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How has Canada been affected by a multicultural society
How has Canada been affected by a multicultural society
How has Canada been affected by a multicultural society
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Canada is known for its multiculturalism, having people from many different backgrounds take pride in their Canadian identities. These identities vary within families, and evolve with each generation. My own Canadian identity is different from my ancestor's because of the length of time I’ve been in Canada, my sense of security, and cultural exposure.
The length of time a person has been in a country will determine how connected they are to it. My parents have lived in Canada all their lives, and travelled extensively throughout it. This has given them a strong sense of the true identity of the country they live in, because they have been exposed to the diverse cultures, lifestyles, and landscapes present here. My connection to Canada
Multiculturalism policy was first adopted in Canada in 1971, which reaffirms the dignity and value of all its citizens regardless of ethnic origins, race, religious affiliations, or language. Part of this policy, Canada confirms the rights of all the aboriginals along with the recognition of two official languages. Indeed, multiculturalism has great importance since its main purpose is to give equal treatment to all the citizens (Daniel, 2010). It ensures that all individual citizens could still maintain their identities, and have pride with their ancestry. Through this initiative, the Canadian government was able to give their citizens a feeling of self-confidence, making them more open to their diverse cultures. The multiculturalism policy
idea of what it is to be Canadian rather than always identifying with the place
Although Quebec is in Canada, a majority of Quebecers do not identify with the national identity of Canada. Both societies create a sense of identity as well as nationalism (Hiller, 295). Hiller mentions two approaches to assessing Canadian identity; the unitary approach and the segmentalist approach (Hiller, 277). The unitary approach suggests that society consists of people who regardless of their ethnic back ground, identify as belonging to the national society, while the segmentalist approach concentrates on groups and communities that share racial, linguistic, occupational, or cultural similarities (Hiller, 28). While most Anglophones are more unitary or pan-Canadian, Quebec heavily identifies with the segmentalist approach. This dissimilarity of identity perspective may be problematic for the country, at the same time however, it can also be viewed as a struggle where contradictory parties find a way to compromise and reshape Canadian society together (Hiller, 277). Canada’s former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau made it his objective to unite Quebec with the rest of Canada. In 1969 Trudeau’s government implemented Bill C-120, otherwise known as the Official Language act, which made French an...
When asking some of my friends why they would often say that their families all still spoke their native language or that they lived in a community which a lot of people still spoke the language as well. This is why it’s hard to describe a Canadian identity. We are a very diverse country that celebrates differences. I don’t think there is one Canadian Identity, I think everyone has their own that is influenced by the many different cultural identities that we celebrate in
With out our past, our future would be a curved path heading to nowhere. In order to move up he ladder of success and achievement, we must come to terms with our past and integrate it in to our future.
Lister Sinclair’s pamphlet Change Comes to Canada was distributed at the Canadian Government Pavilion during Expo 67. Sinclair looks at the meaning of the name Canada. She analyses common points in people’s daily lives such as the meaning of ‘our home and native land,’ Canadian history, Canadian resources, transportation, climate and culture that tie each Canadian together. She claims that “every Canadian who thinks about Canada has his own idea about the meaning of that dream.” She argues that there is no actual national identity but individual identities that made up our national identity. She challenges the questions related to a national identity. It is interesting that something that questions the national identity would be distributed at Expo 67; but, it provides in...
“Multiculturalism” entered public speech in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Canada that focused on unique cultural diversity, nationalities, and ethnicity across the nation. Multiculturalism and Immigration are important factors in the development of Canada to attain a strong multicultural example of economic stability, social and political growth which leads to the emergence of Canada’s identity and culture.
It is universally acknowledged that national identity is the most important element for a country. Without a national identity, it is conceivable that the country will not be unique and completed. If we lose our national identity, we will lose everything within it, such as religion, culture, history, etc. There is no denying that Canadians have been struggling to obtain a unified sense of national identity since Confederation. To help Canadians build an accepted national identity, researcher has found that a national memory project, Heritage Minutes, has been produced by CRB Foundation and become a familiar part of the Canadian media landscape since 1991 (Emily, 2002). These Heritage Minutes are useful in promoting a Canadian national identity because of several interacting reasons: interpreting the history of Canada in a stirring and compelling way, so as to induce Canadians to deeply understand their history; emphasizing on the multi-cultural and multi-perspectival nature of Canada’s past(Emily, 2002), so as to enhance national belongingness. ; contributing to the enriched nationa...
“ Canada 's national obsession seems to be its own identity.” For many years Canada has feared the increasing influence of its North American neighbors on its culture - the United States . It has become a matter of growing concern for the people of power and influence in Canada to maintain their separate cultural identity and to promote their own cultural norms. Gaetan Tremblay presents his views on this topic and does this from the perspective of a person living and working in Quebec.
...d the ideal of a perfect Canadian – who belongs to the nation and where do the boundaries lie? There are individuals who still subscribe to the Eurocentric understanding of the country, where the British nation with a French and English presence clearly divided that state. Those who share that view often see multiculturalism as a change that challenges their conception of Canada, themselves and the nations identity. From this perspective, the changes Canadians have experienced make the country seem like it has fallen apart. Racialized minorities have been contingent to this idea of what a model setter once was and what is now considered best for the nation. In reality Canada’s national identity is a lot more complex than both views explain, with a contemporary Canadian perspective included. It has been interestingly portrayed to the Canadian public in various ways.
Do you know that despite Canada being called multicultural and accepting, Canada’s history reveals many secrets that contradicts this statement? Such an example are Canadian aboriginals, who have faced many struggles by Canadian society; losing their rights, freedoms and almost, their culture. However, Native people still made many contributions to Canadian society. Despite the efforts being made to recognize aboriginals in the present day; the attitudes of European Canadians, acts of discrimination from the government, and the effects caused by the past still seen today have proven that Canadians should not be proud of Canada’s history with respect to human rights since 1914.
My grandparents on both my maternal and paternal sides came to Canada from Poland after World War II. My parents were born here in Montreal, like myself. I identify culturally with being
Multiculturalism is a significant fabric of Canadian society that defines its unique identity among the rest of the world. Enactment of the Canadian multicultural policy (1971) affirmed government position and recognition of multiculturalism as a vital element of Canada. It is imperative to understand that multiculturalism is a static concept that keeps changing overtime and has a multidimensional entity. Canadians have always and will continue to revise the concept of multiculturalism to suit the ever expanding needs of Canadian society. In this paper, I will evaluate the reasons behind Canada’s adoption of multicultural policy and assess whether the policy should be maintained or not. I will defend the thesis that Canada’s multiculturalism
Identity-“Ones personal qualities.”Identiy is something only he or she can fully define. My uncle says I am affectionate,cheerful, and calm. My grandmother sees me as slim, pretty and sweet. My dad described me as perky, cheerful and happy, my mom says beautiful, gentle, and self-conscious. These adjectives describe me accurately, yet they are only abstract versions of me. Adjectives cannot begin to describe me and I aknowlege these descriptions for what they are, a condensed translation from my outward self to the world. It is impossible for anyone to understand me completely because nobody has experienced the things I have. My mother has never cherished a raggedy doll named Katie and my father never spent hours upon hours making collages and scrap books for his future children. My uncle never hid in the back of a pick-up-truck and traveled four hours to New York and my grandmother has never walked hours in the rain looking for the Queen of England. My identity is something only I can define.
Canada’s own identity starts with our remarkable sense of culture and customs. For the native peoples, the Canadian identity stretches thousands of years into the search of struggles to retain elements of their ancient culture. From a colonial perspective, the traditions which surface in Canadian culture seem to be born of an earlier time, of different origins and places, of old-fashioned rituals, and customs. Unlike the United States, its senior neighbor, Canada’s aged-like identity is more reserved and skillful, unwilling to commit it self to anything specific. Within each region of Canada-