Multiculturalism and Canada

Running head: MULTICULTURALISM AND CANADA
Multiculturalism and Canada
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1MULTICULTURALISM AND CANADA
Canada is a country resided by people from different countries, languages, cultures
and communities which has given it an essence of Multiculturalism. Multiculturalism
essentially refers to the coexistence of people from different milieu with attribution to
cultural pluralism and protection of the minority group from exclusion, repression and
inequality (Berry, 2013). It believes in the acknowledgement and welfare of those from the
minority group in all aspects of social life. The concept came into Canada during 1960s as
opposed to “biculturalism”. Canada is resided by a mixture of people from different cultures
and ethnicities which has earned it the name “the mosaic”. In 1917, the prime minister of
Canada, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, accepted the multiculturalism policy and in 1988 the
“Multiculturalism Act” came into being (Berry, 2013). The circumstances that played an
important role for Canada to include Multiculturalism was the unacceptance of the British,
Indigenous and Asian population within their territory. First and Second World War also
influenced the process of multiculturalism in Canada. The following work is aimed to
examine whether Multiculturalism has enhanced the National Unity of Canada and also it
will view the role of Government and the policies towards it.
The Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism in 1969 first proposed that
Canada, which is now in its post-multicultural era, should accept the ‘cultural mosaic'. The
multiculturalism policies were adopted first at the provincial levels. Quebec, Nova Scotia,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario are the first ones to accept the agendas with different
approaches. While Ontario acknowledged the understanding, acceptance and promotion of
the diversified cultures, Quebec focused upon maintaining the uniqueness of each culture
(Bloemraad & Wright, 2014). The pragmatic illustrations of the concept are the Government
policies and agendas, implemented to guard the minorities. In 1972, the federal government,
set up the Canadian Consultative Council on Multiculturalism. In 1988, Bill C-93 was
included which ensured the racial and cultural equality across the country with the force of

2MULTICULTURALISM AND CANADA
law. The bill also rooted a multiculturalism secretariat to take care of the implementations.
The Bill C- 37, accepted in 1991, propounded to preserve the heritage of the minority
languages. In October 1996, the parliament, under the Bill C-63, aimed to eliminate racism
and racial inequity and funding of $24million were made (Guo & Wong, 2015). Further the
Directorate’s initiatives have stimulated the ethnocultural diversions. All this have, over the
period of time, contributed to Ethnic Studies.
However, the present profile for Multiculturalism promoting social integration can be
termed as a ‘failure’. The outlook of the concept ‘multiculturalism' was the inclusion of
people of all the communities and minorities from all over the world but gradually it changed
to a culture with American values. Moreover, the ethnic groups have always perceived to be a
valuable social impetus with logical political demands but the country is recently observing
to deal with multiple issues of racism and people from religious minorities are seen to be
claiming reservations which are, of course, dominantly, political in pursuit (Kymlicka, 2015).
Further, The Canadian government, in the multiculturalism attitude, promotes a sense of
‘historical injustice’ which states that the past experienced by the individuals were of
inequality and therefore they will be treated as one in the country. But Canada offers separate
clubs and entertainments which reinstates the diversity of culture among them. To preserve
the ancient languages and rituals, the Government of Canada has further established the
concept of ethnic identity. (Bantica & Kymlicka, 2013).
Further, Canadian Government has kept English as their dominant language and
culture and the other dialects are often seen with the need to be preserved which invokes a
sense of language inequality among the habitats and actively negate unity of the country.
Therefore it can be argued that as compared to United Nations the latter has a better approach
to cultural assimilation with the notion of ‘one country, one culture’, but Canada is a country
without any national identity of its own which is very confusing and contradictory to its