How canadians see multiculturalism

Abstract

Canada is described as a multicultural society whereby different ethnic
groups live together and try to respect their different cultural background.
Canadian ethnic mosaic includes, in addition to the founding French and British
groups, a large number of German, Chinese, Black, Dutch, Italian and Indo
Pakistani people among others. In 1991, 31% of the Canadian population
reported ethnic background other than French or British. There is no doubt that
cultural and ethnic diversity has been a fundamental characteristic of Canada
since its beginning. Yet, this does not mean that anyone who wants to immigrate
to Canada can do so.
The Canadian open door policy doesn't mean that the country could receive all
the people who want to make a new beginning in Canada. In fact, immigration is
rather selective as far as who can enter Canada and who can contribute to the
country's economic and social development.
Over the years, attitudes toward immigration and ethnic groups have
changed with the adoption of new policies and laws which reflect Canada's
approach to diversity. In this respect, the Official Languages Act of 1969 was
issued. The purpose was to give French and English an equal status, rights and
privileges at the federal level. The purpose was not to impose bilingualism on the
Canadian population, but it aimed at giving the opportunity to the two founding
groups of Canada to live together and respect each other differences. As a result,
in 1982 according to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canadian parents who
belong to the English or French linguistic group have the right to have their
children educated in that language.
Canada's linguistic duality has also paved the way to another policy based on the
acceptance of new ethnic groups, their religion, customs and tradition. In fact, the
purpose was to encourage those groups to maintain their cultural background
while living in the Canadian society.
There is no doubt that such a task is not easy to achieve, if we consider that
cultural differences can be a source of conflict among groups. Nevertheless,
during the first half of the twentieth century, Canada's immigration policy became
more flexible and less stigmatizing to non-white immigrants. The objective of this
policy was to supply a qualified labour force for industry, agriculture and
settlement.
During that period, the Canadian government met the expectation of its
population which wanted the right of ethnic minorities to be respected.
Thus, in 1967 modifications have been brought to the Immigration Act of 1962
which stated that:
"Any suitably qualified person from any part of the world could be
considered for immigration to Canada, without regard to his race,
colour, national origin, or the country from which he comes"
This means that the Canadian open door policy would be less discriminatory
against non-European immigrants as it had previously been the case. As a result,
people from different cultural backgrounds began to immigrate to Canada, thus
enriching the country's ethnic mosaic. In the wake of this important change, an
official policy of multiculturalism was a logical step in the acceptance of this ethnic
diversity.
In 1971, Canada was the first nation to adopt multiculturalism as an
official policy. “Multiculturalism within a bilingual framework” was announced by
the Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau.This policy was based on the recognition
of the Canadian multicultural distinctive identity; the purpose being to present
Canada as a unique nation and to differentiate it from its neighbour, the United
States. To the melting pot model, Canada preferred an ethno-cultural one. Thus
in 1972, Pierre Elliot Trudeau stated that: "we become less like others; we
become less susceptible to cultural, social or political envelopment by others".
The multicultural policy was also aimed at developing and helping ethno-cultural
programs and associations in order to protect ethnic differences and heritage.
Thus, it is not surprising that such efforts were enshrined in 1982 in the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It is plainly seen that the Canadian government took the initiative to
make cultural pluralism the mainstay of Canadian democracy. Canadians like to
think of themselves as welcoming new arrivals from all corners of the earth and
rejecting all forms of discrimination. Is it really the case that Canadians are
tolerant with those new corners? Has the ethno-cultural Canadian diversity
divided the Canadian public opinion? In other words, is this image of a tolerant
multicultural society justified or not?
In this paper, I am going to try to see if there is any difference between
policy and practice. Based on different national surveys; I will try to shed light on
how Canadians are responding to their country's increasing multiculturalism. First,
I will examine their attitudes toward diversity in general, then toward what we call
visible minorities.
Second, I will try to see if there are any discriminatory acts in the
Canadian society and how they are seen by both ‘white' Canadians and visible
minorities.
Finally, I will examine the Canadian identity and what makes Canadians
proud to be Canadian. Is it their ethnic background, their country or language?
What do they think of inter-ethnic marriage?