say a decisive vote in National Organization that they seek to protect...

...of civil disobedience such as those engaged enable them to predict the outcome of the One does not have to agree with Oper- in by Operation Rescue could have disCourt's docket...

...for constituting a common ground among dif- The majority of the parish and 90 percent of the youth in referent cultural groups...

...Multiculturalism for an increasing number of Americans coordinated the Saint Jerome's Multicultural Relations is not a cause, fad, or theory but a lived reality...

...in order to be an American...

...When people are treated with dignity, given a in Spanish instead of English...

...riots commented: "We may evening...

...Saint MULTICULTURALISM IS HERE Jerome's Parish, where I have been facilitating multicultural SO ENJOY IT relations, has Masses in Spanish, Vietnamese, and English...

...to deal with multiple cultures, but how...

...or one must maintain that our culThe initiatives of one parish are hardly instructive for secu- tural identities are so diverse and autonomous that the best we lar political communities whose constitutive groups are much can do is guarantee the integrity of each enclave and abandon more competitive and whose common "faith" is less clear-cut...

...1960 presidential campaign ("Catholics and the Presidency," JOHN FRANCIS BURKE January 1, 1960), are we to have "a pluralistic society with a John Francis Burke teaches political theory and American strong Protestant tradition rather than a Protestant society with politics at the University of Houston-Downtown...

...This brief adopts no position on the un0 n the first Monday in Oct- equal-protection cases dealing with gen- derlying issue of abortion in the Scheidler ober, the Supreme Court der discrimination before the Court on case...

...with the Vietnamese, given their hierarchical oriennot overcome, but we will overwhelm...

...De Colores...

...It should be perfectly these organizations strongly support broad with any shift in the Court's obvious from this and other things known freedom of choice for women who seek personnel, the retirement about Justice Ginsburg that she will be sen- abortion, and some strongly support unof Justice Byron White and the appoint- sitive to women's issues...

...behalf of several organizations that engage in social activism relating to animal rights-including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Feminists for ANTI-ABORTION RACKETEERS...

...If anything, California, Florida, to include alternative channels of communication: with the and Texas, among other places, will increasingly be imbued Latinos, face-to-face communication at both the Sunday Masses with Latino culture...

...As Carlos Fuentes told evil...

...Saint Jerome's will be building its own church shortly-it Unfortunately, most of the debate over multiculturalism gets has had a longstanding wish to form its own parish-better that caught in an either-or: either one maintains that there has to such decisions be confronted in a forum of mutual understanding be a universal national identity to which one must assimilate than left to the rumor mill of mutual misunderstanding...

...ties of "separate-but-equal" cultural enclaves...

...One glimpse of it and the English language as the official language of the state of they might have fled in fear and trembling...

...Its extreme proponents offer little hope prised of first-generation Mexicans and Central Americans...

...These new citizens simply ex- chance to speak in their own way, and in return reciprocate with pressed their heartfelt fidelity to this country in the most mean- respect for "the other," cultural barriers can be broken down, Commonweal 5 November 1993: 5 if not overcome...

...their geographic proximity to both The difficulty was that the nomination process reflected the Mexico and Central America...

...And fashion which at best tolerates the presence of "others" and the fact is, there are undeniable cultural changes ensuing es- otherwise begets hostility...

...For instance, munity which neither assimilates nor separates cultural groups...

...But Catholic natural law with the American compact-was the ini- the rapid cultural diversification in Houston and elsewhere is tial volley in a series of cultural challenges: first Catholics, then very real...

...The answer is (which is not always to say careful) scruti- izations Act (RICO) may be applied to the fear that allowing federal courts to apply ny of the pundits, in order to place her con- Operation Rescue for its repeated acts of the stiff sanctions of the RICO law to acts veniently into a facile category that will civil disobedience at abortion clinics...

...Each detail of her decisions will of Women, Inc...

...Animal Rights-opposing the broad readRICO GOES TO THE SUPREME COURT ing of RICO that the National Organization of Women (Now) has urged the Court to adopt in this case...

...The point is that multiple cultures but how: seeking "unity in diversity" offers inclusion in the political discourse need not be at the expense a much more constructive approach at the grassroots level then of abandoning one's cultural background...

...As which she now sits...

...Some members and supporters of opened its new term...

...But when culRather than necessarily being opposed to a moral consensus ture is understood as a relation between people, a "gift" to be for America, advocates of a positive multiculturalism think that shared with others, then one can envision a moral-political comall cultures can in fact contribute to this consensus...

...As pinpointed by a either imposing a monoculture or rending our communities and Commonweal editorial amid the sectarian atmosphere of the nation apart in the manner of the Balkans...

...In al agenda, nor do other parish committees have to obtain our this citadel of Anglo-Saxon frontier individualism, no single imprimatur before dealing with the multicultural dimensions ethnic or racial group now constitutes a majority...

...its extreme oppo- ligious education classes are Latino...

...about her...

...ation Rescue tactics in order to reach the astrous consequences for civil liberties in Sometimes the pundits draw conclu- conclusion that the RICO law should not this country...

...lization yet cannot be handled effectively by prevailing cus- Based on the latter course, over the past two years I have tom...

...The committee modified this format tury ago will not be replicated...

...As a Mexican-American on a Frontline and the charismatic prayer group meeting near the discernment documentary dealing with the L.A...

...Committee, comprised of members from the parish's three lanHouston, for instance, has been dramatically transformed by guage communities...

...We have no predetermined multiculturLatino and Asian immigration over the past fifteen years...

...By century's of their activities...

...Rather, we simply discuss how to use our end, in all likelihood, Latinos will be the largest group...

...respective heritages to link rather than separate ourselves...

...v. Scheidler, to hold that If abortion is not the meeting ground undoubtedly come under the intense the Racketeer-Influenced Corrupt Organ- for these activists, what is...

...The question is not whether we have to deal with the civil rights, women's, and gay movements...

...OF SEVERAL MINDS Edward Gaf fney, Jr...

...Much closer to Essentially, the committee aims for an atmosphere of openthe bone, however, was the furor that arose in July over a cit- ness and trust that makes multicultural coordination of parish izenship ceremony in Tucson, Arizona, which was conducted activities easier...

...But I find myself guage of business and political power in this country...

...and the spread of Univision and manners of the English-speaking community: forms were other American-based, Spanish-speaking media means the as- filled out by individual parishioners two to three weeks before similation patterns experienced by European-Americans a cen- the discernment evening...

...When culture is But it is noteworthy that the city of Houston has turned to the conceptualized as a "possession," one is left with either the Diocese of Galveston-Houston for assistance because of the dio- uniform identity of the "melting pot" or the relativist identicese's concrete experience with multiple cultures...

...But why wishing now that in his long encyclical the pope had said a bit should they have to speak "English only" when English is not more about what some heterodox moralists used to call "systemic the language of choice on many streets...

...I'm in- of honor in World War II than any other ethnic group...

...REPORT FROM HOUSTON In the diocese of Galveston-Houston, parishes which are combinations of European-, African-, Asian-, and Latino-Americans are increasingly the norm, not the exception...

...tation, consultation with their leadership council...

...Although the English-speaking community (mostly EuropeanAmerican) founded the parish over three decades ago and remains its financial and leadership base, a quick glance at those presently being baptized, receiving First Communion, and being Multiculturalism will start a fight in an empty confirmed suggests that the parish is rapidly becoming combar...

...Even if one has to speak Spanish at Wendy's to place cess and served on the pastoral council...

...For ex- be expanded to sweep in the activities that To do so, say these organizations, would ample, as an advocate many years ago Operation Rescue followers engage in...

...Subsequently, This does not necessarily threaten the American cultural con- more Latinos and Vietnamese have both participated in the prosensus...

...cantly with NAFTA...

...Those who would question their patrioare coming in for my adventure: the ambulance, the Emergency tism should note that Mexican-Americans won more medals Room, the doctors, and the medicine...

...Over $490 so far...

...Or will it be by creatively enabling pecially in such cities as Los Angeles, Miami, and Houston these newer, growing communities to assume leadership roles which have very little to do with assaults on Western civi- without having to sacrifice their cultures...

...Will it be in a begrudging A lot more heat then light is shed in such polemics...

...nents fear that it treads upon the very ideals Given this trend, the question is not whether one will have of Western civilization...

...And although the Vietnamese community at a pluralistic tradition...

...sions larger than the facts warrant...

...The sheer number of Latino immigrants continuing to stream For instance, prior to the committee's inception, the pasinto this country (the rate of which will not diminish signifi- toral council was largely comprised of European-Americans...

...Counting up the costs and consequences now, maybe I should Bill Moyers, "When you get a proposition in California to vote have just let those kids have the encyclical...

...sured, thank goodness (is there a patron saint for being insured...

...For constitute an unwarranted excursion into Ginsburg successfully litigated several example, I wrote a brief amicus curiae on political and social advocacy and dissent 6: 5 November 1993 Commonweal...

...an order, one still gets a Dave Thomas burger...

...in The Good Society, Robert Bellah argues that John Courtney If multiculturalism were indeed j ust the most recent academic Murray's We Hold These Truths-a text which reconciled vogue, then it might be fun to engage in polemical banter...