Canada’s Cultural Diversity - Mr. Warnermisterwarner.weebly.com/uploads/4/7/3/8/47382085/ccw_ch_3.pdfCHAPTER 3 Canada’s Cultural Diversity 79 Organize and Understand 1. What is

CHAPTER 3

Canada’s

Cultural Diversity

76

Contents

1. Focusing on the Issues

2. Culture and Canadians

3. The Development of a Culturally Diverse Nation

4. Canada’s Immigration Policy

5. Immigrant Experiences: Troubles and Triumphs

6. A Difficult Issue: Levels of Immigration

7. Official Multiculturalism: Advantages and Challenges

8. Reviewing the Issues

A B

77

FOCUSING ON THE ISSUES

When we examine what makes Canada distinctfrom other nations, we soon discover that multiculturalism is an important componentof the national identity. Our history shows wehave always been a multicultural nation, one inwhich many cultures have thrived. The originalinhabitants of what is now Canada — the Haida,Sioux, Ojibway, Inuit, Mi’kmaq, and otherAboriginal peoples — had many different cul-tures and languages. When Europeans began ar-riving , they were of several backgroundsincluding Norse, Basque, French, and English.From the seventeenth century onward, numer-ous groups of people have come to Canada.Today people from hundreds of different cul-tures live in Canada. Similar immigration pat-terns exist in other countries, but Canada is theonly nation in the world to officially proclaimmulticulturalism as a major component of its na-tional identity.

This chapter looks at how Canada became amultilingual and culturally diverse nation. It ex-plores the reasons for the government’s policyon multiculturalism, and it tries to analyzewhether this policy can continue to meet newchallenges with immigration in Canada today.The following are among questions that will beexamined:1. What is culture?2. How did Canada become a nation of many

cultures?3. What is Canada’s immigration policy, and

how does it affect our multicultural identity?4. What are the challenges and advantages of

official multiculturalism?

C

D

CULTURE AND CANADIANS

Culture is the way a group of people organize their lives. It includes every-thing that makes one group of people distinct from another. Culture in-cludes political and legal systems, marriage and child-rearing practices,language, religion, attitudes, and values. It includes food, housing, dress,tools, transportation, industry, technology, and the arts.

Culture helps people satisfy basic human needs such as food and shelter.It provides a framework of beliefs and behaviours for daily life. All culturesprovide for these basic needs, although the ways vary greatly.

Why are cultures so different? The various cultures in the world devel-oped in different locations. They have been influenced by their environ-ment, their history, their neighbours, and other factors. The result isenormous cultural diversity throughout the world.

What is Canadian culture? One way to analyze it is to look at the variedcultural origins of Canadians. These are presented in Figures 3–1 and 3–2.

Reported Ethnic Origin Percentage

North American (Canadian, US) 40.2

British Isles (English, Irish, Scottish) 33.6

European 29.5

French (Acadian, French) 15.9

East and Southeast Asian 6.0

Aboriginal 4.5

South Asian 3.2

Caribbean 1.7

Arab 1.2

African 1.0

Latin, Central, and South America 0.8

West Asian 0.7

Oceania 0.2

FIGURE 3–1 Reported ethnic origin, Canada, 2001

The numbers represent the total single and multiple responses, and therefore the sum of the responses is larger thanthe total number of respondents.

SOURCE: Statistics Canada

78 UNIT 1 Diversity and Pluralism in Canada

CHAPTER 3 Canada’s Cultural Diversity 79

Organize and Understand1. What is culture?

2. a) Which ethnic group provided the largestnumber of immigrants in 2005?

b) In 1985 which country was the sourceof the largest number of immigrants toCanada? Which country was the sourceof the second largest number?

Thinking It Through3. Look at the data. Identify factors that

might account for the change in sourcecountries over 20 years.

4. Outline your family’s cultural backgroundon a piece of paper. As a class, collect this

information and make a chart similar toFigure 3–1. Compare the cultural compo-sition of your class with the cultural com-position of Canada.

5. Dorothy’s parents are Cree (classifiedunder “Aboriginal” in Figure 3–1). Thelanguage Dorothy spoke as a child wasEnglish, though she also later learned Cree.Where would Dorothy find herself repre-sented in Figure 3–1?

6. How have the source countries for immi-grants to Canada changed over the years?From which do we get more or fewer immi-grants now? Why might this be?

Rank Source Countries 1985 Source Countries 1995 Source Countries 2005

1 Vietnam, Socialist Republic of (11.4)* Hong Kong (11.7)

China, People’s Republic of (16.1)

2 United States (6.7) China, People’s Republic of (9.9) India (12.6)

3 China, People’s Republic of and HongKong (6.1 for each country)

India (8.6) Philippines, Republic of the (6.7)

4 Philippines, Republic of the (7.4) Pakistan (5.2)

5 India (5.4) Sri Lanka (4.4) United States (3.5)

6 United Kingdom (4.7) Taiwan (3.5) Colombia (2.3)

7 Poland (4.3) Serbia and Montenegro(formerly Yugoslavia (1) )(2.6)

United Kingdom and Korea,Republic of (2.2 for each country)

8 Philippines, Republic of the (4.7) Pakistan (2.2)

9 Jamaica (3.5) United Kingdom (2.1) Iran and Sri Lanka (2.1 for eachcountry)

10 El Salvador (3.2) United States (2.0)

FIGURE 3–2 Major source countries for immigration to Canada 1985, 1995, 2005

SOURCE: Citizenship and Immigration Canada* Figures represent the percentage of total immigrants to Canada(1) In 1991Yugoslavia broke up into Serbia and Montenegro.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACULTUR ALLY DIVER SE NATION

As you read through the following history, pick out the time period thatrelates to you or your ancestors.

The Aboriginal Peoples (20 000–10 000 BCE)Aboriginal traditions hold that the First Peoples were created in NorthAmerica and have always been here. They have traditional creation stories,passed down through many generations, that tell how they came to be.Various other theories have been advanced to explain their origins. Manysocial scientists believe the First Peoples came originally from Asia. Onetheory suggests they migrated across a land bridge from Siberia into Alaska between 20 000 and 10 000 BCE. Another theory suggests they came acrossthe ocean in boats.


FIGURE 3–3 What aspectsof culture are illustratedin these photographs?

Whatever their origins, the Aboriginal peoples developed many differ-ent ways of life over time, depending on environment and other factors. Theyformed many national groups, each with its own distinctive culture. There wasgreat variation in their political, economic, and social organizations.

The consensus estimate among scholars today is that when the firstEuropeans arrived in North America, there were approximately 500 000Aboriginal people living in what is now Canada.

The French (1600–1760)The French hoped to find great riches in Canada. While they did not findthe gold and precious stones they were looking for, they did find fish and furs.They established permanent settlements, at Port Royal in 1605 and Québecin 1608, in order to exploit the fur trade more fully. The French were greatlyassisted by the Montagnais, Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, and Huron First Nations,among others. With this help, they established a colony called New France.Gradually, more and more French settlers began to arrive in New France,and through inter-marriage with Aboriginal populations, the Métis culturewas born. By 1666, the time of the first census, 3215 people were living in thecolony. By 1759 the population had grown to about 65 000.

Britain and France had been rivals in North America for many years.War broke out between the two countries in 1756. In 1760 New Francesurrendered to the British and, in 1763, it became a British colony. At thattime, some of the French, especially those in the government, went back toFrance, but most of the settlers decided to stay. Today descendants of theseFrench settlers live all over Canada.


FIGURE 3–4 The Ursuline Convent,Québec. The Ursulinesare a women’s Christianreligious order, foundedin 1535 with the purposeof educating young people.They established theirfirst convent in Québec in1639. The Ursulines wereone of the first organizedwomen’s religious groupsin Canada. This earlygroup of immigrants pro-vided professional teach-ers for Canada, andadded the French cultureto Canada’s early iden-tity.

The Great Migration (1815–1850)From 1815 to 1850, a great many people left their homes in Britain andother countries of Europe. Economic conditions in Britain and Europein general were poor in the years after 1815. There was a great deal of un-employment, made worse by the growing use of machines during theIndustrial Revolution. The failure of the potato crop, a major source offood in Ireland, and political unrest in Europe, were additional reasonsfor migration.

Many of the migrants leaving Britain and Europe from 1815 to 1850came to Canada. Canada’s population increased from about 500 000 in 1815to about 2.5 million in 1851. Sixty percent of the immigrants to Canadawere British. This made the British the largest cultural group in Canada.

Year Québec Ontario Nova Scotia New Brunswick

1676 9 000 — — —

1763 65 000 — — —

1785 113 000 10 000 32 000 6 000

1825 450 000 158 027 120 000 74 176

1851 890 261 952 004 276 117 193 800

FIGURE 3–5 The growth of Canada’s population, 1676–1851. As Canada’s popula-tion grew, new settlements formed.

Figure 3–5 indicates populations for the four British North Americancolonies that were soon to unite in Confederation. The rest of what isnow Canada, however, was far from empty of people. According to thebook Historical Statistics of Canada by M.C. Urquhart, the two coloniesof British Columbia and Vancouver Island had a combined population of 51 524 by 1861. The land between British Columbia and what is nowOntario belonged, according to the government, mainly to the Hudson’s BayCompany. The population of this area was estimated to be 6691 in 1861.In the same year, the population of Newfoundland was estimated to be125 000 and that of Prince Edward Island, 80 857.

Several immigrant groups had established themselves in Atlantic Canadaby 1861. The main groups were British, French, and German, as well asAmerican Loyalists, including a significant Black population in Nova Scotia.

The IndustrialRevolution(approximately1750–1850) was aperiod of social andeconomic changeinvolving thedevelopment ofmachines and their usefor mass production inindustry.


Confederation was theunion of present-dayOntario, Québec, NovaScotia, and NewBrunswick in 1867.Other provinces joinedlater, between 1870 and1949.

Post-Confederation Immigration(1867–1914)Shortly after Canada became a nation in 1867, settlers from Ontario beganmoving west. Beginning in 1871, the government made a series of treaties withthe First Nation people living between Ontario and British Columbia. Thesepeople left their lands, which were then made available to the new arrivals.

The government wanted to develop the Prairies in order to carry out itseconomic goals for Canada. Hoping to attract many people to the West, itoffered free homesteads of 160 acres (65 ha) to new settlers. It carried out re-cruitment campaigns all over Europe. It also established the North WestMounted Police and built the Canadian Pacific Railway, which furtherencouraged settlement. The province of Manitoba was established in 1870.

However, immigrants did not come to the Canadian West in great num-bers until after 1896. By then, various circumstances had made the Westmore attractive to settlers. First, all the good agricultural land in the UnitedStates had been taken. Second, new types of wheat, more suitable to Canada’sshort growing season, had been developed. Third, Clifford Sifton, Ministerof the Interior, had organized an aggressive campaign to attract immigrants.Fourth, steamships had become much faster and cheaper to operate. Thetrip to Canada was easier, and more people could afford it.

As a result, immigrants poured into Canada, and the Prairies were rapidlysettled. The provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905.Many new immigrants were still coming from Britain. For the first time,however, significant numbers of people of non-British, non-French back-ground were arriving.

The Canadian PacificRailway, or CPR, wasone of Canada’s firstgreat nationaldevelopment projects.The railway linked thecountry from sea to sea.


FIGURE 3–6Chinese immigrantshelped to build theCanadian PacificRailway, completed in1885. These immigrantswere charged a “headtax” to come to Canada.It was repealed in 1967,and in 2005, the federalgovernment agreed tocompensate the families of these original settlers.

Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta suddenly became Canada’s mostethnically diverse areas. The newcomers dramatically changed the face ofthe Prairies with expressions of their varied cultures. These included onion-domed Ukrainian churches, Mennonite colonies, Jewish newspapers, andIcelandic fishing boats on Lake Winnipeg.

1871 1911

British 2 110 502 3 999 081

French 1 082 940 2 061 719

German 202 991 403 417

Dutch 9 662 55 961

Scandinavian 1 623 112 682

Italian 1 035 45 963

Jewish 125 76 199

Polish * 33 652

Ukrainian — 75 432

Other European 4 437 129 829

Chinese — 27 831

Other Asian 4 15 382

Aboriginal 23 037 105 611

Other 29 405 63 884

Total population 3 465 761 7 206 643

FIGURE 3–7 Population of Canada by origin, 1871 and 1911. How did the culturalcomposition of Canada change during this time?

*Included under “Other European”


Post-War and Mid-Twentieth-CenturyImmigration (1919–1969)There was little immigration to Canada between 1914 and 1918 becauseWorld War I restricted the movement of people. However, after 1918,Canada became an attractive place to those struggling with the hardshipscaused by the war. About 1.5 million immigrants came to Canada duringthe 1920s. Many came to live in the cities and work in industries. The num-ber of non-British immigrants of European and other backgrounds increased.


Immigration was greatly reduced during the Great Depression of the1930s and during World War II. During the Depression, Canada was not aland of opportunity. Canadians suffered from severe unemployment andpoor economic conditions. The Dust Bowl throughout the Prairies con-tributed to the terrible conditions. World War II again made it difficult forpeople to migrate freely from one country to another.

After World War II, however, immigrants once more found Canada anattractive country. Again, large numbers came to Canada from all over theworld, further changing the composition of our population.

1931 1951 1971

British 5 381 071 6 709 685 9 624 115

French 2 927 990 4 319 167 6 180 120

German 473 544 619 995 1 317 200

Scandinavian 228 049 283 024 384 795

Ukrainian 225 113 395 043 580 660

Jewish 156 726 181 670 296 945

Dutch 148 962 264 267 425 945

Polish 145 503 219 845 316 430

Italian 98 173 152 245 730 820

Other European 308 600 377 173 775 005

Chinese 46 519 32 528 118 815

Other Asian 38 029 40 299 166 720

Aboriginal 128 890 165 607 312 760

Other 69 617 248 881 337 980

Total population 10 376 786 14 009 429 21 568 310

FIGURE 3–8 Population of Canada by origin, 1931–1971. Compare these three timeperiods to see which cultural groups were growing the fastest.


Recent Immigration Patterns (1970–Present)By the late 1960s, Europe’s economy had recovered from the devastation ofWorld War II. As a result, fewer Europeans wished to immigrate to Canada.Canada, however, was still in need of skilled workers with technical andprofessional training. Consequently, Canada began to accept large numbersof people from areas from which it had not traditionally accepted immi-grants: the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and new areas of Asia. Most

During the GreatDepression of1929–1939, economicconditions were verypoor. Many companieswent out of business,there was widespreadunemployment, andwages and prices werelow.


Refugees are peopleforced to leave theirhomeland because ofwar or persecution.

of these immigrants came in under a strict point system. The system favouredthose who knew French or English, were highly educated, and had superiorskills or resources.

The new group of immigrants who came in the 1970s and early 1980swere mostly professionals, technicians, managers, and entrepreneurs. Indeed,Canada was draining these badly needed skilled people from developing na-tions. However, we continued to increase the pace of immigration through-out the 1970s and 1980s with the objective of increasing our economicgrowth. By 1981 refugees made up 25 percent of all immigrants to Canada.During the same year, the Foreign Domestic Workers Program was intro-duced. Domestic workers admitted to this program came to Canada on atemporary contract, but could apply for permanent residence after two years.

Canada’s Department of Employment and Immigration also looked intothe practices and procedures for refugees. As a result of Refugee StatusDetermination Process reports in 1981, 1984, and 1985, the Supreme Courtof Canada ruled that, in order to receive Canadian status, all refugees mustreceive an oral hearing. Extra positions were created on the ImmigrationAppeal Board to judge refugee claims. By May 1986, 85 percent of 28 000refugee claims were accepted. However, in 1988–1993, the regulations werechanged. Many refugees were left in limbo and separated from their familiesfor years, as the oral hearings became backlogged. Other measures were pro-posed such as fingerprinting, hearings open to the general public, and iden-tity documents. The Canadian Council for Refugees was active in drawingattention to the need for gender sensitivity.

The major shift in immigration patterns to Canada began in earnestafter 1978, when the Liberal government led by Pierre Trudeau proposed newimmigration legislation designed to open Canada’s doors to a wider range ofimmigrants. There was some opposition to this Act from Canadians whofelt that more non-European immigration would threaten Canada’s traditionalvalues, attitudes, and cultures. Nevertheless, the Act was passed, and a newphase in Canada’s immigration history began.


FIGURE 3–9 Immigration to Canada by source area, 1975, 1992, and 2005

1975

17%

11%

28%

39%

5%

16%

18%

15%

48%

3%

9%15%

21%

6%

50%

1992 2005

CANADA’S IMMIGR ATION POLICY

The Immigration and Refugee Act of 2002 sets out, in a comprehensive way,Canada’s rules and objectives regarding immigration (see Figure 3–10). A newfeature of the Act is the Permanent Resident Card.

The Act specifies three basic classes of immigrants. The first is the fam-ily class. To be included in this class, a potential immigrant must be a closerelative of a Canadian citizen. The second is the refugee class. Refugees arepeople who have been forced to leave their homeland because of war or per-secution. The third group is the independent class, which includes personsadmitted on the basis of skills, capital, and jobs available in Canada.

The Act prohibits entry to certain categories of people: those who posea threat to public health, safety, order, or national security. This includespeople who have serious diseases, people who disregard the law, and peo-ple who might try to destroy our government or way of life.

For the independent class of immigrants, the government developed se-lection criteria. Points are awarded to show how well the potential immi-grant fits the criteria. The criteria and the exact number of points for eachone vary from time to time, as does the total number of points required forthe immigrant to be selected.


Organize and Understand7. Make a timeline to show the increasing

complexity of Canada’s ethnic composi-tion.

Thinking It Through8. Why do some Canadians feel threatened by

shifting patterns of immigration? Do youbelieve this fear is misguided?

9. How have political factors influenced im-migration to Canada? Give examples.

10. In what way are the prairie provinces ofManitoba, Saskatchewan, and Albertaunique in Canadian immigration history?

11. In the periods 1919–1969 and 1970–pres-ent, many new immigrants have settled in

Canada’s cities. Suggest reasons why mosthave not established farms and small ruralcommunities, as many did in the period1867–1914.

Inquiring Citizen12. Industries such as fishing, forestry, mining,

and manufacturing have employed manynewcomers to Canada over the years.Choose one Canadian industry. Researchthe effects it has had on Canadian immi-gration patterns, as well as effects immi-grants have had on the industry.

13. How have the search for religious freedomand other factors relating to religion influ-enced immigration to Canada? Work witha group to find out what you can about thistopic. Report to the class.

In 2006 varying numbers of points were awardedfor the following criteria:• Education: Generally one point for each year

of primary and secondary education success-fully completed; extra points for second degree.

• Vocational training: Points for vocational oron-the-job training; extra points for trade certificate.

• Experience: Points for relevant job experience.• Occupational demand: Points based on the

need in Canada for the type of work the ap-plicant is qualified and willing to do.

• Arranged employment: Points if the applicanthas arranged a job, as long as this employ-

ment does not take a job away fromCanadian workers.

• Location: Points if the immigrant is willing tomove to an area where his or her particularskills are needed.

• Age: Points for being of working age.• Knowledge of French or English: Points for

the ability to listen, read, write, and speak either French or English. Extra points for bilingualism.

• Personal suitability: Points based on an inter-view to assess the applicant’s past, and howsuccessful the applicant will be in establishinghim- or herself.

Fact Sheet: Criteria for Immigration

Major Issues Facing Canada’s ImmigrationPolicyBecause the world has significantly changed in the past twenty years, Canadaneeds to review current goals and objectives for immigration. The world isnow concerned with border security (post September 11, 2001) and carefulmonitoring of people entering the country. In addition, there is increasinginternational competition for skilled labour for both permanent and short-term employment.

Large numbers of immigrants arriving in Canada predominantly settle inand around the three largest cities in Canada (Montréal, Toronto, andVancouver), where they expect to find work fairly easily. However, the speed


Immigration for Economic Reasons:

• Recruit workers whose skills are needed.

• Recruit entrepreneurs with money, knowledge,and expertise.

• Avoid recruiting workers in fields where thereis no shortage of Canadian workers.

Immigration for Humanitarian Reasons:

• Allow families to reunite.

• Allow people to escape persecution.

• Allow self-supporting people to come toCanada if they wish.

FIGURE 3–10 The goals of Canada’s immigration policy

at which new immigrants find work and their success in the labour markethave decreased in comparison with those who came to Canada years ago.Poverty rates among immigrant households have increased steadily since1980. Canadian immigration programs cover areas such as demographic,economic, social, humanitarian, and security issues. Are adequate resourcesbeing provided for the programs?

Some of the immigration issues Canada faces today also include the fol-lowing:• selection criteria• appropriate number of people immigrating on an annual basis• different classes of immigrants• family reunification• rules and procedures governing admission of different classes• effective integration into the Canadian labour market for employment• effective integration into Canadian society• social welfare costs• education• discrimination• social impact of the ethnic community

These issues extend beyond the offices of Citizenship and ImmigrationCanada. More and more expectations are placed on provincial and munic-ipal levels of government to meet the needs of immigrants. From a global per-spective, populations are moving in order to enhance economic relationships,avoid political oppression, obtain human rights, and achieve technologicalaccess. This continues to widen the gap between industrialized and develop-ing countries. Do you think Canada will be placed under further pressure totake more immigrants in the decades ahead? How do you think Canadawill react? How do we try to attract immigrants to our province?

Immigrant and Refugee IntegrationThe Canadian government aims to ensure that the various cultures in Canadaget along with each other. Three main types of relationships can developwhen different cultures meet:• Assimilation occurs when one cultural group adopts the language, val-

ues, attitudes, and traditions of the dominant culture, and in the processloses much of its own cultural identity.

• Segregation occurs when cultural groups are separated from one anotherso that there is little chance that cultures will mix. This usually involvesseparate neighbourhoods, schools, and public facilities such as wash-rooms and restaurants.


• Integration occurs when one cultural group preserves some distinctiveaspects of its own culture, while adopting many of the values, attitudes,and traditions of the dominant culture. Integration is the process of be-coming part of, or fitting into, a society. A new immigrant to Canadawould integrate by such means as getting a job, learning one of Canada’stwo official languages, obtaining Canadian citizenship, understandingand respecting Canadian law, and gaining a clear understanding ofCanada’s history and modern identity.


FIGURE 3–11Some immigrantfamilies use a vari-ety of services as they begin theprocess of integra-tion. Which wouldyou consider to bethe most important?

1. Loans ProgramLoans cover the cost of thingssuch as travel documents, med-ical examinations, transporta-tion to Canada, and toolsrequired for work.

2. Adjustment AssistanceProgram (AAP)Money is provided to pay foraccommodation, clothing,household goods, and livingexpenses for up to a year oruntil the newcomer is self-sup-porting. AAP counsellors assistrefugees at their port of entryto get medical coverage, so-cial assistance, and family al-lowances.

3. Immigrant Settlement andAdaptation ProgramApproximately 165 non-profit organizations are funded to help provide essential

services to immigrants. Theseinclude translation and inter-pretation, referral to commu-nity resources, assistance inobtaining employment, andorientation to Canadian socialservices programs. InManitoba, new immigrantsand refugees are supportedthrough many organizationssuch as “Welcome Place,”“The Friendship Centre,” andethnic cultural associations.

4. Host ProgramApproximately thirty non-profitcommunity organizations trainCanadian volunteers who helpnew immigrants adjust and set-tle into Canadian life.

5. LINC (Language Instructionfor Newcomers to Canada)This program funds some 300service providers, such asschools, to instruct adult new-comers in basic communica-tion skills in English or French.

6. Labour Market LanguageTraining ProgramThis program funds serviceproviders, such as schools andbusinesses, who provide ad-vanced language training re-quired on the job.

It is important for new immigrants and refugees to integrate into their newcommunities, so that they can contribute fully to Canadian society.Integration often requires adaptations on the part of those entering Canada,and acceptance and help from Canadians. As we have seen, the point systemhelps to ensure that most independent class immigrants have the means tosupport themselves and are likely to integrate fairly easily. However, some im-migrants — especially refugees who have had to flee their homelands andleave most of their possessions behind — need help. Figure 3–11 illustratessome ways in which Canadian society is assisting the successful integrationof these immigrants.


Organize and Understand14. What are the three classes of immigrants?

15. What types of people does the ImmigrationAct prevent from coming into Canada?

16. List and explain the three types of relation-ships that can develop when different cul-tures meet.

Using Your Knowledge17. Create a detailed, descriptive portrait of a

potential independent class immigrant whowould receive a high number of points asoutlined in the list of immigrant selectioncriteria.

Thinking It Through18. How does immigration help support the

Canadian economy?

19. What type of cultural relationship is illus-trated in each of the following examples?a) A new girl comes to class. She offers to

teach her classmates the game of check-

ers. They agree and offer to teach herbaseball in return.

b) A boy comes to a new school. He meetsthe members of his class. After schoolhe offers to teach them the game ofcheckers. They refuse to learn thisgame, saying that they always play base-ball. The new boy learns to play base-ball and never plays checkers again.

c) A girl comes to a new school. She meetsthe members of her class. After schoolshe offers to teach them checkers. Theyrefuse to learn this game, saying they al-ways play baseball. They will not let thenew girl play baseball. She plays check-ers with her brother.

Inquiring Citizen20. Using the school or community resource

centre, discover whether any of the immi-grant integration programs are operating inyour community.

Active Citizenship

WelcomingImmigrants

Invite a person from anyimmigrant integrationprogram to come andspeak to the class.Prepare by having a classdiscussion in which yougenerate a series ofquestions to ask yourguest speaker.

IMMIGR ANT EXPERIENCES:TROUBLES AND TRIUMPHS

What are some ways in which immigrants have affected Canadian society? What do immigrants themselves have to say about their experi-ences? The quotations answer these questions. The quotations, all by rela-tively recent immigrants, are from the books Between Two Worlds: TheCanadian Immigrant Experience and Worlds Apart: New Immigrant Voices,both edited and written by Milly Charon.


On looking back over our lives since we came toCanada, we can truly say that we have never re-gretted our decision. We have been back toScotland several times, but we are always happyto return to the mighty Peace River (Alberta) —God’s Country.

Tom Telfer, immigrant from Scotland, BetweenTwo Worlds.

This inability to communicate and the resulting iso-lation are the two main reasons why immigrantssuffer from depression. I still have it periodically, tothis day. Do you know that to be able to talk to agirl, other than an Armenian, was a big triumph forme when I first arrived in Canada? I couldn’t evenpronounce names like Ruth and Claudette. I knowof many people who left Canada, and returnedto their own countries because they couldn’t take

the loneliness here — the lack of communication —and were unable to get into any kind of business.Most of the people I knew were merchants, and thered tape of permits, leases, licenses and other pa-pers intimidated them so much that they wereafraid to even make the attempt to sort it out.

Zaven Degirmen, Armenian immigrant fromTurkey, Worlds Apart.

I want to do all the things in my power to promoteexchanges between Canada and China in trade,culture, economics, whatever. There’s a certainway to deal with the Chinese mentality, and Iwould like to be a part of the liaison between mycountry and Canada. All my experiences in volun-teer work have shown me the way, and I know Ican do it.Nelly Cheng, immigrant from China, Worlds Apart.

Immigrants ’ V iewsFOCUS

Organize and Understand21. Based on the quotations, what contribu-

tions do you think immigrants make toCanadian society?

22. Which of the quotations suggest ways re-cent immigrants can and do help eachother?

A DIFFICULT ISSUE: LEVELS OFIMMIGR ATION

In the early part of the 1990s, Canada experienced the worst economicdownturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Between 1989 and 1994,unemployment rates soared, welfare rolls bulged, and unemployment in-surance payments rose steeply. The result was a drain on government treas-uries. The federal and provincial governments went deeper and deeper intodebt in order to continue their operations.

During this same period, the Conservative government led by BrianMulroney increased the number of immigrants coming into the country.When Mulroney began his term as prime minister in 1985, 84 302 immi-grants were allowed into Canada annually. By the end of Mulroney’s sec-ond term, his government was allowing 252 842 new immigrants into Canadaon an annual basis. With an almost 200 percent increase in the immigra-tion rate, many Canadians became concerned. Was it wise to allow so manynewcomers to arrive during such hard economic times?


Using Your Knowledge23. What evidence is there in the preceding sec-

tion to support the view that immigrantshelp improve the Canadian economy?

24. What difficulties and issues emerge fromthe quotations by the various immigrants?List the four you consider the most serious.Suggest possible ways to rectify the issues.

Thinking It Through25. In what ways do you think individual

Canadians can help deal with the difficul-ties of immigrants with whom they comein contact?

26. Do you believe there should be more gov-ernment assistance in helping immigrantsadapt to life in Canada?

Inquiring Citizen27. Contact your municipal or provincial gov-

ernment and collect statistics on recent im-migration patterns in your community.Make a display board of your findings.

28. Refugees can be sponsored by individualsor groups who are willing to take over thefinancial costs of establishing the refugee inCanada. Check with local churches or serv-ice clubs in your community to see if theyhave sponsored any refugees. Ask a sponsorto come to your class to talk about thesponsorship process.

29. Identify immigrants who have made valuable contributions to Manitoba.Research the contributions they have made to the province.

Active Citizenship

Immigration

As a class project, preparemini-biographies of andquotations by immigrantsto Canada. Whichstudents in your own classcould you feature? Whichlocal people might beincluded? How are theycontributing to Canada as“new Canadians”?

Year Number of Immigrants

1978 86 313

1979 112 096

1980 143 117

1981 128 618

1982 121 147

1983 89 157

1984 88 239

1985 84 302

1986 99 219

1987 152 098

1988 161 929

1989 192 001

1990 213 334

1991 232 020

1992 253 345

1993 254 670

FIGURE 3–12 Immigration toCanada, 1978–1993

SOURCE: Citizenship and Immigration Canada


Year Refugees Special Measures*

1979 27 740 —

1980 40 640 —

1981 15 060 —

1982 17 002 12

1983 14 062 679

1984 15 553 2 518

1985 17 000 2 562

1986 19 485 2 625

1987 21 950 2 843

1988 27 112 2 040

1989 37 359 2 468

1990 40 190 3 323

1991 53 693 2 404

1992 51 878 873

1993** 26 165 3 321

FIGURE 3–13 Refugee and humanitarian arrivals in Canada,1979–1993. Compare these numbers with the figures for overall immi-gration during these years. What conclusions can you draw about the pro-portion of refugees to family and independent class immigrants?

* Special Measures are humanitarian family reunification programs in place at various times for citi-zens of El Salvador, Guatemala, Iran, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and former Yugoslavia.

** 1993 shows approximately ten months’ data.

SOURCE: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada

When the Liberals led by Jean Chrétien came to power in 1993, theydecided to place immigration levels at 1 percent of the population annu-ally. This would mean immigration levels would be above 250 000 annu-ally, and would continue to grow each year. At the end of 1994, however,the Liberals seemed to backtrack from their original open position on immi-gration. They recommended that the overall level of immigration shoulddrop and that the procedures for accepting immigrants should change overa number of years. As part of the change to procedures, the governmentproposed that sponsors be required to provide a bond that would guaran-tee support for ten years for family class immigrants who might not be ableto support themselves. The procedure would have the effect of favouringindependent class immigrants who scored highly on a revised points system.

A sponsor is aCanadian citizen whoagrees to supportsomeone applying toimmigrate. For familyclass immigrants, thesponsor must be a closerelative.

Sergio: My family immigrated to Canada fromPortugal when I was two years old. I think it isgood to have a lot of immigrants. Immigrants arehard-working and they help to build the country.Around 1910, the immigration rate was close to350 000 and the population was much smaller.The more people Canada has, the better.Immigrants become consumers; they pay taxes;they make products that we can sell to other na-tions; and they open businesses and create jobs.

Reg: It is not quite that simple. If all the immigrantswere self-supporting, knew English or French, hadmoney to invest, or had some advanced skills thatthe country needs, that would be all right. But whatabout refugees? They get welfare, free legal aid,

free medical care, and other benefits. This all costsmoney.

Adam: I think that Reg makes some good points.My family immigrated to Canada in the 1950sfrom Germany. But at that time the Canadian econ-omy was growing. Also, my grandfather knewEnglish. Now many of the immigrants do not knowEnglish. Many of them are older and have fewerskills because they are family reunifications.Professor De Vortz at Simon Fraser University claimsthat there is a decline in the economic perform-ance of recent immigrants. He blames this on thefact that 80 percent are family reunifications andrefugees, and that these groups have fewer jobskills.

A Discussion About Immigration LevelsFOCUS

As part of the 1995 federal budget, the Liberal government led by JeanChrétien imposed the “Right of Landing Fee,” widely known as the “HeadTax.” A fee of $975 was applied to all adults (including refugees) who wishedto become permanent Canadian residents. The Canadian Council forRefugees and other non-governmental organizations looked on this tax asdiscriminatory. In February 2000 Citizenship and Immigration Canada re-moved the Right of Landing Fee for refugees but maintained the tax for im-migrants. The government also commissioned a Legislative Review AdvisoryGroup in 1998. It was to come up with proposals for a new Immigration Act,the 1978 Act was no longer relevant to the needs of immigrants and refugeesbefore entering Canada. The governments of Manitoba and British Columbiawent a step further in 1998 and signed agreements with the federal govern-ment, giving the provinces responsibility for the administration of settle-ment services for all immigrants and refugees.

By 1999 the government White Paper, “Building on a Strong Foundationfor the 21st Century,” was released. The proposals and recommendationswould significantly change Canada’s immigration legislation if accepted.Many conferences throughout Canada were held to debate the proposedchanges and look at the major issues now facing Canada. Several major issuesraised by the White Paper that still need to be extensively reviewed are globalin nature.

The following debate was held by students who had researched the topicof immigration. As you read the transcript, try to decide where you stand onCanada’s immigration levels.



The national unemployment rate is high. Howare low-skilled immigrants ever going to find work?And what about those who need to learn English?I don’t see how we will be able to afford Englishas a Second Language programs if the immigrationlevels continue to go up.

Also, the average age of immigrants is muchhigher than the Canadian average. The govern-ment already has to borrow millions of dollars aday to run the country. What will happen to thedeficit if we increase immigration and end up withmany more people who qualify for benefits such asthe old-age pension and medical care?

Balvinder: I think that Reg and Adam are simplygreedy. You don’t realize how difficult it can bein other parts of the world. People are in desper-ate need of a better life. Canada is such a vastcountry, one of the largest in the world and, byworld standards, there are hardly any people here.The people who want to come to Canada areoften forced to flee their native lands because ofvery serious problems that make it almost impossi-ble to live. The World Bank report suggests thatalmost half of Africa is suffering from civil war,uprisings, drought, and famine. Life expectancyin these countries is only forty-seven years com-pared with seventy-eight years in Canada.

When we have so much in Canada, we shouldbe willing to give a little more in taxes and have alittle more competition for jobs to help save thesepeople’s lives. Also, we should remember that peo-ple from these troubled parts of the world are oftenprepared to work for low wages. Some Canadianbusinesses are taking advantage of these lowerlabour costs, and are producing cheaper prod-ucts that they can export more easily.

Sandy: Yeah, well, that is just the point. Who needscheap labour? If immigrants are willing to workfor low wages, then all wages will drop. I needto get a well-paying job to make money for mytuition for university. Anyway, it isn’t fair to takeadvantage of immigrants just because they areprepared to work for less and with no benefits orholidays.

If there are more immigrants, there will be morepressure to change the way we do things inCanada. Because we call ourselves a multiculturalnation, some immigrants think that they can cre-ate little versions of their own country right inCanada. For example, parts of Vancouver arenow full of Asian stores and religious temples andeverything. Maclean’s magazine reported thatmany long-standing Vancouver residents resent re-cent immigrants from different parts of Asia be-cause they have made little effort to adapt to theCanadian way of life.

Joo Lin: You know, Sandy, Canada is a multiculturalnation. It is part of our identity to be respectful tothe cultures of all Canadians, not just the Frenchand the English. When you talk like this, you soundlike a racist. Immigrants in Vancouver are not tak-ing away your British culture, but it sounds likeyou want to take away theirs.

Michael: No, no, I don’t think that’s right, Joo Lin.Every time someone disagrees with multiculturalismor wants lower immigration levels, it doesn’t meanthey have racist tendencies. There are racists inCanada, I know! My family is Jewish, and theJewish community is well aware of the neo-Nazithreat that seems to be growing in Canada andother industrialized Western Nations. But concernover immigration being increased is not necessar-ily racist. In fact, I think immigration shouldn’t beincreased because it increases racial tensions.

My research showed that immigration patternsbegan to change radically in the 1970s. People ofcolour began to come in much larger numbers.Since 1985, the number of this type of immigranthas more than doubled. If they spread out acrossthe country, we would hardly notice. But morethan 60 percent go to Toronto, Vancouver, andMontréal. In these communities, the new immi-grant groups are becoming a very active politicaland social force. Older, traditional communitieshave seen their cities take on a strong multicul-tural flavour almost overnight.

I think the older Canadians fear becomingaliens in the country they helped to build. . . .


Also, I feel that it is happening so fast that there isno time for a less friction-filled integration betweenthe old and new communities. That is why I feel im-migration levels should be lowered. Once the pres-ent wave of immigrants has settled in, we canbegin to increase immigration once again.

Minesh: I think that the fear of the “long-standing”Canadian community has some real racial over-tones. If you fear a group because they are dif-ferent, have different customs, and are becomingeffective, that sounds kind of racist to me. And I dis-agree. I think that we should increase immigra-tion levels. . . .

In the 1950s, Germany absorbed 13 millionrefugees into a country of 40 million, and theireconomy prospered. I don’t think we really knowhow many immigrants we can take. I believe thatwe need to get more immigrants who bring neededskills, are self-employed, and are entrepreneurswith risk capital to invest in small to medium-sizebusiness.

Evan Carmichael, Canadian entreprenuershipexpert, states that in 2005, entreprenuer immi-grants in Canada created almost 1000 new jobs.These new immigrants are bringing in billions ofdollars of investment capital, as well as foreignmanagement expertise.

Also, these new business immigrants createtrade links and investment opportunities forCanadians in their countries of origin. They canhelp to develop and sell new products on the inter-national markets. These new business immigrantsare very ambitious and hard-working. I think theycan set a good example for all Canadians, be-cause we need to be more ambitious and hard-working if we are to prosper in the world economy.

Karen: I think we should be very careful with whatwe do. If immigration is too high, there will notbe enough jobs to go around. When unemploy-ment in Canada is high, the immigration levelsshould be reduced. At times like this, some ex-tremists will blame immigrants for the lack of jobs.This could result in increased racism. There havebeen neo-Nazis right here at the school, and they

stress that most of Canada’s new immigrants arepeople of colour. They link colour, immigration,and jobs in their racist babble. If immigration wentback to the earlier level of .05 percent of the pop-ulation, it would reduce the influence of these racistarguments.

Also, I think that the immigration departmenthas some serious problems that must be cleaned upin a hurry. For example, they have allowed insome terrorists — people responsible for terriblecrimes against humanity — as well as petty crim-inals. Members of organized crime rings haveslipped in as refugees or independent immigrants,and they run extortion and drug rings. And, be-cause of budget cuts that reduced immigrationpolicing staff, some people who have been or-dered deported have managed to remain in thecountry. I think it would be wise to reduce immigra-tion to low levels for several years until the immi-gration department clears up these problems.

Caitlin: I think that traditional or long-standingCanadians are just afraid of change. Canada wastraditionally English and French, but in the 1960s,the government recognized that we could no longerget as many immigrants as we needed from Britainand Europe. If we did not accept immigrants fromother parts of the world, the Canadian economywould suffer. We did not have enough workersand our market was small. These new immigrantshave brought many changes. They follow differ-ent religions, their style of dress is different, they eatdifferent foods, and they have different languages.

Some people fear these differences, but I thinkthat they are great. The new cultures give Canadaa cosmopolitan, international flavour; it is as if wehave the world on our doorstep. The key to deal-ing with this fear — and with the racism Michaeland Karen talked about — is education. Look at us.As young Canadians we are learning to get alongwith all different types of races and cultures. Thiskind of understanding and social skill will soonbe in demand in business, politics, and the artsall around the world.

98 UNIT 1

FIGURE 3–14Government grantshelp pay for the teach-ing of ancestral lan-guages, as well asFrench or English, for immigrants. Here, students attend aChinese languageclass.

Organize and Understand30. Why did immigration levels become a con-

troversial issue in the early and mid-1990s?

31. Roughly what proportion of immigrationwas accounted for by refugees in the years1990–2000?

32. Take a page in your notebook and divide itdown the centre. Across the top of the pagewrite the question “Should Canada havehigh levels of immigration?” Label the leftcolumn “Pro” (reasons in favour) and theright column “Con” (reasons against).Read through the debate again. Based on itand any other relevant information youhave, list as many reasons as possible inboth columns.

Thinking It Through33. After you have completed your Pro and

Con chart, decide which side of the issueyou support. Be prepared to defend yourpoint of view in a debate with the rest ofthe class.

Inquiring Citizen34. What is the life expectancy for people in

Somalia compared with that in Canada?

35. Working in a group, develop a series of10 statements about immigration. Eachshould be written so it can be answeredwith one of the following replies: a) very strongly agree b) agree c) disagreed) very strongly disagree

Conduct an immigration survey in yourschool and/or community. Have eachmember of your group pose the questionsto 10 people, asking them to respond as in-dicated above. When your survey is com-pleted, collate your results. What do theyshow about public opinion on the issue ofimmigration?

36. Do you think the opinions you collected inyour survey might change over time? Ifnot, why not? If so, what sorts of condi-tions might cause the opinions to change?Discuss these questions with two or threeof the people you surveyed. Discuss yourfindings in class.

37. In your own words, briefly summarize themain points made by each student in thediscussion about immigration levels onpages 95–97.

OFFICIAL MULTICULTUR ALISM:ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES

As we have seen, Canada has been a mosaic of cultures from its earliest days.It was not until the 1970s, however, that Canada’s identity became officiallymulticultural. On October 8, 1971, Prime Minister Trudeau outlined a pol-icy on multiculturalism within a bilingual framework. The government’sgoals were to• help cultural groups preserve their cultures,• help members of cultural groups overcome barriers preventing full par-

ticipation in Canadian society,• promote cultural exchanges between groups to further national unity,

and• assist immigrants to acquire at least one of Canada’s official languages.

The government developed various programs to implement these goals.Succeeding governments continued with sim-ilar policies. Before long, official multicultural-ism became a widely recognized and acceptedpart of our national identity. Various culturalcommunities began to produce newspapers,histories of their contributions to the buildingof Canada, multicultural festivals, and projectsto allow community members to address a widearray of problems and goals.

As time passed, however, it became clearthat the government’s official multiculturalismpolicy was not fulfilling all its high hopes andpromises. Some communities pointed to theirexperiences of inequality, discrimination, andsystemic racism. Their voices grew louder asCanada wrestled with the dream of creating astronger unity by focusing on the diversity ofmulticulturalism. From around the world camea variety of examples that suggested that a focuson ethnic diversity could tear a country apart.


FIGURE 3–15 The government began giving grantsto organizers of cultural conferences, festivals, andexchanges, such as the annual Toronto CaribbeanCarnival (Caribana) parade in Toronto.

For informationabout Manitoba’sapproach tomulticulturalism, see thelink on our Web site

www.pearsoned.ca/ccw

This was the case in the former Yugoslavia, in Rwanda, and in a dozen othercountries.

In 1992 the highly respected American historian Arthur M. SchlesingerJr. wrote a national bestseller called The Disuniting of America. In it, he ques-tioned the wisdom of promoting multiculturalism. Schlesinger argued thatif people of different origins, languages, religions, and cultures live in thesame country, they must have a common sense of purpose and a very strongunderstanding of their common national identity; otherwise, the societywill be torn apart by ethnic and racial antagonisms. Schlesinger used Canadaas an example of a nation being unravelled and undermined by official mul-ticulturalism.

In the following section, you will examine a number of views concerningthe advantages provided and challenges presented by the policy of multi-culturalism.


FIGURE 3–16 The government supported the contributions of various culturalgroups to promote multiculturalism.

Diversity has been a fundamental characteristicof Canada since its beginnings. At the time ofEuropean settlement there were more than 56Aboriginal nations speaking more than 30 lan-guages. As the French and then the English colo-nized Canada, treaties were signed thatacknowledged Aboriginal nationhood. Linguisticduality was enshrined in law at the earliest stagesof the development of the Canadian federation.At a time when it was accepted practice to estab-lish sovereignty through war and cultural domina-tion, there were enough Canadians who believedin the virtues of accommodation and mutual re-spect to ensure that, with some exceptions, Canadawould develop peaceably and the foundations ofits diversity would be preserved.

This does not mean that there aren’t tensions inCanada that flow from the differences betweenpeople. But as these tensions are addressed,Canadians learn to adapt and relate to one an-other despite their differences. Through practice,we have come to understand that the differencesbetween us do not have to divide us. This encour-ages citizens who face common challenges to stepforward and claim their right to full participationin Canadian society. As a consequence, Canada’sconcept of what constitutes diversity is expand-ing. Diversity is moving beyond language, ethnic-ity, race and religion, to include cross-cuttingcharacteristics such as gender, sexual orientation,and range of ability and age. The same ap-proaches that have helped Canadians developinto a bilingual, multicultural society are now alsohelping to bring down other barriers that preventindividuals from reaching their full potential.Canadian Diversity: Accepting Our Differences.

The Department of Canadian Heritage

The average Canadian’s attitude toward the immi-grant is — “They can’t help the way they look, sowe’ll accept that, but that’s as far as we’ll go. They

will have to accept our ways and mannerisms ineverything else. If not, they can do what they likein the privacy of their home, but outside they shouldconform.”

Therefore, this is the approach I have chosen formyself. At home I am almost entirely Indian (fromIndia), but outside I ape every Canadian manner-ism possible. I must confess that, since there is nodefinite Canadian identity, this is quite difficult.Of one thing I am convinced and that is the “eth-nic mosaic” is a myth.

Meera Shastri, quoted in Between Two Worlds:The Canadian Immigrant Experience

(Dunvegan, Ont.: Quadrant Editions, 1983).

Multiculturalism is an emotional subject. It reachesinto our past and our present, into the core of our-selves. It engages all that has shaped us. It touchesus where we are the most vulnerable and the mostself-protective. . . . Anyone critical of multiculturalpolicy, then, is immediately branded a racist. Andif one happens to be, as I am, a “person ofcolour,” one is then graced with words such as“sell-out,” “traitor” and “Uncle Tom” from “ethnic”defenders with a stake in the system. . . . Many arethey in this country who fear a serious examinationof multiculturalism, its policies and its conse-quences. Many are they who will resort to a cho-rus of vilification to protect their sacred turf. . . .

Neil Bissoondath, Selling Illusions: The Cult of Multiculturalism in Canada

(Markham, Ont.: Penguin, 1994).

It is precisely the policy of multiculturalism that hasbrought ethnic minorities out of the so-called ghet-toes into the mainstream of our public culture. . . .

Bissoondath takes great satisfaction from hissuccessful acculturation into Canada, having ar-rived some 20 years ago from Trinidad. He spurnsidentification with the “ethnic bastions” of ex-Trinidadians in Canada. Fair enough. But he

Views on MulticulturalismFOCUS



should acknowledge the experience of thoseCanadians for whom multiculturalism emergedafter decades of a less salubrious history in a farless culturally accommodating society than the oneBissoondath joined. For a real experience of ghet-

toization, he should have come to Canada beforethe Multiculturalism Act of 1971.

Myrna Kostash, reviewing Bissoondath’s book Selling Illusions in the Toronto Star,

October 22, 1994, p. F17.

ISSUES THAT MULTICULTURALISM policies mustdeal with are• the right to cultural and religious laws• changes to the Canadian Constitution• the creation of a commission on immigration

to look at immigration policies

• the alienation of different cultural groups• problems with assimilation• intolerance and misunderstandings of

separate ethnic and racial communities

What Issues Does Multiculturalism Face Today?FOCUS

Thinking It Through38. What do you think is the most important

advantage of official multiculturalism?Give reasons for your answer.

39. Do you think Canada should keep, get ridof, or perhaps modify its official policy ofmulticulturalism? List reasons for yourpoint of view. Be prepared to defend yourviewpoint with the members of your class.

40. Some Canadians suggest we should notsiphon off qualified people from develop-ing nations because it hurts the economiesof those nations. They suggest that weshould take large numbers of immigrantswho have no modern industrial skills andthen train them and their families here in

Canada. As one of the richest countries, wewould be helping to lessen the burden ofnations that are struggling to survive. Doyou agree with this point of view? Be sureto give reasons to back up your position.

Inquiring Citizen41. Consult with your teacher, local libraries,

or local cultural associations to find outwhether any foreign-language newspaperspublished in Canada are available in yourcommunity. If so, find a copy of the paper.Then ask a person from that community tohelp you translate some of the headlines.Write a short report on the contents andattitudes expressed in one issue.

REVIEWING THE ISSUES

Canada has always been a multicultural nation. From the cultural diversityof the Aboriginal peoples through the waves of immigrants who came toCanada, we are a people of many cultures. In recent years our cultural di-versity has become a major part of our official national identity. ManyCanadians welcomed this change. They hoped that official multiculturalismin Canada would bring domestic harmony and unity. In recent years, how-ever, some Canadians have become concerned that the hopes of official mul-ticulturalism will not be realized. As the twenty-first century progresses,Canadians will continue to consider the value of official multiculturalism,changes to the immigration policy, and the possibility that there may bebetter ways to promote equality, harmony, and a positive, tolerant imagefor Canada.


Documents

Canada’s Cultural Diversity - Mr. Warnermisterwarner.weebly.com/uploads/4/7/3/8/47382085/ccw_ch_3.pdfCHAPTER 3 Canada’s Cultural Diversity 79 Organize and Understand 1. What is