Multiculturalism & Money

Is all this writing in this blog “ethnic navel-gazing” or is there another purpose other than allowing me (and select friends) to blow off steam about how unfair the “system” is?

Not.

I do what I do because of I feel that having visible minority representation in every part of society and media is vitally important, if we are to have a truly multicultural society. Now we can debate about the merits or demerits of multiculturalism but as it is still an official part of the Canadian identity, let’s make it real, I mean really real.

In order to do so, you have to go past the trappings of multiculturalism as pagodas and lions dances at Chinese New Year. In Asia, these are considered historical relics and even anachronisms, not at all reflective of life today. These are important and I have and continue to participate in these events but in North America, we are wrong in celebrating these as essential parts of being Asian contemporary culture.

Real multiculturalism is when the cultural identity is integrated into everyday life – we are not exotic people on display.

Why is this so important? It’s because multiculturalism is more than a way of creating jobs for a phalanx of bureaucrats as its critics often say. At its essence, multiculturalism is a redefinition of what we know contemporary society to be. And you can’t pin it down because culture is living, breathing and always changing.

Many dread the word “multiculturalism” the same way we dread a flu shot because we’re given the same reason for either’s existence - “ you may not like it but it’s good for us.” It may be but the real reason we need to take cultural diversity seriously is money. Done with the proper approach and understanding, there is a huge amount of gold to be mined from understanding how different cultures can work together. Where it counts is the “real world,” where money is earned the hard way – getting customers through the door.

How do I know this to be true? As a filmmaker, I’ve made several trips to Hong Kong and China in the last few years and one thing I continually hear from Chinese producers is, “How can we internationalize our product?” From North Americans, the question is, “How can I crack the Asian market?”

These simple questions are actually quite profound and remind me of Rudyard Kipling’s poem where he writes, “East is East and West is West but never the twain shall meet.” Please forgive me for contradicting the 1907 Nobel Laureate in Literature but the “twain are meeting” and the issue is not “if” but “how?”

This is a question that I’ve been exploring with a few colleagues who have had experiences in making films in Asia and in North America with Asian themes. We are convinced that a new paradigm of filmmaking is emerging and in short order, we’ll be outlining how this is not just cultural mishmash but a solid and most necessary business opportunity.

Multiculturalism is more than dinner, dance and drama. If we can get past the notion that multiculturalism is some government-inflicted concept that has been inflicted upon the populace, we will understand what it truly is.

Multiculturalism is the future of the world or to be crass and commercial, it is about money.