The Multiculturalism Act of 1988, signed on by the late Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, was a means to accommodate immigrants of all nations, races, religions, and languages. The Act is “seen to represent official commitment to ensuring that all ethnic and racial groups are able to maintain their cultures while fully participating in Canadian society” (James 31). It was a nice attempt to relieve the pressures and undo the prevalence of Canadian “whiteness” that Daniel Coleman speaks about in his book, White Civility. His work illustrates the dominance of the cultures of the colonizers, shown in his examination of widespread literature from 1850 to 1950. The ideas about Canadian citizenship were promoted in light of British culture, and despite the Act, the perception still exists today.
Coleman’s thoughts about the dominant white culture is apparent even when looking at things such as the Canadian national holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. Obviously, the national language is English, and the assimilation of immigrants includes the learning of the language. When looking at the oppressive incidences of the residential schools, that would be a clear example of the cultural dominance of “whiteness”. What we see on television especially is a reflection of the white way of man – definitions of beauty, family structure, and other societal expectations are normalized through popular culture.
To define oneself as Canadian, was a different experience for my parents’ generation (being immigrants), as it was for my time – post-Multiculturalism Act. My mother still speaks of herself as being Korean, even though she holds citizenship in Canada, speaks fluent English, and even went to university here. I, however, despite having grown up in a Korean home which maintained much of its culture through language, traditions, and even food, identify myself as both Korean and Canadian, and to me that does mean being multicultural. As a child, I did feel less Canadian and more Korean when we coloured pictures of turkeys to celebrate Thanksgiving, and my mother did not gather our family for dinner for such festivities. The culture was definitely prominent. As I grow older and do not let the insignificance of things like Canadian traditions bother me, or define what it means to be Canadian, I can and enjoy identifying with both cultures.
The Multiculturalism Act, although seemingly just symbolic, is a fantastic addition to the official Canadian culture. Multiculturalism is even included in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, making it not just a privilege to maintain one’s non-white culture, but a right. More and more, steps taken to undo the British dominance, I believe, will result in a truly multicultural and equal society!
Works Cited
James, Carl E. “Multicultural and Anti-Racism Education in Canada.” Race, Gender & Class (Spring 1995), pp. 31-48.
Hi Jessica!
I enjoyed reading your blog post this week. I found it interesting to read about the differences between your mother’s identity and yours. I grew up in Canada and even though my father’s family is Welsh and British we do not celebrate any holidays or have distinct traditions that are different from Canadian ones. The only differences I have experienced are perhaps related to the food we eat sometimes. I agree with you that the Multiculturalism Act is important in Canadian culture. You talk about how if there are more steps taken to undo British dominance this will create a society that is more equal and multicultural. What do you think these steps are and how do you think they can be implemented?
Thank you for the thought-provoking post Jessica!
– Chloë
Hi Chloe! Thanks for your comment 🙂
I think that some steps we can take are rooted in raising awareness, which will in turn breed acceptance. Legally, the Multiculturalism Act was a great achievement for the rights of non-White, non-Christian/Catholic Canadians, but perhaps more steps need to be taken in regards to the media and public discussion.