The multiculturalism act in 1988 provided a stepping stone for multiculturalism to flourish in Canada. Canada was known to become “the first country to pass a national multiculturalism law (Canadian Museum)”.
The Multiculturalism Act in 1988 started from a report by the parliamentary committee on multiculturalism that said the policy for multiculturalism in Canada was not adequate for the needs of the country’s multicultural society.
The existing policy was said to focus on “cultural preservation, primarily reflecting the interests of European-born immigrants. (Canadian Museum)” But as the number of immigrants from Asia and Africa, along with the Middle East, increased, the center of immigration “gradually shifted away from Europe” (Canadian Museum).
Canada’s racial and ethnic diversity changed with this shift and a new policy, the Multiculturalism Act of 1988, came into effect. From trying to preserve the culture of Canada and showing advantages to people of European decent, the act “emphasized the right of all individuals to preserve and share their cultural heritage while retaining their right to full and equitable participation in Canadian society. (Canadian Museum)”
The purpose of this act was to remove any existing barriers that prevented the participation of immigrants in Canadian society and the immigrants were promised to be assisted in overcoming discrimination.
Reading through the Multiculturalism Act of 1988, I have noticed the effort from the government to really promote inclusivity and help people fight against discrimination. However, according to Coleman, his conclusion about White Civility is somewhat different from the direction the act was trying to go into. Coleman focused more on the personal level of discrimination wherever the Act was focusing more in the societal level of multiculturalism. It is inevitable that discrimination still exists in this world, but the focus on the two writings are on different levels of multiculturalism. Based on what I read, after reading the two texts.
Works Cited
“Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.” Canadian Multiculturalism Act, 1988 | Pier 21, pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/canadian-multiculturalism-act-1988.
Sources
Coleman, Daniel. White Civility : The Literary Project of English Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2006,
Hi Joseph,
This is an interesting piece of writing. The multiculturalism act in 1988 has really an important step for shaping Canada as a diverse country. There are different cultures, language and people who gathered together. Coleman’s argument is that policies about nationalism are to maintain the white power and to keep Canada as a white nation. However, I don’t really agree with his theory because I believe that instead of maintaining the white power we should also welcome a different culture into Canada.