America's role in the Cold War led the nation to pursue policies that eventually resulted in the rise of multiculturalism. This trend has had an increasing impact on American society.

"Multiculturalism" has several meanings. At the minimum it means acceptance of people from different backgrounds. As used by scholars it has been associated with liberals and progressives on college campuses, to whom it means inclusion of people who have been "disempowered" through the control of public discussion by those who have had power. In general, multiculturalism supports diversity and the principle that no particular group should be privileged. Multiculturalists favor the metaphor of "mosaic" or "tossed salad" over "melting pot" as a means of conceptualizing their ideal of American society and culture. A mosaic is an art form in which various elements blend while maintaining their identities, whereas in a...