Restoring Multiculturalism in Kingston, Ontario

This article discusses the measures taken by Kingston officials and settlement groups to create a better living environment for Muslim immigrants in Kingston, Ontario.

Running head: RESTORING MULTICULTURALISM IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO
RESTORING MULTICULTURALISM IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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The article chosen for this project, entitled ‘‘Settlement groups fighting anti-Muslim
backlash in Kingston, Ont.’’, published by CBC News, Canada, on January 29, 2019 (CBC,
2019).
Q1. Briefly summarize the main ideas in the article and introduce the
Indigenous, refugee, or immigrant group. Discuss how the situation described in
your article relates to course concepts learned so far.
The news article referred to in this project reports about how measures are being taken
by Kingston officials and settlement groups alike, in making a better living environment for
the Muslim immigrants residing in Kingston, Ontario. It reports that in recent times, the
people of Kingston have turned hostile towards the idea of sheltering Muslim immigrants and
refugees, following a recent terrorism related arrest of a Syrian immigrant. However, officials
understand the fact that the hostility needs to be combated, and have taken several steps in
achieving that, including organising a local umbrella organising a public meeting, police
protection and public awareness campaigns.
The immigrant group concerned here, is that of a group of Muslim immigrants who
have settled in the area, arriving from countries all over the globe. These people have settled
in the area either under the family class, in which people simply immigrate to an area as an
accompaniment to a relative, or the economic class in which people immigrate in order to fill
the skill gap in the workforce (CBC News, 2017).
The situation in this news article perfectly reflects the concept of multiculturalism in
the context of political philosophy (Poortinga, 2016). It is associated with the politics of
difference and recognition (Beine & Coulombe, 2018). The Kingston settlement groups
should be, and are taking steps towards ensuring tolerance towards and acceptance of the

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immigration group in concern in order to live, work and contribute to the society together and
in harmony, thus promoting the concept of multiculturalism (Hansen, 2017). Settlement
groups in this situation are also working towards promoting cross-cultural sensitivity, by
hosting public awareness campaigns, to make the people of Kingston aware and accepting of
the Muslim immigrant community in their locality.
Q2. Define the terms cultural relativism and cultural sensitivity. Discuss how to
apply the two concepts in gaining more understanding, acceptance, and
appreciation of the group in the article.
Cultural relativism is the theory that suggests that cultural beliefs, values, practices
and morality are only integral to the culture from which they originate, and are not absolute
in nature (Bowie, 2015). In other words, it suggests that during intercultural communication,
a person from one culture should not judge a person from another culture, based on his or her
own cultural values and practices, since those values and practices are integral only to his or
her culture, and are not universal or absolute (Harell, Soroka & Iyengar, 2017). It fosters the
idea that one culture should respect the positives of the values and practices of another
culture instead of deeming it as a taboo.
On the other hand, cultural sensitivity refers to the acceptance, respect, awareness and
knowledge of other cultures, in an attempt to improve intercultural relationships. It is the idea
that awareness of and respect for other cultures during intercultural interactions is an essential
that fosters intercultural harmony (Cuellar, 2018) .
Addressing the media report and its situation, cultural relativism in Kingston can help
the Canadians respect the Muslim community, by realising that the immigrants are not
harmful to the society, even if only one such immigrant proved to be a terrorist. Measures

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should be taken to make the Canadians realise that not all Muslims are same and every
immigrant comes from a different background, each of which is unique and have a positive
side to them, especially now that immigration is at an all time high ("Tableau Public", 2019).
Cultural sensitivity would facilitate the understanding of the Muslim immigrant group
through more awareness and interaction campaigns than the ones that are taking place in
Kingston, which can further lead to respect and acceptance towards the immigrant group in
concern.
Q3. Evaluate whether or not the group in the article is portrayed in a positive or
a negative manner. Explain why you think the author chose to take this
perspective and what this says about how Canadians might view the group in the
article.
The Muslim immigrants’ community in this news article is not portrayed in a negative
manner. Rather, the reporter of this article has not stressed much upon the portrayal of the
community in detail, but has made sure that it is reported in a way that does not demean the
community in concern. Hence, it can be safely said that the report in some way, portrayed the
group in a positive manner.
The report writer chose this perspective of the story to possibly make the public aware
of the injustice that is happening to the group, and how the government itself is taking
measures in order to make sure that such practices of hostility towards the immigration group
stops for good, and cultural sensitivity can prosper in the Kingston society. The news article
discusses the success of the implementation of various plans such as awareness campaigns
and public meetings which are already yielding positive results. This shows that the news
article clearly reports from a perspective that promotes sympathy and respect for the

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immigrants, stop the communal violence, and establish an intercultural hormonal situation
within the society.
The news article clearly reports that Canadians do not view the Muslim immigrants in
a very positive manner. However, the perspective which this article has reported from must
ensure that in the future, a better understanding between and knowledge about the two
communities will prevail as a result of more Canadians being aware of the injustice being
done to the innocents, and how an entire immigrants community is facing the wrath of the
terrors committed by one immigrant culprit (Harell, Soroka & Iyengar, 2015).

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References
Beine, M., & Coulombe, S. (2018). Immigration and internal mobility in Canada. Journal of
Population Economics, 31(1), 69-106.
Bowie, N. E. (2015). Relativism, cultural and moral. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management, 1-
4.
CBC News. (2017). Immigrants vs. Refugees: How are people getting into Canada?[Video].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk9Otw6ajN0
Cuellar, N. G. (2018). Humility: A Concept in Cultural Sensitivity.
Hansen, R. (2017). Why Both the Left and the Right Are Wrong: Immigration and
Multiculturalism in Canada. PS: Political Science & Politics, 50(3), 712-716.
Harell, A., Soroka, S., & Iyengar, S. (2017). Locus of Control and Anti‐Immigrant Sentiment
in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Political Psychology, 38(2),
245-260.
Hiebert, D. (2016). What’s so special about canada? understanding the resilience of
immigration and multiculturalism. Migration Policy Institute.
Poortinga, Y. H. (2016). Integration of basic controversies in cross-cultural
psychology. Psychology and Developing Societies, 28(2), 161-182.
Settlement groups fighting anti-Muslim backlash in Kingston, Ont. | CBC News. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/kingston-anti-muslim-
backlash-terrorism-1.4996861

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Tableau Public. (2019). Retrieved from
https://public.tableau.com/profile/matthew.cole#!/vizhome/TotalImmigration_201305
03_v2/Regions

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