Ethnic minorities, cultural difference and the cultural politics of communication

This paper examines the question of cultural difference in debates of multiculturalism and the related issue of shared values and rights that transcend cultural difference, both in terms of multicultural citizenship within specific nations as well more universally. We argue that alternative media produced in multi-ethnic public sphericules is potentially productive as a space of cultural expression enabling a dialogue across and within cultures both minority and majorities on what constitutes such shared values and rights, and for the redefinition of the identities of multicultural nations in the West. Intrinsic to this is the question of representational politics, in particular the inclusion of voiceless subalterns. We suggest that the public sphericules of diasporic-alternative media might provide a way of engaging ethnic minorities with the mainstream public sphere and cultural difference, and could contribute towards addressing the question of marginalization of minority cultures.