This discussion is now closed.
Check out other Related discussions
- oxford entry requirements for canada
- A levels VS Canadian high school
- Timing of Three A-levels for High School Diploma Equivalency
- Do Canadian universities accept foundation year courses for admission?
- WAEC
- transitioning from the Uk's education system to Canada's
- Will my degree be considered a merit? - International Qualification Grade Equivalent
- A levels in Canada
- Who will win the next general election in Canada
- Applying
- Working as a Lawyer in Canada with a UK Law degree?
- Drop ur ethnicity
- St.Andrews Medicine
- How difficult is it to get a job as a dentist in the UK with an overseas degree?
- why do news related israel/gaza has its comment turned off
- Mcgill vs Queens university STUDENT LIFE
- Canadians doing pharm in the Uk
- University of St Andrews A990 2023 Entry
- Kallisto's Saturday Question: Inventions
- Post graduate in Canada application?
Canadians don't exist
Scroll to see replies
Well, I'm more concerned with how pointless the idea of diversity is when there is little interaction between different groups. I see the lack of integration into greater Canadian society to be a failing of diversity, not as a success.
Bismarck
Canadians never existed though. Their entire sense of being was based on opposition to the US (not necessarily hatred). If you asked a Canuck what makes him a Canuck a century ago, they'd probably say the fact that they're not American.
Americocentrism again... A century ago, with such strong ties with Britain, the influence of the Catholic Church in French-speaking areas, they didn't really need the US to identify themselves. American cultural influence driven by American's economic power is quite recent and you should know that.
Some Canadian merchant of Scottish origin in Montreal who spoke English and French wouldn't really have been affected that much by American issues.
Although they would have still been revelling about burning the White House down and beating the Americans a few times.
SolInvincitus
Canada was made up of a very heterogenous immigration demographic. Socts, Irish, Englisg, Welsh, French, Ukranian, Czech, Slovak, Slav, German, Scandanavian, Indian, Chinese etc. Due to the low population density, however, and smaller and fewer cities, these groups did not lose their identity and blend as they did in the US. Instead they maintained a very distinstic community make-up, but managed to contribute to the whole as well.
Well despite the diversity, it was always about the "French" and the "English". Even today in Quebec, people refer to themselves as being French or English, although it's mostly linked to the language, it's also how they identify themselves. A lot of separatists still see themselves as the descendants of the poor French buggers who lost on the Plains of Abraham. I've even heard people refer to themselves as English, without necessarily being of English origin (but often of British origin).
Canada was described as being made of "two solitudes": the French-speaking community of French and a bit Irish (they tended to marry other Roman Catholics) origin and the English-speaking community of English and Scottish origin.
Canada's most famous prime minister, Pierre Trudeau in the 70s, who was of British and French origin, introduced the idea of a Canadian identity comfortable with both its British and French heritage. Loads of programmes were introduced to promote bilingualism although this was screwed up by laws introduced in the mostly French-speaking province of Quebec which made the English-speaking communities of Montreal leave the province.
These days, the idealism of Trudeau has somewhat disappeared: Quebec is not speaking any more English and the rest of Canada is quite indifferent to speaking French but Canadian identity officially is that French/British heritage.
In that "I am Canadian" Molson (a famous beer brand created by John Molson, an English immigrant in Montréal) advert, it's clearly stated that the difference between a Canadian and an American is that a Canadian speaks French (although it is a bit of a joke).
New immigrants have definitely changed the face of Canada but they have been integrated in either the English-speaking communities (Eastern Europeans, Italians, Jewish, Chinese, Indian) or French-speaking communities (Vietnamese, Haitian, North African).
For political-correctness, Inuit culture and Mohawk culture is often mentioned too.
It's the difficulty of creating a unified Canadian identity based on two different languages and heritages (the two "solitudes") that explains the lack of a proper identity. With Quebec now representing the vast majority of the French-speaking population and due to language laws introduced by the French-speaking minority to disadvantage the English-speaking minority, English-speaking culture is dying in the province, Quebec might consider succeeding. They now feel like a nation: mostly by alienating a whole community (that of British origin. In any other country, this would not have been tolerated) and it wouldn't be that surprising. Maybe something positive will happen before that.
Related discussions
- oxford entry requirements for canada
- A levels VS Canadian high school
- Timing of Three A-levels for High School Diploma Equivalency
- Do Canadian universities accept foundation year courses for admission?
- WAEC
- transitioning from the Uk's education system to Canada's
- Will my degree be considered a merit? - International Qualification Grade Equivalent
- A levels in Canada
- Who will win the next general election in Canada
- Applying
- Working as a Lawyer in Canada with a UK Law degree?
- Drop ur ethnicity
- St.Andrews Medicine
- How difficult is it to get a job as a dentist in the UK with an overseas degree?
- why do news related israel/gaza has its comment turned off
- Mcgill vs Queens university STUDENT LIFE
- Canadians doing pharm in the Uk
- University of St Andrews A990 2023 Entry
- Kallisto's Saturday Question: Inventions
- Post graduate in Canada application?
Latest
Trending
Last reply 3 days ago
Why is the political left now censorious and authoritarian??Last reply 3 days ago
Is it true that British unis are prejudiced towards degrees from Scottish unis?Last reply 3 days ago
If the Russell Group was now a fair representation of what it still claims to beLast reply 2 weeks ago
TSR Goes Green: How important will the environment be in this year's election?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Research Rankings of universities if you add Research Quality & Intensity percentagesLast reply 1 month ago
Is University of Birmingham prestigious and respected well enough in UK ?Trending
Last reply 3 days ago
Why is the political left now censorious and authoritarian??Last reply 3 days ago
Is it true that British unis are prejudiced towards degrees from Scottish unis?Last reply 3 days ago
If the Russell Group was now a fair representation of what it still claims to beLast reply 2 weeks ago
TSR Goes Green: How important will the environment be in this year's election?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Research Rankings of universities if you add Research Quality & Intensity percentagesLast reply 1 month ago
Is University of Birmingham prestigious and respected well enough in UK ?
