Canada is usually designated as a multi-cultural mosaic. It is the country of immigrants and their presence is pronounced so much so in Canadian multi-cultural mosaic that the native population itself has been relegated to the background. Diaspora and its complex literary issues while receiving modern scholarly attention are not of course entirely new. A number of South-Asian writers have made their presence felt in Canadian multi-cultural life. This article apart from dwelling on the immigrant writers from the South-East Asia in general and India in particular, seeks to examine the attitude of the 'Canadians' towards the immigrants' towards their race and the immigrants' attempt for cultural assimilation and adjustment to the cultural mosaic …show more content…
For Selvadurai, Namjoshi, Mootoo, questions of sexuality are as important as those of authenticity, for Boga, in Shahnaz (2000), emphasis falls on opportunities for women's education. Bisoondath challenges the 'divisiveness' of the idea of multiculturalism, as does Mukherjee, who through works such as Jasmine (1989) went on to position herself within the social contexts of American iconography. Begamudre and Ondatjee sought wider frames of reference than South Asia alone, while Parameswaran, Crusz, Vassanji (the creative force behind TSAR publication and Toronto Review of Contemporary Writing Abroad), and Dabydeen returned repeatedly to the binaries that divide Canada from, respectively, their native India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Guyana. The divisions are not clear-cut. In some of his stories for example, Dabydeen (born in Guyana) records how in India he discovers the degree to which he has become Canadian..But cultural binaries do nonetheless have a continuing force; they are also the inheritance of a second generation writer such as Danielle Lagah (b.1977), whose poems evocatively confront the limits and possibilities of language in place (her own Canada) and the inconstant temptations of the unknown (her father's …show more content…
Mistry came to attention twelve years after he had emigrated from India, when Tales From Firozsha Baag (1987) was shortlisted for a Governor's General Award. A collection of linked tales set in a Bombay Baag (or apartment complex). It records the sour-sweet lives of the largely Parsi families who live there. These issues recur in the novels that Mistry subsequently published — Such a Long Journey (1991), A Fine Balance and Family Matters (2002) — as did his primary focus on India, its social traumas and the 'bonbeur d' occasion' for which individual
There was a notable divide between Canada’s French and English-speaking population in the 1960s, as they each presented contrasting views of the country’s national identity. As the federal government faced what seemed like two separate nations embodied within a single country, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson assembled the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism in July 1963. It was to evaluate the existing state of bilingualism and biculturalism and recommend the actions needed to alleviate the largely linguistic and cultural divides in Canada. Pearson’s directive was given at a time when Quebec was experiencing a period of great social and economic development through the Quiet Revolution, while English-Canada was grappling with the re-establishment of the country’s identity as the British definition of Canada was becoming increasingly rejected. This paper will assess bilingualism and biculturalism as it challenged national identity, seen through the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (RCBB) and the influence of the Quiet Revolution; which resulted in policy – the Official Languages Act in 1969 and the Official Multicultural Policy in 1971 – that ultimately shaped bilingualism and biculturalism within what became a multicultural framework in Canada.
In “Canadian Multiculturalism: Global Anxieties and Local Debates” Keith Banting and Will Kymlicka challenge the understanding that failed multiculturalism in Europe will follow suit in Canada. Although Canada is not immune from the challenges that can come with multiculturalism, the way in which they tackle problems are country specific and do not necessarily reflect the practice or outcomes of other nations. As UK critic of multiculturalism Trevor Phillips, observes Canada to be ‘sleepwalking towards segregation’ (44) when the dynamics are far more complicated. TRANSITION SENTENCE REQUIRED
This is an anthology of writing by nineteen Native Canadian writers, which represents both an attempt to promote Native writing, and an effort to undermine commonly held misunderstandings. It is published by McClelland & Stewart, "The Canadian Publishers", which gives the collection a status of national and cultural importance, while indicating how these writers are working in and through Canada's hegemonic culture. This would seem to go some way towards undermining the book's claims to authenticity, but for the fact that King's stated purpose is much more complex than that. In fact, his introduction specifically considers the concept of the authentic, and is wary of what is potentially a highly limiting notion. Thus, the selection includes work that represents Natives in both traditional and contemporary roles and situations; and the format of the writing ranges from a transcription of an oral narrative to examples of conformity with the generic conventions of the Western short story. He is reluctant to constrain the possibilities for Native expression, but is ready to admit that the advent of a written culture with English as a shared language has allowed the various indiginous cultures to discover and explore areas of common belief and practice.
What do the works, “As Canadian as Possible under the Circumstances” and “I’m not the Indian you had in mind” have in common? The dissection of these writing pieces revealed that they do in fact have multiple similarities. Those ideas are the use of identity, stereotypes as well as double meanings.
“Multiculturalism” entered public speech in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Canada that focused on unique cultural diversity, nationalities, and ethnicity across the nation. Multiculturalism and Immigration are important factors in the development of Canada to attain a strong multicultural example of economic stability, social and political growth which leads to the emergence of Canada’s identity and culture.
Multiculturalism has been an integral part of Canada since its adoption by the Trudeau government in 1971 and its formal implementation through The Canadian Multiculturalism Act in 1988 (Burnett and Dreidger, 2014). Multiculturalism has allowed for Canada to engage in a complex social, political, and economic experiment that has heavily informed policy and decision making. In this essay I shall argue that multiculturalism in it’s current form is a failed project. The noble goals of positive social, economic, and educational development as well as the preservation of culture and identity have shifted. The focus of market strategy in multicultural policy has diluted the main tenets of multiculturalism. The search for a meaningful life, trust,
The term ‘diversity ‘refers to all of the significant differences between people, including perceptions of differences that need to be considered in particular situations and circumstances such as our thinking styles or beliefs and value (managing cultural diversity) .A population is made of several different people and therefore they have their own unique cultures which create huge impact on the society and the workplace of a particular country. Society is becoming more diverse due to increased cross-border mobility, less-rigid gender roles, improved living standards and individualization processes. Canada has one of the most diverse population as it can be analyze from the fact that One out of five people in Canada 's population is foreign-born (statistic Canada). Every one living in Canada is a stakeholder that contributes towards the cultural diversity in
Multiculturalism and the Canadian identity. Introduction What is the Canada Tax Code? What is a Canadian emigrant? Canada, to employ Voltaire's analogy, is nothing but “a few acres of snow”.
Today in Canada it is not uncommon to see people of various races, ethnic backgrounds or cultural groups living within a mutual society; commonly known as multiculturalism. Multiculturalism refers to the presence of, or support for the presence of several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society. As the topic becomes more more popular due to news events and social media debates, multiculturalism gets twisted and misunderstood. In essence, multiculturalism is not about dwelling on about our differences, it is about emphasizing our commonality. Diversity of the human race has the power to unify society and make it stronger. Firstly, innovation
Multiculturalism is a euphemism for discrimination and inequality. This is just an example of improper usage of a word in the Canadian context discourse. Canadian multiculturalism implies a large range of concepts and definitions, but without hesitation words such as diversity, equality, ethnicity, are just some of the most memorable key words for everyone. In fact, it is well known that Canada embraces tolerance, acceptance and integration for immigrants. However, this might be just an ideological perspective because a pragmatic approach might illustrate a different panorama. Immigrants are nomads that become afraid of being rejected and diminished because of their status. This status is regarded as "other" (Gabriel, 1998, as cited in Yee,
A person’s culture usually defines their identity, norms and values. I belong to the Canadian culture and will be examining the main elements of this culture such as its symbols, language, norms and values. Canada is considered to be a multiculturalist country, which can reveal why some aspects of my Polish heritage are incorporated into my culture and identity. Therefore, I believe that there is cultural diversity in Canada and that individuals can relate to different cultural identities in this culture, which is not the case for others around the world.
Multiculturalism is a significant fabric of Canadian society that defines its unique identity among the rest of the world. Enactment of the Canadian multicultural policy (1971) affirmed government position and recognition of multiculturalism as a vital element of Canada. It is imperative to understand that multiculturalism is a static concept that keeps changing overtime and has a multidimensional entity. Canadians have always and will continue to revise the concept of multiculturalism to suit the ever expanding needs of Canadian society. In this paper, I will evaluate the reasons behind Canada’s adoption of multicultural policy and assess whether the policy should be maintained or not. I will defend the thesis that Canada’s multiculturalism
Growing up with a diverse community makes you realize that Canada is growing and slowly becoming a Multicultural society. Multiculturalism as stated in the textbook, is defined as allowing and accepting different cultures and providing them encouragement and support to keep their culture and diverse traditions (Mintz et al. 2015, 34). In 1971, Canada became the first country in the world to adapt the official policy of multiculturalism. (Government of Canada. “Canadian Multiculturalism: An Inclusive Citizenship” 2012). Canada grants all residents of Canadian citizens regardless of their “racial or ethnic origins, their language, or their religious affiliation”. (Government of Canada. “Canadian Multiculturalism: An Inclusive Citizenship”
Recent years have witnessed a large number of Indian English fiction writers who have stunned the literary world with their works. The topics dealt with are contemporary and populist and the English is functional, communicative and unpretentious. Novels have always served as a guide, a beacon in a conflicting, chaotic world and continue to do so. A careful study of Indian English fiction writers show that there are two kinds of writers who contribute to the genre of novels: The first group of writers include those who are global Indians, the diasporic writers, who are Indians by birth but have lived abroad, so they see Indian problems and reality objectively. The second group of writers are those born and brought up in India, exposed to the attitudes, morale and values of the society. Hence their works focus on the various social problems of India like the plight of women, unemployment, poverty, class discrimination, social dogmas, rigid religious norms, inter caste marriages, breakdown of relationships etc.
Postcolonial authors use their literature and poetry to solidify, through criticism and celebration, an emerging national identity, which they have taken on the responsibility of representing. Surely, the reevaluation of national identity is an eventual and essential result of a country gaining independence from a colonial power, or a country emerging from a fledgling settler colony. However, to claim to be representative of that entire identity is a huge undertaking for an author trying to convey a postcolonial message. Each nation, province, island, state, neighborhood and individual is its own unique amalgamation of history, culture, language and tradition. Only by understanding and embracing the idea of cultural hybridity when attempting to explore the concept of national identity can any one individual, or nation, truly hope to understand or communicate the lasting effects of the colonial process.