Cedar Falls, Iowa (CNN) Jeb Bush argued Tuesday that the United States is "creeping toward multiculturalism" and described it as "the wrong approach."

His answer came in response to a question at an Iowa diner Tuesday from a woman who wanted to know how the former Florida governor would help refugees and immigrants integrate into U.S. society and "empower them to become Americans."

"We should not have a multicultural society," the Republican presidential candidate responded.

But Bush, who's a self-admitted policy wonk and tends to use nuanced language, was referring to "multicultural" in the literal sense -- a social model in which cultures live in "isolated pockets," as he described them, rather than assimilating into society.

"America is so much better than every other country because of the values that people share -- it defines our national identity. Not race or ethnicity, not where you come from," he said. "When you create pockets of isolation -- and in some cases the assimilation process is retarded because it's slowed down -- it's wrong. It limits peoples' aspirations."

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