The top Canadian health officials, Dr. Theresa Tam, Dr. Howard Njoo, and Dr. Supriya Sharma, gave a national briefing on Covid-19, demonstrating that multiculturalism is working. When Thomas King, Dionne Brand, Esi Edugyan, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Michelle Good, Joy Kogawa, and Jesse are the top best-selling Canadian authors, it can be said that multiculturalism is flourishing.
When Andre De Grasse, Leylah Fernandez, Patrick Chan, Mo Ahmed, Bianca Andreescu, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Milos Raonic are among the finest Canadian athletes, it can be said that multiculturalism is succeeding.
When the Members of Parliament include Marci Ien, Navdeep Bains, Lori Idlout, Olivia Chow, and Ya’ara Saks, it can be said that multiculturalism is thriving. When merit is given a chance to shine, all kinds of skills rise to the top.
Canada introduced the world’s first Multiculturalism Policy on October 8, 1971. It has always been a minor federal project in terms of government initiatives, but it has always carried a lot of punch. Notably, it has established a Canadian ethic, a value, and a defining trait that is recognized within the country as well as internationally.
When riding the TTC down Wilson or Jane Sts., one sees a true mirror of the world. The same phenomenon happens when you pass through a food court in a Bay St. office tower. But it isn’t the rest of the world; it is Canada.
People frequently express how lovely it is to have colorful emblems of diversity as a huge asset to Canada: music and dance, food and restaurants, and summer festivals. To be fair, multiculturalism began as a quite joyous concept. One of the early slogans was “celebrating our differences.”
And politicians from all parties were eager to attend cultural and religious events back then, as they are now. However, immigration and the heterogeneous societies that are created are responsible for much of the prosperity.
No doubt, immigrants are the indisputable foundation of the healthcare and senior-care systems, with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and personal support workers all working together to save Canadian lives.
The majority of low-wage grocery stores and factory employees are immigrants from a variety of nations who work to get food packaged and on the shelves. And because they embrace the heterogeneous society that is created, all of these people work together quite amicably.
Multiculturalism was created as an organizing philosophy that permits different people to thrive together while recognizing their differences and focusing on their shared bonds. And that is not easy. Despite its flaws, it still functions. A multicultural society that succeeds in several ways and serves as a model for other societies. However, it is not without problems and numerous unfinished endeavors in the direction of fairness.
Today, in 2021, we live in a world that is more divided than ever before, with countries all over the world divided. And here’s where the chasm in Canadian society, as well as many other societies, is widening.
On the one hand, there’s the assimilationist viewpoint: “Return us to our former glory!” It’s time to stand up for the past (the dominant version of it) and cease caving into the swelling chorus of egalitarian demands. On the other side, there is a growing commitment to nonprivileged people’s rights. There are several appeals for equality from various perspectives, adding up to a significant number of people who are more forcefully and publicly stating their demand to be recognized and addressed.
Lip service is no longer enough as the citizens have become increasingly serious about who they are as a nation. Recognizing the past, whether it be residential schools or slavery, is a fine place to begin. Yes, it was prevalent in Canada.
It implies more Theresa Tams, Patrick Chans, Michelle Goods, and Olivia Chows by sharing the economic pie, paying better wages, and ending systematic racism.
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