Is America Ready to See Itself as an Orchestra?

Cultural Pluralism Offers a Better Concept of the Nation Than the Melting Pot Ever Did

More than a century after Jewish American philosopher Horace Kallen developed the concept of cultural pluralism in 1915, it has never been more important. In the simplest terms, cultural pluralism is the idea that diversity is the true genius of American culture. Or as Ralph Ellison put it in 1961, “I believe in diversity, and I think the real death of the United States will be when everyone is just alike.” The concept is rooted in the belief that America is at its best when it welcomes immigrants and allows …