Multiculturalism or Integration?

Multiculturalism is when there are many cultures within a society.  Many societies are becoming multicultural, as immigrants and refugees bring their cultures to their new home.  They hold onto elements of their culture while within a society that is new to them.

Integration is when people give up their respective cultures when they join a new society.  They adopt the culture of the new society to the extent of giving up their previous way of life.

Which is better for the society?

Kel Richards argued for integration on 2CH tonight.  He thinks that multiculturalism creates ghettos.  Instead of getting on with others, people cling on to their own.  This adds suspicion between culture groups, and sometimes can also lead to gang wars.  He thinks that people who come to Australia should adopt Australian culture instead of bringing their culture with them.  Just like the first Italian settlers did.

Would you agree?
 I imagine that integration is not easy.  If one has been brought up in a certain way, one cannot easily give up all of that as one moves to another society.  One naturally brings along one's education and skills and habits - good and bad - with one.  I think multiculturalism is good in that it allows for this kind of diversity within society.

I also imagine that economists prefer multiculturalism.  It promotes trade and international relationships.  As people wish to taste the food of others and buy the goods from other countries, wealth increases with multiculturalism.  But while Australia seeks these economic benefits, I think that it does so at the cost to other good values quite often.

What do you think?

Is multiculturalism the way to go?  Or should we go back to the values of integration?

In Indonesia, assimilation was the drive many years ago.  People could no longer call themselves "Chinese" or "Dutch" or whatever, as they took on Indonesian names and lived the Indonesian way.  There was a loss in the sense that the Chinese became less Chinese as they took on their Indonesian identity.

Malaysians chose differently, allowing their different races to maintain their racial identities.  This led to racial riots and the form of racism that exists in that country, even up to today.

Might there be room for assimilation and race and multiculturalism to coexist?  Maybe the world would be more harmonious if there were some elements of accepting each other (instead of forming ghettos) as well as some allowances for people's differences?

What do you think?