Luminos is the Open Access monograph publishing program from UC Press. Luminos provides a framework for preserving and reinvigorating monograph publishing for the future and increases the reach and visibility of important scholarly work. Titles published in the UC Press Luminos model are published with the same high standards for selection, peer review, production, and marketing as those in our traditional program. www.luminosoa.org Multiculturalism in the British Commonwealth Multiculturalism in the British Commonwealth Comparative Perspectives on Theory and Practice Edited by Richard T. Ashcroft and Mark Bevir UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Oakland, California © 2019 by Richard T. Ashcroft and Mark Bevir This work is licensed under a Creative Commons [CC-BY-NC-ND] license. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses. Suggested citation: Ashcroft, R. T. and Bevir, M. (eds.) Multiculturalism in the British Commonwealth: Comparative Perspectives on Theory and Practice. Oakland: University of California Press, 2019. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1525/luminos.73 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Ashcroft, Richard T., editor. | Bevir, Mark, editor. Title: Multiculturalism in the British Commonwealth : comparative perspectives on theory and practice / edited by Richard T. Ashcroft and Mark Bevir. Description: Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index. | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons [CC-BY-NC-ND] license. To view a copy of the license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses . | Identifiers: LCCN 2018045364 (print) | LCCN 2018048601 (ebook) | ISBN 9780520971103 | ISBN 9780520299320 (pbk. : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Multiculturalism—Commonwealth countries—20th century. Classification: LCC HM1271 (ebook) | LCC HM1271 .M84327 2017 (print) | DDC 305.800971241/0905—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018045364 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 When I read about clashes around the world—political clashes, economic clashes, cultural clashes—I am reminded that it is within our power to build a bridge to be crossed. Even if my neighbour doesn’t understand my religion or my politics, he can understand my story. If he can understand my story, then he’s never too far from me. It is always within my power to build a bridge. There is always a chance for reconciliation, a chance that one day he and I will sit around a table together and put an end to our history of clashes. And on this day, he will tell me his story and I will tell him mine. —Paulo Coehlo Quoted from p. x (Foreword) of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho translated by Alan R. Clarke. Copyright © 1988 by Paulo Coehlo. English translation copyright © 1993 by Paulo Coehlo and Alan R. Clarke. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. Figure 1. The Sackler Crossing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. Copyright Chris Woodfield 2016. This volume is dedicated to the memory of Chris Woodfield, who built bridges, and to his wife Jo, who walks on them still. With love and pride, Richard. Contents Acknowledgments xi 1. What is Postwar Multiculturalism in Theory and Practice? 1 Richard T. Ashcroft and Mark Bevir Part I. British Multiculturalism 2. British Multiculturalism after Empire: Immigration, Nationality, and Citizenship 25 Richard T. Ashcroft and Mark Bevir 3. Accentuating Multicultural Britishness: An Open or Closed Activity? 46 Nasar Meer and Tariq Modood Part II. Multiculturalism in the “Old” Commonwealth 4. Multiculturalism in a Context of Minority Nationalism and Indigenous Rights: The Canadian Case 67 Avigail Eisenberg 5. Australia’s “Liberal Nationalist” Multiculturalism 83 Geoffrey Brahm Levey 6. Multiculturalism, Biculturalism, and National Identity in Aotearoa / New Zealand 104 Katherine Smits x Contents Part III. Multiculturalism in the “New” Commonwealth 7. Multiculturalism in India: An Exception? 127 Rochana Bajpai 8. Secularism in India: A “Gandhian” Approach 150 Farah Godrej 9. Contesting Multiculturalism: Federalism and Unitarism in Late Colonial Nigeria 167 Wale Adebanwi 10. Arrested Multiculturalisms: Race, Capitalism, and State Formation in Malaysia and Singapore 191 Daniel P. S. Goh 11. The Cunning of Multiculturalism: A Perspective from the Caribbean 212 Viranjini Munasinghe 12. Comparative Perspectives on the Theory and Practice of Multiculturalism: Lessons from the Commonwealth 229 Richard T. Ashcroft and Mark Bevir Bibliography 253 List of Contributors 279 Index 283 Acknowledgments Multiculturalism in the British Commonwealth: Comparative Perspectives on Theory and Practice derives from a conference held at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2014. The editors are grateful to the Mellon Foundation for their generous sup- port of that conference. We would also like to thank Niels Hooper, Bradley Depew, and Archna Patel at the University of California Press for their help in bringing the project to a successful conclusion. Dr. Ashcroft would like to thank Rachel Bernhard and Mark Fisher for their insightful written comments on drafts of the editors’ chapters, and for their ongoing support and encouragement. He would also like to thank Kristi Govella for her help copyediting the manuscript. xi 1 What is Postwar Multiculturalism in Theory and Practice? Richard T. Ashcroft, University of California, Berkeley Mark Bevir, University of California, Berkeley Cultural diversity raises pressing issues for both political theory and practice. The remaking of the world since 1945 has increased demographic diversity within many states, and led to greater acknowledgment of the value of social heterogeneity. The heightened awareness of difference has contributed to pressure on traditional forms of liberal-democratic governance, which historically have operated within polities that are—or at least have assumed themselves to be—broadly culturally homogeneous. The term “multiculturalism” refers to the political, legal and philo- sophical strategies that emerged after World War II to accommodate this new- found social diversity. For much of this period, multiculturalism enjoyed a steady rise to prominence, but in recent years the growing consensus has been questioned by politicians and prominent social commentators. Whether this amounts to a “retreat” or “rebalancing” is still being debated, but it is clear that multiculturalism is being reevaluated. This volume adds to the existing empirical and normative literature by situating modern multiculturalism in its national, international, and historical contexts, bringing together practitioners from across the humanities and social sciences. It addresses questions vital for understanding contemporary debates: What is “multiculturalism,” and why did it come about? What dilemmas has it posed for liberal-democratic governance? How have these been responded to in theory and practice, and are the different responses adequate? Are there alter- native approaches to cultural diversity that have been overlooked? We start this introductory chapter by sketching the different issues that may be characterized as “multicultural,” noting how the scope of the term varies between different contexts and straddles theory and practice. We nevertheless provide a rough definition to help guide our analysis, and situate modern multiculturalism 1 2 What is Postwar Multiculturalism in Theory and Practice? historically. We trace the connection between contemporary debates and the period of decolonization and globalization following World War II, which itself has its roots in the interrelated rise of nation, state, and empire in the early modern period. We demonstrate that the Commonwealth is a crucial context for studying multiculturalism, gathering together the key philosophical and empirical issues. We then show how this volume contributes to the literature by facilitating fruitful comparison across national, historical, and disciplinary boundaries. Finally, we set out the structure of the volume, and summarize the chapters that follow. WHAT IS MULTICULTURALISM? To call a society “multicultural” is to claim that it contains multiple cultural groups rather than just one. In the abstract, therefore, “multiculturalism” is simply the opposite of cultural homogeneity. In concrete terms, however, “multiculturalism” evokes a series of discourses regarding the appropriate way to respond to cultural and other forms of difference. These debates cover a wide variety of topics, includ- ing appropriate modes of dress, land rights, anti-racism, religious freedom, court procedure, immigration, language and educational policy, the scope of human rights, and even the basic structure and aims of the polis. The study of multi- culturalism thus provides a meeting point for a variety of scholarly disciplines, including social science, law, history, anthropology, philosophy, and public policy. Discussion of multiculturalism is not limited to academia, however, but is also prominent in political and popular discourse. In common use, the term “multiculturalism” can relate to a number of