Political Science: Discussion on Multiculturalism in Canada

This discussion post evaluates the effectiveness of multiculturalism in Canada. The author argues that unlike Britain, Canada's multiculturalism has been successful since its official recognition in 1971 by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The post highlights the diverse ethnic groups contributing to Canadian culture and identity, emphasizing the absence of multicultural groups and the presence of open ethno-cultural communities. It also discusses the importance of immigrants and refugees in the country's economic development, the establishment of policies to protect their rights, and Canada's commitment to equality and diversity. The author references several sources to support their claims, including Forbes articles and academic publications on multiculturalism and education. The post addresses the strengths of Canada’s multiculturalism project and opportunities for improvements.

Running head: MULTICULTURALISM IN CANADA
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Multiculturalism in Canada
Name
Institution

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In Britain, multiculturalism has been unsuccessful because they always try to
assimilate, but this has not been the same case with Canada where multiculturalism
has worked pretty well. This was possible in 1971 when the Prime Minister Pierre
Trudeau recognized the existence of multiculturalism in the country.
The effects of multiculturalism can be seen in the culture and identity of
Canadians. Multiculturalism identifies, recognizes and celebrates the diverse cultural
heritage it has. Canada has over five ethnic groups which include; Irish, English,
French and Ukrainian which are recognized as multicultural and not as multicultural
group (Chazan, et. al, 2011). This is because there are no multicultural groups in
Canada only ethno-cultural communities which are open community based on a
predominant ethnic origin (Race, 2011).
Canadian immigrants and refugees also contribute to the country’s greatness. After
the Second World War, Canada became a major industrial power and in order for them
to maintain this they had to get new workforce and manpower to enable them rise to
the preferred economic development. The number of immigrants and refugees grew,
creating a unified population that surpassed the population of the two large ethno
cultural communities the English and French. For this reason policies to protect the
immigrants and refugees had to be established and they were recognized as citizens
with rights and freedom (Semotiuk, 2017).
Canada is also a just society with equality and diversity. Multiculturalism ensures
that all citizens keep their identity, beliefs, enjoys the same rights and privileges, feels
secure and takes pride in their ancestry. The federal government acknowledges the co-

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existence of various ethnicities and recognizes them. There is also a government
policy in place having rights and freedom of the diverse ethnic communities to gain
access to equality.
References
Semotiuk, A. J. (2017). Multiculturalism -- The Distinguishing Factor That Makes

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Canada Great. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyjsemotiuk/2017/10/18/multiculturalism-the-
distinguishing-factor-that-makes-canada-great/#645ec0306b11
Race, R. (2011). Multiculturalism and Education. London, United Kingdom: A&C
Black.
Chazan, M., Helps, L., Stanley, A., & Thakkar, S. (2011). Home and Native Land:
Unsettling Multiculturalism in Canada. Between the Lines.