Week 6 - Multiculturalism And Diversity Flashcards
Canada was built on two premises:
1)The displacement and marginalization of Indigenous peoples
2)The settlement and development of the land by European immigrants
The immigrants to Canada were known as the charter groups - who were they and when did they dominate
➢English-speaking and Protestant
➢French-speaking and Catholic
•Until the 1960s and 70s, these charter groups dominated
How did Jobs and family sponsorship change demography?
•Most immigrants settle in Vancouver and Toronto
•2/3rds of visible minorities in big three cities
•85% in top 7 cities
•Why? Jobs and family sponsorship
What are the 4 aims of official multiculturalism
- To assist cultural groups in retaining and fostering their identity
- To assist cultural groups in overcoming barriers to their full participation in society
- To promote creative exchanges among all Canadian cultural groups
- To assist immigrants in acquiring at least one official language
What are them main events in the timeline of the rise of official multiculturalism? (5)
- B&B recommended multicultural image
•Pearson Liberals created the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (B&B)
•Studied how Canada should accommodate French nationalism and the demands of new Canadians
•B&B commission recommended bicultural image should be replaced by a multicultural one - 1988 Multiculturalism Act
•Pierre Trudeau responded to the B&B commission by introducing the Multiculturalism Policy 1971, formalized in the 1988 Multiculturalism Act
•Created a new federal Ministry of State for Multiculturalism – now the Department of Canadian Heritage ****
•1.1 billion dollars in grants as of 2017 to ethnic organizations - Canadian Human Rights Commission and Employment Equity Act
•In 1977 the Canadian Human Rights Commission was established
•Adjudicates claims of discrimination in employment
•The Employment Equity Act of 1986, amended in 1995, requires proactive employment of disadvantaged groups - Broadcasting Act of 1991
•Broadcasting Act of 1991 asserts that Canadian broadcasting should reflect cultural diversity
•1999 amendment allows licenses for ethnic news media organizations if 60% of programming is of an ethnic character - Multiculturalism Directorate in 1972
•Multiculturalism Directorate established in 1972 to help provinces adopt multicultural education programs
•Through the 1970s provinces began officially adopting multiculturalism in school curricula
4 other models of accommodation OUTSIDE OF CANADA
•Deep Diversity Multiculturalism (Netherlands before 2006)
•Defacto and contested Multiculturalism (United States)
•Universalism (France)
•Interculturalism? (Quebec)
What is the deep diversity model adopted by the Netherland
➢Instruction in minorities own language
➢Radio and TV in minority language
➢Government support for separate schools, religious organizations and community centers
•Policy resulted in de facto ethnic and religious segregation
•Social contact between white, native-born Dutch and minorities declined over time
•Incomes of minority groups, especially Muslims, were by far the lowest in the country
•The Dutch abandoned the experiment
What is the De Facto and contested multiculturalism model from the U.S.
•Citizens are encouraged to share a common civic identity
•BUT: government services across the country often cater to other languages, especially Spanish; funding for ethnic organizations
•There is also considerable celebration of diversity, but it is more polarized
What is the universalism model of the French state
•Official ideology of French state is based on freedom, equality and social solidarity
•Law prohibits authorities from asking people their race, ethnicity or religion
•There are now some protections against discrimination
•But citizenship-values contracts and bans on burqa and niqab in public places
What is the highly contested interculturalism in Quebec
•Interculturalism recognizes a cultural majority, and requires the majority and minority groups to make cultural concessions
•PQ government introduced a Charter of French Values, denying public services and employment to women wearing face coverings
•Liberals adopted this policy when replacing the defeated PQ government
•The Courts disabled the face covering ban as a violation of Charter rights
•New CAQ government passed Bill 21, an Act Respective the Laicity of the State
•Extended the previous act to all religious symbols
•Used the Notwithstanding Clause to override the charter
Immigration in Canada: main events on the timeline: (2)
•Immediately after Confederation, immigration was heavily restricted by race
•HEAD TAX in place on Chinese immigrants in 1885, which changed to a blanket ban from 1923 to 1947
•Very small quota allotments for non-White countries
•Economic development in Europe after World War II also limited inflow from non-European countries
•IMMIGRATION ACT of 1967 created a “color-blind” points system based on capacity to integrate
•Classes of immigrants: economic, family unification, refugee, business class
•Two thirds of immigrants come under the economic class using the points system
What is the points system and how does one get points? (5)
•Proficiency in one or both of Canada’s official languages
•Years of formal education and work experience
•Age (20-50 especially)
•Having arranged employment waiting in Canada
•Adaptability
What is the discourse on the points system, do people think its discrimminatory
•An alternative to family reunification
•Some say it is inherently discriminatory in ways that are not blind to different demographic characteristics
•Proponents argue it is essential for integration into society
What are the 4 challenges from economic immigrants that aren’t accounted for with the points system
•Language proficiency
•Knowledge of Canadian norms
•Recognizable work experience by potential employers
•Accepted professional and occupational credentials
What is Canadian exceptionalism
•Canadian exceptionalism?
•Our government embraces one of the most robust multiculturalism regimes in the world
•and members of the public are more pro-immigration and diversity than elsewhere
