The Uk’s colonial past explains it’s multiculturalism.

A long way from Empire to Commonwealth, the

way from Imperialism to multiculturalism. The question remains: Is “Diversity [] Britain’s greatest
strength”?

One can argue that there are positive as well as negative aspects regarding Britain’s diversity and
multiculturalism.

Diversity leads to inequality and racial discrimination. With diversity is associated inequality. Because
there are always going to be minorities, ethnic groups that don’t have the same influence. Just the
fact that 82% of England are caucasian, speaks for itself. The ethnic minorities, are as the name says
a minority, this leads not only to inequality but also to racial discrimination. Members of this
communities often experience social disadvantages, for example in education or even employment.
A study from CSJ (The center for social justice) states that there remains an unexplained disparity
between the median hourly pay of ethnic minority workers and White British workers. This is a clear
example of a social disadvantage towards ethnic minorities, in other words racial discrimination. This
statement not only contributes to a clearer understanding of this point of view, but also alludes to
further Consequences caused by diversity , for example cultural conservatism and Segregation.

Diversity leads to Segregation, fueled by the existence of inequality and cultural conservatism on
both sides. Tension that escalates to violence and riots is a visible indication of this segregation. The
Bradford Riot in 2001 showcases this segregation and cultural war between the ethnic’s and
caucasians perfectly. The Bradford Riots were a brief period of violent rioting, that occurred as a
result of a heightened tension between the large growing British Asian communities and the city’s
white majority. A this ethnic riot wasn’t the first and most certainly won’t be the last. The reason for
the constant reoccurrence is very simple, the real reason, the motif for the riot was never cleared
and fixes. Segregation, inequality caused by diversity are to blame for this violence, that spirals out
of control. To be perfectly candid the real reason for inequality, discrimination, segregation and
cultural wars isn’t diversity.

We, as humans are the problem. Humans have the tendency to underestimate, undervalue,
discriminate and judge those who are different from us. Instead of looking inside we blame diversity,
we blame the fact that we are different from each other. We use diversity as an excuse for our
behaviours. Beginning with a depreciative look, that seems innocent, but in reality this “look”
escalates and culminates in a cultural war, loaded with violence.

Diversity is far more than an excuse. Diversity enriches Britain. A Women stated in an article on the
Guardian “We are global and local in one room.” This is the definition of the diverse and
multicultural Britain. The great variety of cultures lead to multiple perspectives, various views on
every matter. Consequence of this is the openminded discussion, tolerance and cross culture
knowledge. This statement also allude to the sense of belonging and integration that comes with
diversity. Even though they’re “global”, diverse and have different ethnicities they are still “local”,
they are still part of Britain. With this statement it is clear the positive impact that diversity has on
the Individual. But Diversity has a broad impact range, it is one of the jewels in the crown of society.

The economic vitality thrives on pluralism. England is one of the preferred locations for multinational
companies due to its linguistic variety. Not just the country as a whole but also the companies as
individuals thrive with diversity. Statistics show that there are positive associations between “super
diversity” and urban wages. Multiculturalism helps with productivity and innovation within a
company. Its believed thatCo-ethnic and diverse inventor groups will bloom in comparison with
other ethnic homogenous companies. Reason is the diverse intake, feedback and opinions. Diversity
means the final product will suit more costumers, because it was developed by more minds with
different beliefs and opinions. This inventor groups are presumably more likely to be innovative, for
exactly the same reason as mentioned before, diversity. To the end the reliability of this final
argument is limited by the subjectiveness and speculation involved.

All in all Diversity is essential and is Britains greatest strength. However it can be seen as the reason
for discrimination and segregation, but in reality it is only an excuse we use to justify our actions.
Diversity is positive to the individual Briton, that gains not only cross culture knowledge but
becomes more open-minded and tolerant. Moreover it is also positive for the country as a whole, for
the simple reason that Britain’s economy enrichers through Multiculturalism.