Multiculturalism in Canada

Politicians and sociologists alike often use the metaphors of a "melting pot," a "garden," or a "mixed salad" to describe nations that are essentially multicultural and diverse. These metaphors were given a new twist by Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier at the start of the twentieth century: Laurier described visiting a magnificent cathedral in England that "was made of marble, oak, and granite. It is the image of the nation that I would like to see Canada to become. For here, I want marble to remain the marble, the granite to remain the granite, the oak to remain the oak; and out of all these elements I would built a nation great among the nations of the world" (Canada and the World Backgrounder, 4).

However one might feel about this particular metaphor for a multicultural society, the fact of the matter is that Canada's policy of multiculturalism has been emphasized throughout the twentieth century and is further touted as being mandatory for the twenty-first century (Parker, 24). Critics of this multiculturalism claim that it has become to mean "the establishment of protected classes of people who receive legislated privileges and legal benefits to offset systemic prejudice and discrimination" (Parker, 24). Critics further believe that this set of government and public policies are best described as "mosaic madness," a significant alternative to the images of the melting pot, the brightly flowered garden, or

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groups that should be their primary beneficiaries. Others, such as Cecil Foster (3) make the case that Canada's attempt to embrace multiculturalism or to construct Laurier's magnificent cathedral has not resulted in anything resembling real multiculturalism as reflected in an equal distribution of power. Foster (4) says that "they simply attempted to repackage the old power structure. The traditionally excluded groups remained excluded from power and the good life." Foster (5) is specifically writing about the situation faced by blacks in Canada and joining with Aujla (46) in proclaiming quite loudly that real multiculturalism and true equality has proven to be as elusive in Canada as it has proven in Canada's troubled and deeply divided Southern neighbor (and one must bear in mind that Canadians have long prided themselves on "managing" multiculturalism far better than the United States). The problem that multiculturalism confronts in Canada is, however, basically the same problem it confronts wherever it occurs. The vast majority of nation states have at most two or three dominant racial, ethnic, or cultural groups within their borders. In Canada, Harris (195) quite correctly identifies these groups as English speak
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Some common words found in the essay are:
World Backgrounder, Cecil Foster, Asian Canadian, Anglo-Canadians Native, English French, Canada Canada, Reform Party, Wilfrid Laurier, Kirsty Robertson, Cole Harris, canada world, world backgrounder, canada world backgrounder, south asian canadian, south asian, asian canadian, asian canadian women, canadian women, generation south, native peoples, reform party, generation south asian, canadian mosaic, peoples french speakers, french speakers,
Approximate Word count = 1663
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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