Multiculturalism In Canada

Multiculturalism is popular in many countries as it can be used as a strategy to fight inequalities. Supporters of multiculturalism claim that it removes social and cultural barriers for immigrants and minority groups, making them feel more welcome in Canadian society, promoting a stronger sense of belonging and pride in Canada (Kymlicka, 2010, p. 7). Therefore, multiculturalism is useful as it assists in the integration of immigrants and minorities. On the other hand, critics argues that multiculturalism accentuates the differences between groups rather than their shared rights or identities as the nation’s citizens as it promotes “ghettoization and balkanization” (Kymlicka, 2010, p. 7), thereby encouraging members of ethnic groups to look

Thus, forms of amalgamation are closely related with colonial history, the emergence of nation-states, and the resulting policies of exclusion and inclusion on the basis of citizenship (Rodriguez, 2010, p. 253). As can be seen in Canada, multiculturalism is enshrined in the nation’s constitution, therefore, multiculturalism reflects a principal part of the social and political context of Canada. Multiculturalism, therefore, persists as it is the belief of how Canadians ought to be, the values that Canadians hold onto. The Canadian multicultural policy, put in place in 1971, serves as a guideline for government policy as well as a framework for national discourse on the construction of Canadian society (Mahtani, 2002, pp. 67-68). Recent research reveals that a most Canadians view immigrants and demographic diversity as significant parts of their own Canadian identity (Kymlicka, 2010, p. 7). In this model, individuals can express a degree of individuality and it celebrates people’s differences (e.g. religion, culture, ethnicity) and this model allows community of people to exchange ideas and perspectives of the world. A recent research reveals that Canadians are “more likely to say that immigration is beneficial, less likely to believe that immigrants are prone to crime, and more likely to support

535). Likewise, Netherlands is the most vivid example of Western democracy retreating from multiculturalism. Moreover, the country is now widely regarded as the prototypical example of ‘the failure of multiculturalism’; in the 1980s, the Netherlands adopted the most ambitious set of multiculturalism policies in western Europe in the 1980s, but it started to cut on theses policies in the 1990s, and then forsaken them almost entirely in the 2000s (Banting, K., & Kymlicka, W., 2010, p. 44). Fairly harsh and coercive ‘civic integration’ policies, which appear to be “indistinguishable from old-fashion assimilation” (Banting, K., & Kymlicka, W., 2010, p. 44) have replaced the multiculturalism policies in the Netherlands. Likewise, several European countries, such as Austria and Germany, are now following the Dutch model of adopting mandatory civic integration policies (Banting, K., & Kymlicka, W., 2010, p. 45). This Dutch case is now adduced by other European countries as the rationale for retreating from their own multiculturalism policies, or for not adopting such policies to begin with. In particular, the Council of Europe blames multiculturalism for a variety of problems, such as the residential ghettoization and social isolation of immigrants, increased stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination between ethnic groups,