Editing Nation state (section)

== Minorities ==
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The most obvious deviation from the ideal of "one nation, one state" is the presence of minorities, especially [[ethnic minorities]], which are clearly not members of the majority nation. An ethnic nationalist definition of a [[nation]] is necessarily exclusive: ethnic nations typically do not have open membership. In most cases, there is a clear idea that surrounding nations are different, and that includes members of those nations who live on the "wrong side" of the border. Historical examples of groups who have been specifically singled out as ''outsiders'' are the [[Romani people|Roma]] and [[Jews]] in Europe.

Negative responses to minorities within the nation state have ranged from [[cultural assimilation]] enforced by the state, to [[Ethnic cleansing|expulsion]], persecution, violence, and [[Genocide|extermination]]. The assimilation policies are usually enforced by the state, but violence against minorities is not always state-initiated: it can occur in the form of [[mob violence]] such as [[lynching]] or [[pogrom]]s. Nation states are responsible for some of the worst historical examples of violence against minorities not considered part of the nation.

However, many nation states accept specific minorities as being part of the nation, and the term ''national minority'' is often used in this sense. The [[Sorbs]] in Germany are an example: for centuries they have lived in German-speaking states, surrounded by a much larger ethnic German population, and they have no other historical territory. They are now generally considered to be part of the German nation and are accepted as such by the Federal Republic of Germany, which constitutionally guarantees their cultural rights. Of the thousands of ethnic and cultural minorities in nation states across the world, only a few have this level of acceptance and protection.

[[Multiculturalism]] is an official policy in some states, establishing the ideal of coexisting existence among multiple and separate ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups. Other states prefer the [[interculturalism]] (or "[[melting pot]]" approach) alternative to multiculturalism, citing [[Criticism of multiculturalism|problems]] with latter as promoting [[self-segregation]] tendencies among minority groups, challenging national cohesion, polarizing society in groups that can't relate to one another, generating problems in regard to minorities and immigrants' fluency in the national language of use and integration with the rest of society (generating hate and persecution against them from the "otherness" they would generate in such a case according to its adherents), without minorities having to give up certain parts of their culture before being absorbed into a now changed majority culture by their contribution. Many nations have laws protecting [[minority rights]].

When national boundaries that do not match ethnic boundaries are drawn, such as in the [[Balkans]] and [[Central Asia]], ethnic tension, massacres and even [[genocide]], sometimes has occurred historically (see [[Bosnian genocide]] and [[2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes]]).