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This year, 2021, is the 50th anniversary of Canada’s official multiculturalism policy, which Pierre Trudeau introduced in 1971.

Multiculturalism was introduced in part to respond to the criticisms of the Laurendeau-Dunton Commission, which investigated language and social tensions in 1960s Canada. The Commission initially focused only on Canada’s Anglophone and Francophone “founding peoples.” It was harshly criticized by Canadians of other backgrounds for implying their communities were “second-tier.” The commission incorporated those criticisms into its report, which Trudeau used as the basis for his multiculturalism policies.

Since then, multiculturalism has been praised and criticized. Its supporters praise it for enabling people from all over the world to be Canadian on their own terms, and for recognizing the contributions they’ve made to Canadian society. Its critics reproach it for seemingly undermining immigrants’ ability to integrate into Canadian society, for undermining the founding status of Anglophones and Francophones (conflicting with English and French being official languages), and for treating Indigenous people as an “ordinary” ethnic group without Treaty rights.

Some critics advocate interculturalism as an alternative. Interculturalism states that there’s a majority in any given society that sets out things such as the common language and legal framework. It also recognizes the responsibilities of minorities to integrate into society, such as using the common language. However, interculturalism also recognizes that those minorities have rights of their own that the majority must respect, including the rights in some cases to use their own languages. Interculturalism, at its best, is an attempt to balance the concerns and rights of both the majority and the minorities, while also recognizing their responsibilities to each other.

Quebec has been one of the strongest advocates for interculturalism in recent years. The idea of Francophone Canada as one of the country’s “founding peoples” is very deeply rooted there. Many Franco-Quebecois are genuinely concerned about whether newcomers are integrating into mainstream society. However, Quebec’s language laws also make various exceptions for its Anglo-Quebecois minority, including their rights to be educated in English.

Interculturalism is most popular in Quebec right now, but I wonder if it couldn’t also apply to the rest of Canada, too. Many other Canadians have the same kind of concerns about newcomers integrating into society, including learning English. Other provinces’ Francophone minorities have had the same complaints as the Anglo-Quebecois about language rights. Many Indigenous people have made it crystal clear they won’t accept being treated as “just” Canadians. Newcomers across Canada work extremely hard to fit into society, including learning English and/or French, and deserve to have their efforts recognized.

Interculturalism could go a long way to addressing multiculturalism’s criticisms while keeping its positives. The founding statuses of Anglophone, Francophone, and Indigenous cultures would be formally recognized, but so would the fact that these cultures evolve as new people bring new influences from the rest of the world. Newcomers, regardless of skin colour, would have just as much right to call themselves Anglophone or Francophone Canadians as someone whose ancestors came here 300 years ago.

It might be just what Canadian unity needs.

   

I still don't get that you have to recognize 'culture'.

To me, culture is something you practice. I have things that I was brought up with, and do. Someone else may do something else. It doesn't need me to recognize it. It seems silly to make laws to protect it, if you aren't going to practice it. But that doesn't mean I don't want to participate.

There was an Indigenous market for the first time in Edmonton this weekend, and the freeway turn off had a 10 minute backup trying to exit to the market. So I guess I am not the only one.

   

Sorry, but no. People choose to come here, and in coming here they must integrate and become part of Canadian society, not the other way around. Newcomers want to keep their language and traditions to a certain extent, that's fine so as long as in doing so it doesn't change laws or levy a suddenly uneven playing field.

Take this time of year, for example. Some cultures don't celebrate Christmas, and that's fine and I respect it. Problem is, most companies/institutions/levels of government are taking it from behind to 'respect' these same cultures while damaging our as a whole, and trying to cancel out what we believe in. This is NOT right.

You can be Canadian and unique at the same time, but most people can't seem to see this and accept it. We are all supposed to be equal in this country and have the same rights and freedoms, but we don't. Some cultures get special treatment at the behest of throwing racial/ethic tantrums because they played the victim card to get what they want.

A lot of newcomers get here and immediately go into clusters of their own people. Some don't, as I've worked with some immigrants that were happy to become Canadian and live somewhere they could contribute to and, "be able to live their lives without persecution or excess laws" and the like. Yes, they kept their language that they spoke at home, but had always asked me to better their pronunciations of the English language.

(Funny note, the one man, Aldrin, said this of French: "English I can do, but no French, I'm not going to touch that shit even after my citizenship!" )



It's a quagmire and should be left alone.



Quite the opposite, it's what we should avoid, especially with the current societal and political landscapes we have going.

-J.

   

I consider the locks in Panama working to the same capacity as multiculturalism should work in Canada for taking on new ethnicities. Ideally it serves as a stable middle ground for both the homogeneous population and the influx of the newcomers so that neither side is culturally overwhelmed. That is its function but as this process by its very nature is fluid that requires some give and take on both sides as time progresses.

The ultimate goal is not making the new comers a photocopy of the the majority but in harmony with it while still bringing their own strengths to the larger community without being subserviant to it.

   

So the fact that the natives got here first means nothing. We should have integrated into their society, not the other way around.

   

Name one.

   

Turn on your TV.




-J.

   

So you're sprouting facts out of your ass again.

You put it up there, you prove it.

   

I'm not here to do your work for you. If you are honestly saying you don't see how bad everyone bends over to not 'offend' minorities, then you need to get out more.


-J.

   

So tell us, what's your problem with minorities and where do see all this bending over? I don't see it, but I'm not racist so maybe that's not something I tend to notice or look for. I'll keep my eyes open from now on.

   

My T.V is a culture?

   

That's an interesting point actually...

   

Bending over for people who’s grandkids will be the M.D.’s of the future. Not me, I wanna see that Certification and Degree on the wall.

   

Which channel? Perhaps narrowing it down will help.

I didn't expect that you'd be able to back up the right wing talking point that you were regurgitating. I just hoped that you'd see that you couldn't, and realize you were chanting their mantra without understanding what it means. The key to undoing the brainwashing is to make people realize their brain still smells like detergent.

But you can't name one of these businesses or government that are cancelling you. Hmmm. Why is it that you think that? Or do you think it? Or do you just write that as a knee jerk reaction like you have been conditioned to do?

So many questions, so many that you can't answer.

   

OK OK, you win. I just turned on Global Saskatoon news. And you know , you are right. First segment- weather: interviews— some dark skinned person with a south Asian accent was actually complaining about the weather . Bastard-even was rude enough to mock the reporter by saying thank you to the interviewer. Bastard!

   

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