Defining Reasonable Accommodation
Donald M. TaylorMcGill University
The Quiet Evolution of Language and Cultural Relations in Canada:A Tribute to the Work of Wallace Lambert
March 17-18, 2011
It all went wrong on “Multicultural Night” in inner-city Detroit
• From Multilingualism to multiculturalism• Mosaics and Melting Pots• No amount of heat and stirring was enough
Mean Responses on the Debate over Assimilation versus Mutliculturalism
Pol
ish
Am
eric
ans
Alb
ania
n A
mer
ican
s
Ara
b A
mer
ican
s
Mex
ican
Am
eric
ans
Pue
rto R
ican
Am
eric
ans
Whi
te A
mer
ican
s (W
orki
ng C
lass
)
Whi
te A
mer
ican
s (M
iddl
e C
lass
)
Bla
ck A
mer
ican
s (H
amtra
mck
)
Bla
ck A
mer
ican
s (P
ontia
c)
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Mea
n A
ttit
ud
e R
atin
gs
Pro Assimilation
Pro Multiculturalism
The American Persona
• War and peace• Bread and butter• Black and white
• Preoccupation with what is, or is not, “American”
Why oh Why did we choose Miami ?
• Is it OK if I blame you, Wally ?• Maybe Detroit was unique• Same results in Miami?• If so, what might reasonable accommodation
look like?
Cultural Debate in Each of Three Social Contexts for Whites, Blacks, Cubans,
Nicaraguans, and Haitians Keep up Heritage Culture
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Cultural Debate in Each of Three Social Contexts for Whites, Blacks, Cubans,
Nicaraguans, and Haitians Take on U.S Culture
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Language Debate in Each of Three Social Contexts for Whites, Blacks, Cubans,
Nicaraguans, and Haitians Use Heritage Language
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Language Debate in Each of Three Social Contexts for Whites, Blacks, Cubans,
Nicaraguans, and Haitians Use English
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Conclusions
• Boston ( Cambridge) was next• It was most promising• First genuine two-way bilingual program
(Mary & Sal-amander Cazabon)• Reasonable accommodation in action
