CANADA’S IMMIGRANTS AND THE EVER ELUSIVE “CANADIAN IDENTITY”
The struggles of maintaining a cohesive multicultural society.
Canadian society is largely characterized by the presence of immigrants from every corner of the world. The diversity of our population is undeniable and our high immigration rates have helped Canada to grow and prosper. Over the decades, the cultural background of immigrants has shifted on numerous occasions. At first, immigrants were largely French and British, however a variety of Europeans began to arrive in Canada in the latter part of the 19th century up until the 1960s. Since then, more inviting Canadian immigration policies have attracted immigrants from all kinds of ethnic origins, from African to Asian to South American. Canadians claim to be living happily and cooperatively in multicultural harmony. But is this true? Can such a multicultural society be flawless? And what is the so-called “Canadian identity”? Does it still exist? Or has immigration stamped it out?
IS CANADA’S MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY TRULY COHESIVE?
Throughout my life in Canada, I’ve come in contact with other cultures and ethnicities nearly every single day. And now that I actually think about it, it’s pretty amazing that we can bring so many different people of various backgrounds together in one society and live peacefully. However, there are still boundaries that I feel keep Canadians from living completely in harmony. One of these boundaries is physical; different ethnic groups have established themselves in different regions, creating communities like Chinatown or Little Italy. Another boundary is cultural; however close we may get to our ethnically-varied friends, we still don’t share the same traditions, religions, holidays, ancestry, heritage and habits. I find that this boundary really becomes prominent in high school, as people start trying to figure out who they are and what their place in society is, and afterwards. Finally, language is a huge boundary. For many Canadians, English is a second language and though they may be able to speak it, communicating in their first language with friends is much preferred. Therefore, even though I was born in Canada, I still feel cultural divides separating me from other Canadians.
Now what one of my classmates said, and he put this very bluntly, is that we’re all nice to each other in public but as soon as we go home we’re as racist as anyone living in a non-diverse society. However, though I agree with the fact that we all do have some racist inclinations, I don’t think that his statement is entirely true. By interacting with people, on a daily basis, from other ethnic backgrounds who have different customs and traditions, we acquire a sense of respect and appreciation for their cultures. Sure we often still prefer our own cultural traditions, but at least we have an awareness and an understanding of other ethnicities’ practices. That’s more than we would get in a society composed of only a couple different ethnicities. Furthermore, having such a diversity of people living in one country enables people to become more open-minded and sensitive toward the needs of other nations. As well, diversity of ethnicity means that Canada has a variety of people with different perspectives and ideas which contributes to increased critical thinking and innovation. Lastly, many immigrants came to Canada in search of a higher quality of life and better economic opportunities, which they often do find. Therefore, immigrants tend to feel a sense of loyalty and appreciation toward Canada and the life it has given them. As a result, despite the ethnic variety in Canada, most Canadians find that they have major things in common and they use those things to get along and improve a society that will never be perfect, but which does seem to be working for everyone.
“CANADA HAS DISTINGUISHED ITSELF AS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE FROM IMMENSELY DIVERSE CULTURES CAN COME AND MAKE NEW LIVES FOR THEMSELVES AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE CANADIAN DREAM” — Alfred McLeod, Assistant Deputy Minister of Immigration
THE CANADIAN IDENTITY
In my opinion, Canada does have a sort of identity, however, it is very limited (or broad, depending on how you look at it) when compared to other, less diverse nations. In the past, the allegiance to Britain, Aboriginals, and the endless English Canadian vs. French Canadian rivalry were defining factors of Canada. Nowadays, Canada is often viewed as the “Great White North” where the landscape is harsh, but beautiful, the people are polite, peacekeeping is greatly valued, hockey is the favourite sport, and Tim Hortons is a daily necessity. But do these stereotypes actually represent the Canadian public?
I think that as Canada’s population has grown and immigration has continued to be an important factor in Canada’s success, the emphasis on multiculturalism has increased. I feel that today the most significant part of the Canadian identity is the fact that it’s made up of so many other different identities who are not merged together (like in the US), but rather have been allowed to retain their cultures and thrive alongside each other. If multiculturalism is really to work in Canada, then we have to accept that the Canadian identity is not fixed; it will continue to change and develop as different people become a part of Canada. So has immigration stamped out the Canadian identity? I think not. I mean, maybe it has done away with the stifling old colonial identity of Canada, but it has brought so much more for Canadians to enjoy and explore while becoming more informed global citizens.
WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT IMMIGRATION IN CANADA?
Throughout Canada’s history, immigration has been extremely important since it contributed to Canada’s population booms and it brought skilled workers to help develop the Canadian economy. It has definitely had a significant impact on today’s society since a large portion of our population is composed of immigrants and their immediate descendents. This has influenced our relationships with other people, the way things are taught in school, the workplace atmosphere, and recreational activities. Though multicultural societies aren’t perfect, they have contributed to making Canadians successful in international affairs. In the increasingly more connected world we live in today, knowing how to interact respectfully with other cultures is important for political, business and various other reasons. Thus, our broad cultural experiences in our own nation have given us an edge when it comes to “real-life” applications. As well, the freedom of expression, religion, and culture in Canada has enabled people of various cultural backgrounds to take advantage of better living conditions and opportunities while maintaining their heritage and contributing to Canada’s economic success. Although Canadian multiculturalism does have its flaws, I think it has succeeded in one very important thing; it has shown us that the people of the world have much more in common than we think. In doing so, it has opened worlds of opportunity that would not be possible without all of us working together.
“IMMIGRATION HAS ALWAYS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN BUILDING CANADIAN SOCIETY AND WE CAN SEE THAT THIS TREND IS CONTINUING.” — Denis Coderre, Citizenship & Immigration Minister, 2003
Written: Sunday, January 5th, 2013
