Multiculturalism in Canada

Part of a series on the
Culture of Canada
Culture of Canada
History
Topics
Research
Monument to Multiculturalism by Francesco Pirelli, in Toronto[1]

Multiculturalism in Canada was officially adopted by the government during the 1970s and 1980s.[2] The Canadian federal government has been described as the instigator of multiculturalism as an ideology because of its public emphasis on the social importance of immigration.[3][4] The 1960s Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism is often referred to as the origin of modern political awareness of multiculturalism,[5] resulting in Canada being one of the most multicultural nations in the world.[6] The official state policy of multiculturalism is often cited as one of Canada's significant accomplishments,[7] and a key distinguishing element of Canadian identity and Canadian values.[8][9][10]

Canadians have used the term "multiculturalism" in different ways: descriptively (as a sociological fact), prescriptively (as ideology) or politically (as policy).[11][12] In the first sense "multiculturalism" is a description of the many different religious traditions and cultural influences that in their unity and coexistence result in a unique Canadian cultural mosaic.[12] The country consists of people from a multitude of racial, religious and cultural backgrounds and is open to cultural pluralism.[13] Canada has experienced different waves of immigration since the 19th century, and by the 1980s almost 40 percent of the population were of neither British nor French origins (the two largest groups, and among the oldest of the non-indigenous).[14] In the past, the relationship between the British and the French has been given a lot of importance in Canada's history. By the early 21st century, people from outside British and French heritage composed the majority of the population, with an increasing percentage of individuals who identify themselves as "visible minorities".

Multiculturalism is reflected with the law through the Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988 and section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Broadcasting Act of 1991 asserts the Canadian broadcasting system should reflect the diversity of cultures in the country. Despite the official policies, a small segment of the Canadian population are critical of the concept(s) of a cultural mosaic and implementation(s) of multiculturalism legislation.[15] Quebec's ideology differs from that of the other provinces in that its official policies focus on interculturalism.[16][17]

  1. ^ Kuitenbrouwer, Peter (August 19, 2010). "Where is the Monument to Multiculturalism?". National Post. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  2. ^ Kobayashi, Audrey (1983), "Multiculturalism: Representing a Canadian Institution", in Duncan, James S; Duncan, Ley (eds.), Place/culture/representation, Routledge, pp. 205–206, ISBN 978-0-415-09451-1
  3. ^ Azeezat Johnson; Remi Joseph-Salisbury; Beth Kamunge (2018). The Fire Now: Anti-Racist Scholarship in Times of Explicit Racial Violence. Zed Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-78699-382-3.
  4. ^ Wayland, Shara (1997), Immigration, Multiculturalism and National Identity in Canada (PDF), University of Toronto (Department of Political Science), archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011, retrieved September 12, 2010
  5. ^ Ronald L. Jackson, II (June 29, 2010). Encyclopedia of Identity. SAGE. p. 480. ISBN 978-1-4129-5153-1.
  6. ^ Divya Sharma (November 29, 2020). Ethics, Ethnocentrism and Social Science Research. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-00-028273-3. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  7. ^ Sikka, Sonia (2014). Multiculturalism and Religious Identity: Canada and India. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-7735-9220-9.
  8. ^ Wayland, Sarah V. (1997). "Immigration, Multiculturalism and National Identity in Canada". International Journal on Minority and Group Rights. 5 (1). Brill: 33–58. doi:10.1163/15718119720907408. eISSN 1571-8115. ISSN 1385-4879. JSTOR 24674516. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  9. ^ Johnson, Azeezat; Joseph-Salisbury, Remi; Kamunge, Beth (2018). The Fire Now: Anti-Racist Scholarship in Times of Explicit Racial Violence. Zed Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-78699-382-3.
  10. ^ Caplow, Theodore (2001). Leviathan Transformed: Seven National States in the New Century. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-7735-2304-3.
  11. ^ "Current Publications: Social affairs and population: Canadian Multiculturalism". lop.parl.ca. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Michael Dewing (2013). Canadian Multiculturalism (PDF). Vol. Publication No. 2009-20-E Library of Parliament. Legal and Social Affairs Division Parliamentary Information and Research Service. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 23, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  13. ^ Bernardo Berdichewsky (2007). Latin Americans Integration Into Canadian Society onB C. The Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-9784152-0-4.
  14. ^ Troper, H. (1980). Multiculturalism Archived March 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Multicultural Canada. Retrieved March 28, 2012
  15. ^ Charmaine Nelson; Camille Antoinette Nelson (2004). Racism, Eh?: a critical inter-disciplinary anthology of race and racism in Canada. Captus Press. p. 445. ISBN 978-1-55322-061-9.
  16. ^ "Interculturalism". The Canadian Encyclopedia. June 22, 2021. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  17. ^ Jill Vickers; Annette Isaac (2012). The Politics of Race: Canada, the United States, and Australia. University of Toronto Press – Carleton University Press. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-4426-1131-3.