Introduction
The Cat on the Globe is placed in Kensington market in Toronto. The globe is widely identified as “Jiggity Jig” that signifies the immigrants who come to Kensington from various parts of the world. The figure denotes the immigrants as where they are now and where they have come from. The topic of immigration with respect to the Kensington market is of a great significance. The distinctive multicultural market has become rich in culture due to the immigration and settlement of the immigrants of varied races in the region. The market hosts various cultural events such as festivals that feature uniqueness due to the cultural diversity that is witnessed in the area. This paper captures the topic of immigration of various people from various parts of the world, and the influence that the immigrants have on the dynamic landscape of culture. The impacts of the cultural landscape on the lives of the people are also captured in the paper. Religion, as well as the future path of the Canadian market, is also covered. The paper will postulate thoughts on the mentioned aspects of the market and relate them to the existing literary sources, and research evidences authored by other scholars.
Background of Kensington market
The many immigrants began coming to the Kensington back in the year 1880. Immigrant labourers from Ireland and Scotland were one of the first people to reside in the region. The small houses are still existent and have been populated by generations of immigrants over the past 125 years. Kensington started to be known as “The Jewish Market” in 1910. It was a time when Jewish immigrants from Russia, eastern Europeans and some Italians groups moved into the region. More houses were constructed on tiny lots. The Jewish market was situated on the streets of Kensington, which sold imported items from the homelands of various immigrant countries across the world. Immigration has, therefore, a big influence on the community of Kensington.
Significance and Impacts of Immigration
Immigration and settlement of immigrants in this market has served as an important aspect of shaping the cultural background of the people of Kensington. Due to huge diversity in the residents in the market, the cultural landscape of the area has become so complicated. The lives of the ancient inhabitants have also conformed to the popular cultures through increasing influence. The market hosts many festivals and concerts throughout the summer and spring. During the events, many visitors arrive from various parts of the world to witness the amazing cultural display. It seems the mixture of the culture in the performances during the events attracts world attention to a larger extent (Wansbrough, 2005). The presence of variance in the presentations and culture has contributed to making Kensington market one of the greatest distinctive and multicultural market in the whole world. The lives of the people are also influenced by the popular culture of the Chinese probably due to the close proximity to the China town (Knapp and Spark, 2006). Almost 47% of the population in Kensington is Chinese. The heavy influence of China presents a platform for the influence of the individual natives and other immigrants into speaking Chinese’s language. Most of the buildings and religious practices as well, bear close resemblance to the cultural practices of the Chinese people. However, other cultures are also seen to emerge. The Rastafarian culture that is associated with the Rastafarian movement is seen to emerge with several stores selling their items.
Religion and Culture
In terms of religion, the wave of immigrants settling in the region has not affected it much. Several synagogues built on the 20th Century remain to date. During the construction of the two synagogues, the market was a center for the Jewish community in Toronto. The Jewish religious practices and culture has not impacted a lot on the lives of the immigrants. Perhaps the absence of the religious impact is due to the less involvement in worship activities and the intensive involvement in business activities (Knapp and Spark, 2006). The pagan community is, however, seen to be prevalent in observing their services. One significant gathering for the pagans is the Winter Solstice festival at Ontario. Most people are seen to observe this festival. Maybe in a multicultural community such as Kensington market it is easy for individuals to adopt paganism rather than stick to pure religion.
Buildings
The buildings within the vicinity of the market feature distinctive architecture. The buildings are well coloured, and Victorian architecture is preferred and used by many architects. The ethnic values and the economic values that exist in the areas are evidenced by the handling of the pieces of land in the neighbourhood of Kensington. Individuals have realised the importance of having land in such a multicultural society, and they have practiced the art of putting land into good use. Land and properties such as buildings are priced highly. The high charges attached to the property can be justified by the fact that the buildings are well maintained by their owners as evidenced in the Jacobian analysis (Housing in Kensington, 2004). Individuals in the area adopt the Victorian architecture when designing their residential houses with a few people adopting their native designs.
Prospects of the future of Kensington
The future of Kensington market in terms of cultural influence is very promising. The freedom of movement and laxity in immigration rules have set a favouring platform for immigrants to utilize. In the future, the rates of immigration are projected to hike. In terms of the structural buildings, minimal changes are expected. The buildings are well maintained, and the residents are proud of them and they are not likely to make any changes (Plans in Kensington, 2008). However, due to the diverse atmosphere of cultural diversity, there will be a need to instate proper policies to ensure the prevalence of peace in the region. Policies on land use will also be formulated to avoid disputes concerning the commercial land.
Conclusion
The pattern of immigration into Kensington acts as a platform for enriching the area with unique cultures of the world. The cultural diversity has hugely shaped the lives of the inhabitants of the market with most people adopting the prevalent Chinese culture. Small sub-cultures such as the Rastafarian culture have also been seen to emerge. The set up in the region is expected to undergo minimal changes. However, major plans that are eminent are those touching on land usage and policies that promote peaceful co-existence in the multicultural environment.
References
(2004). Housing in Kensington. The Lancet, 219(5668), 850.
Knapp, M., & Spark, M. (2006). A Far Cry from Kensington. World Literature Today, 63(2), 307.
(2008). Plans for Kensington. Nature, 215(5104), 912-912.
Wansbrough, W. (2005). The Kensington Union.. The Lancet, 35(901), 390.
