Critical Reflection Paper 3

Reflection on “Multiculturalism in Canada”

Canada is country that is built on the concept of multiculturalism; it recognizes ethnic and racial diversity within a society. There is a mixture of races, cultures and ethnicities residing in Canada. As more and more immigrants come to Canada searching for a better life, the population naturally becomes more multicultural. A look at the 1991 Canadian census shows that the population has changed more noticeable in the last ten years than in any other time in the twentieth century, with one out of four Canadians identifying themselves as black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native(3). Canadians gain a lot of knowledge about cultures from different countries, the variety of foods, clothes, beliefs and so on. About ten years ago, I immigrated to Canada from Egypt and met people from all different kinds of ethnic backgrounds; this helped me learn and experience a lot of new cultures and try different types of food. One thing I recognized from my experience is that everyone is able to celebrate their own cultural beliefs and religion freely and at the same time Canadians and immigrants come together every year to celebrate Canada. Canada’s society is a mixture of different kinds of people from around the world which makes Canada a unique country and gives it more than one culture. In 2001, approximately 250,640 people immigrated to Canada. The newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal (1). Canada encourages newcomers to settle in Canada and integrate into Canadian society while maintaining and celebrating their own traditions and languages. However, there are also some challenges to multiculturalism in Canada. Werner Patels (2006) argues that if we are so concerned about the mentality of immigrants, we should start by requiring them all to learn English to a level where they are functionally fluent in it. As any linguist will confirm, when you learn a language, you not only learn its words and grammar rules, but you also absorb the mentality that goes with it, as every language, based on its structure, comes with a specific way of thinking, formulating thought and presenting arguments(3). I believe that for an immigrant to have commitment towards Canada, they should be able to learn and speak one of the official languages of the country. This helps release the tension of multiculturalism if immigrants were not to keep to themselves and share their cultural practices. The trouble with extreme cultural relativism is that some cultures oppose the most deeply held values of most Canadians; other cultures promote practices that most Canadians consider inhumane. Multiculturalism's emphasis on cultural relativism potentially leads to a clash of cultures in Canada. However, multiculturalism is widely accepted by many Canadians and overall seen as a good thing in Canada and it should not be taken for granted in today’s society.