As a nation of immigrants, Canada has many cultures. The majority of the households in the country can trace their ancestral roots to Asia, Europe, and other continents. Some families have siblings who entered the country less than two decades ago; others have been around for many generations. The multiculturalism is the primary reason for the massive development in the nation due to diverse ideas and values provided by every culture. They take pride in advertising the different ethnicities in the country on billboard signs, television commercials, and even in schools through learning. One can also notice by listening to the chatter of multiple tongues amongst people in the buses and trains. This essay covers the aspect of multiculturalism in Canada, evaluating the advantages and disadvantages it has posed.
A multicultural community is comprised of individuals or groups of different ethnicities who have distinct values and practices. Living in such society makes them interact with one another. When people communicate, they share perspectives and ideas. They acquire a new method of looking at their surroundings, the entire world or even the tiniest things. Therefore, intellectual development occurs. Open-mindedness also erupts from multiculturalism. People learn to view conditions or events from another individual’s perspective. When the ethnicities decide to cooperate and develop their interactions, they enhance tolerance and respect amongst the cultures. They begin to feel comfortable interacting and living with people from other countries. The multicultural society also makes an individual feel less racist and non-discriminated due to the peaceful nature of the environment (Berry, 665).
The diversity in Canada encourages multinational companies to penetrate the region, promoting the economy of the country. Canada has over 200 language groups, including two national ones, that is, English and French. The culture of the nation embodies culinary, political, humor, artistic, social, literary, and musical elements. Throughout the history of the region, the ethnicity has been profoundly impacted by European traditions and culture especially that from the French and British. Canada also has its set of indigenous tribes. Over time, the features of the cultures brought by the immigrant populations have diluted the mainstream ethnicity in the area. The American culture is amongst the traditions that have greatly influenced the Canadian culture do not the proximity between the two regions leading to migration and the diffusion of languages (Griffith, 57).
Canada is attributed for its diverse, multicultural, and progressive state. The government has been characterized as the major instigator concerning the ideology of multiculturalism because of its emphasis on the social essence of immigration. Political scientists in the country have spoken against the reinforcement of the leadership to ensure that Canada becomes a multicultural state. They say that numerous languages spoken can introduce a lethal problem. The core identity of the nation becomes increasingly controversial. The scholars argue that a multicultural nation proves to be a country without a core culture that once gave it a framework, identity, anchor, and cohesion, and has now been pushed to embrace multiple identities. The ultimate consequence of such as a setup is that it remains void in the middle. Before the country instituted the notion that everyone should be free to do anything he or she desires, get along with others, and speak any language, it was a liberal democracy (Ritcher, 63).
The generation of immigrants who lived in Canada before the 70s such as Russians, Greeks, Germans, Poles, and Italians, were forced by the federal policies to learn French or English because speaking in the official dialects portrayed the Canadian culture. Whatever particularity they had was set aside to adopt the core identity of the nation. The move to encourage the settlement of various ethnicities trashed the fundamental value system. The language retention levels amongst children and individuals in the country can show the loss in the concrete identity of Canada. Other problems that the diversity in cultures has posed to Canada include the differences in religion. Understanding the religious beliefs of various individuals can be challenging. People tend to be passionate about their religious backgrounds (Berry, 669).
The multiculturalism has led the country to accommodate numerous cultural beliefs some of which do not align with the values of a particular religion. For example, Canada recently allowed same-sex marriages, a union that is not supported by the Christians. But they had to do so for the benefit of many. Another issue is labeling. Individuals in a diverse cultural environment also attempt to categorize people based on their ethnicity. Also, being multicultural denies a person the chance to belong in a certain group. The aspect makes people classify the individual in different cultures agitating him or her. The person ends up feeling unaccepted by the society. Multiculturalism increases the risk of suffering from discrimination. It is a natural occurrence for people with distinguishing factors who are placed together to comprise of individuals with prejudices who undermine others (Ritcher, 144).
When individuals focus on the adverse aspects, they create conflicts in the population. Residents start to complain that outsiders are making the country their state and are scared that the official language will be affected negatively. Such difficulties must be eliminated by the policies and population so that people live harmoniously. They must formulate a remedy that works for the entire region. Critics say the multiculturalism should not be confused with open-mindedness since it is a component that makes minority ethnicities to conform to major cultures. It is a dangerous condition that forces a particular culture to change. It is also the opposite of unity because it aims at deconstructing the prominent tribe to provide an allowance for the smaller ones. The individuals in such as a society are robbed of their identities. And even though they continue singing about love, unity, and peace, fighting eventually emerges (Griffith, 89).
Unless one set of regulations controls a country, it is bound to succumb to some heterogeneous issues. People cannot simply integrate into one community since particular aspects divide them naturally. The condition leads to a community filled with many ethnicities fighting to gain recognition or dominate the others. They will form groups with those who are similar to them due to the comfort it brings. The cultural background of an individual determines his or her behaviors (Berry, 674). Taking that away from a person distorts his or her image and focus. The multiculturalism that the government in Canada is good on paper, but once it is put into practice it can present serious challenges. Unfortunately, since we live in the era of globalization, preventing the multiculturalism is difficult unless the nation enforces tough rules that may go against humanitarian values. Therefore, the society does not have any choice concerning the intermingling of diverse ethnicities. The only option is to accept the phenomenon and aim to reduce conflicts that may arise from the differences in cultures and embrace the benefits. The technique is the primary reason Canadians live harmoniously.
Works Cited
Berry, John. Research on multiculturalism in Canada. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. Volume 37, Issue 6, Pages 663–675.
Griffith, Andrew. Multiculturalism In Canada: Evidence and Anecdote. Amsterdam: Anar Press, 2015.
Ritcher, Miriam. Creating the National Mosaic: Multiculturalism in Canadian Children's Literature. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2013.
