In this lesson I say that it should be clear that the discourse on nationalism is also about ethnicity and ideologies of “race.” If you trace the historical overview of nationalism in Canada in the CanLit guide, you will find many examples of state legislation and policies that excluded and discriminated against certain peoples based on ideas about racial inferiority and capacities to assimilate. – and in turn, state legislation and policies that worked to try to rectify early policies of exclusion and racial discrimination. As the guide points out, the nation is an imagined community, whereas the state is a “governed group of people.” For this blog assignment, I would like you to research and summarize one of the state or governing activities, such as The Royal Proclamation 1763, the Indian Act 1876, Immigration Act 1910, or the Multiculturalism Act 1989 – you choose the legislation or policy or commission you find most interesting. Write a blog about your findings and in your conclusion comment on whether or not your findings support Coleman’s argument about the project of white civility.
Multiculturalism as a whole has been accepted with some controversy. Pierre Trudeau implemented it through federal government policies in 1971 and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney enacted the Multicultural Act in 1988. It was meant to turn the “melting pot” into more of a cultural “mosaic”. It refers to a society that reflects a number of ethnic and cultural identities and is thought to be an ideal of equality and mutual respect among a population filled with different ethnic and cultural groups (Bissoondath 2002). Multiculturalism has also been thought to confirm the belief that all citizens are equal and can retain their ethnic identities with pride while having a sense of belonging here in Canada through respect that is meant to develop common attitudes.
The need for a multicultural act confirms much of Coleman’s feeling of white civility, in that a white Anglo-Canadian “still occupies the position of normalcy and privilege in Canada” (Coleman 7). Although many support diversity, the Multiculturalism Act can also be seen as a way of designating certain groups as outside the dominant society. One point from the Canlit Guides that stood out to me is the idea that visible minority members or recent immigrants are often welcomed to Canada by white Anglo-Canadians and expected to feel gratitude for the chance to live here, forming a host/guest hierarchy (Contesting Multiculturalism). This ties into Coleman’s argument about the project of white civility in that it still creates a “Them and Us” dichotomy.
The Canlit Guides makes the point that some feel that multiculturalism policy can be easily reduced to token displays of diversity (food, song, and dance) instead of dealing with social injustices (Introduction to Nationalism). It also mentions Neil Bissoondath argument in Selling Illusions that states that multiculturalism leads to ethnic and cultural segregation and the ghettoization of cultural groups rather than to an integrated community (Contesting Multiculturalism). This is something we have seen here in Vancouver as we have seen a large growth in what is called an ethnoburb. Ethnoburbs are suburban ethnic clusters of residential and business districts within large metropolitan areas. They are multiracial/multiethnic, multicultural, multilingual, and often, multinational communities, in which one ethnic group has a significant concentration, but does not, necessarily, comprise the majority (Li 1998). In the Vancouver area, Richmond would be considered an ethnoburb.
I’ve touched on the concept of the ethnoburb as it raises many questions. I’m not sure an ethnoburb reflects the true meaning of multiculturalism as it has created a new community of its own, dominant in one ethnicity. Multiculturalism is meant to create diversity that allows different cultures to accept and respect each other and co-exist in the same space. With the formation of ethnoburbs it could be argued that the diversity no longer exists and there may be more of a chosen segregation defeating the purpose of a multicultural society. New immigrants may be attracted to communities that are dense with the same ethnicity. This allows them to create social networks that can help them navigate their new surroundings in what they perceive to be a safe and comfortable environment. No matter the reasons behind why ethnoburbs exist, it is clear that in many suburb/ethnoburb communities, citizens are not necessarily living a diverse co-existence but rather living separately side-by-side. What are your thoughts on the idea of an ethnoburb? Could they possibly be a new form of segregation and a discourager of multiculturalism?
Works Cited:
Bissoondath, N. (2002). Selling illusions: The cult of multiculturalism in Canada. Toronto, ON: Penguin.
CanLit Guides. “Reading and Writing in Canada, A Classroom Guide to Nationalism.” Canadian Literature. Web. April 4th 2013.
“Canadian Multiculturalism Act.” Justice Laws Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 March 2016.
Li, W. (1998). Anatomy of a new ethnic settlement: The Chinese ethnoburb in Los Angeles. Urban Studies, 35(3), 479-501.
“Rise of the Ethnoburbs.” Opinionator. The New York Times. 10 March 2011. Web. 11 March 2016.
Statistics Canada. (2012). Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-310-XWE2011004, Ottawa, Ontario. Analytical products, 2011 Census.
Hi Danielle,
Thank you for your thoughtful (and thought provoking) post. Indeed it is a topic that comes up in casual conversation, business, and education. As you comment, Canada’s concept of “multiculturalism” is one that is controversial. In the context of our current unit the item that was most controversial, of course, is the fact that the original Act as proposed by Trudeau in 1971 did not address the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.
I think that an interesting distinction between the ethnoburb and the historical ethnic ghettoes highlighted by your references is the fact that ethnoburbs seem to be a matter of choice of more affluent immigrants. To this end, I think that this addresses the question of whether or not they are furthering segregation. From the reading I understood that they are generally less delineated than the old ghettoes, and are not as a result of the real estate agents or previous settlers containing them in a less desirable part of the cities. They provide communities where people can get their start in Canada, while potentially maintaining aspects of their own culture. Social psychologists such as Steven Heine indicate that immigrants are happiest and adjust best to a new nation when they are not forced to abandon their own cultural heritage and completely integrate into a new society.
While the ethnoburb may have advantages for the new immigrant, does it discourage multiculturalism? If we think about multiculturalism in its intended, positive definition as you provide, Shuguang Wang and Jason Zhong in “Delineating Ethnoburbs in Metropolitan Toronto” (I was curious of the Canadian context) thinks that an ethnoburb, if managed well, can in fact be very positive for multiculturalism. Wang and Zhong emphasize the benefits of the ethnoburb as “a creation of new hybrid forms of spatial identity” (Delineating). They provide examples where immigrants can learn how to work and contribute within Canada, from politics to healthcare, while maintaining important cultural practices. They provide examples of how the local community centres can be established to help recent immigrants understand how to become involved in politics to influence democracy and how a Southasian group helped fund a local hospital for all in the community to use, but with cultural sensitivity to dietary differences.
Works cited:
Heine, Steven J., Cultural Psychology, 2nd edition. W.W. Norton, Nov 2011 ISBN:
9780393912838.
Wang, Shuguang & Zhong, Jason. “Delineating Ethnoburbs in Metropolitan Toronto” The Working Series. CERIS Working Paper No. 100. April 2013. Ed. Kenise Kilbride. Web 15 March 2016. http://www.torontolip.com/Portals/0/Resources/General/Delineating%20Ethnoburbs%20in%20Metropolitan%20Toronto.pdf
Hi Andrea,
Thank you for your comments. I agree with much of what you’ve mentioned in terms of the positives of ethnoburbs. I believe they create a community that allows immigrants to have a positive start in a new country through familiarity and comfort. I also believe they are a far cry from the original ghettos of the past, in fact I believe they are formed by the new immigrants rather than previous settlers confining them in a less desirable area.
I do, however, still wonder if they are a positive in terms of multiculturalism. As I work in Richmond I see first hand how divided the city can be. I also wonder when safety can be compromised at times as I work in emergency services. When we arrive on a call language can often be a barrier in us doing our job to the best of our abilities. An ethnoburb can allow a new immigrant to live a complete life in their own culture making it unnecessary for them to adapt to Canadian culture in terms of language and what not. I guess I’m just wondering if there is a balance that will allow more interaction rather than the sense of two cultures living side by side.
Thanks again,
Danielle
Hi Danielle
Thanks for introducing me this new term! It’s a pretty fun word to say aloud and I can’t wait to slip it into my conversations.
Building on Andrea’s point that the Multicultural Act did not include Canada’s indigenous population, I find it pretty ironic that the Act was implemented in 1988 but the last Indian residential school was not closed down until 1996. Even as Canada declared its desire to turn from “melting pot” to “mosaic,” it still maintained a policy of Native assimilation on the side. This goes to show how, once again, aboriginal peoples were not recognized as discrete groups with distinct cultural heritages. Of all the marginalized, they remain the most sidelined.
As a Richmondite, I can definitely attest to the fact that Lulu Island is indeed an ethnoburb. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily guarantee unity and acceptance within a community. Ethnically Chinese immigrants come to Richmond from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, to name a few, and each of these groups bring with them a completely different and often jarring political backgrounds and social values. It seems to me that racially-analogous populations are less aware of the need to value multiculturalism perhaps because everyone on the surface at least looks the same, regardless of actual cultural differences.
Thanks for such a thought-provoking post,
Bea
Hi Bea,
Thank you for your comments. What you’ve said falls in line with what I’ve said in response to Andrea’s post above, when there is such a large population of one group it can take away from what multiculturalism stands for.
Thanks again,
Danielle