What do mosaic mode and melting pot mode mean?

The confrontation between multiculturalism and European (or Western) cultural centrism has a long history. In fact, Western multiculturalism began as a refutation of European cultural centrism. There is such a classification of the cultural models of different countries: the first is the monocultural model, that is, the government adopts a naturalization policy for immigrants, making them give up their own culture and subordinate themselves to the mainstream culture; the second is the melting pot model, that is, in Without government intervention, different cultures can be integrated into a new culture; the third is the mosaic model, that is, the multicultural model, which advocates that different cultures coexist peacefully, retain their characteristics, and form a "beautiful mosaic." The latter two can both be called multiculturalism. Since the 1970s, more and more European and American countries have accepted multiculturalism and adopted a tolerant and respectful attitude towards immigrants and the cultural habits of ethnic minorities. One of the reasons is that politicians need the votes of ethnic minorities. The UK also took the lead in passing anti-discrimination laws in Europe, giving people of color more opportunities to shine. However, the terrorist attack happened in the UK. As a result, comments such as “Britain’s multicultural model is in crisis” appeared in newspapers. An important member of the British Conservative Party even asserted that "multiculturalism is outdated" and asked the Blair government to change the current immigration policy.

This round of comments on multiculturalism has the following characteristics. First, it is the mosaic model that is under attack, not the melting pot model. This is somewhat related to the discourse power of the American media to dominate international public opinion. The relevant policies of the United States, at least at the federal level, belong to the melting pot model, while most European countries advocate a mosaic model. Second, downplay the role of the Iraq War in the London bombings and emphasize the conflict of different cultures. An article in the New York Times entitled "The Dream of Multiculturalism Broken" believes that the deepest reason lies in the tense relationship between mainstream European culture and related foreign cultures. This tension comes from aspects such as culture, history and religion, and Not just politics. The author obviously has a wrong assumption, that is, there will only be conflicts between different civilizations, rather than peaceful coexistence. Such an interpretation of political reality from a cultural perspective can only lead to some specious conclusions, covering up the nature of power struggles in international politics. Third, it has a strong sense of racism and a sense of superiority to Western culture. Multiculturalism irritates some Westerners by arguing that other cultures are "equal" with European culture. They believe that this is an attack on Western culture that represents "rationality, individualism and progress" and an advocacy of "tribalism." A column in U.S. News & World Report magazine stated that “multiculturalism is based on the lie that all cultures are morally equal” and “when it comes to respecting representative government, liberty, and the rule of law. Different cultures are not equal”. This obviously confuses culture and politics again.

Despite various attacks, the "beautiful mosaic" is still the yearning of most Europeans. According to the BBC, a poll conducted a month after the bombing found that an overwhelming majority of Britons supported multiculturalism. Mainstream public opinion believes that "the top priority is to integrate more marginalized groups into British society as soon as possible... Providing equal opportunities is more effective than cursing to make these minority groups loyal to the country that accepts them." In other words, it’s not too much multiculturalism, but too little