Canada's Multiplicity of Ethnicities

There was a time when Canada presented as a sea of white faces. That time is long gone. We take great pleasure in presenting now as a multiplicity of colours, facial features and garb. With an incidental background of various cultures, traditions and religions.

Now, in our Canada of the present day, we are far removed from a population derived mostly from France and Great Britain, with a shallow sprinkling of Europeans. When Chinese, Japanese, Blacks and Jews were viewed askance, as being unsuitable for absorption into the population of Canada.

This Canada is made up now of people stemming from 200 ethnic groups. Canada's latest census figures declare us to be multiracial, multilingual, multi-religious, multicultural. Compared to many countries of the world, we're not all that populous, only 33-million people. But growing, my, how we're growing. Mostly through immigration; we've a low indigenous replacement rate.

The 2006 census informs that of that 33-million, just over one-third identify as ethnic Canadian. Visible minorities now account for 5.06 million people in Canada; 16.2% of the 2006 population. At an immigration rate of 250,000 annually, we've surpassed those figures.

Of those visible minorities - Japanese, Black, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Arab, Filipino, Chinese, Latin American, Korean and West Asian, percentages of 63.2% to 14.8% are second and third-generation Canadian. Canada's largest city, Toronto, is comprised of 46.9% minorities. Vancouver, 51%.

The Statistics Canada report, Canada's Ethno-cultural Mosaic, tells us that visible minorities are not scattered equally across the country, but tend to locate in specific locations; mostly Ontario and British Columbia. Which equates to heavy concentrations, resulting in some geographic areas heavily represented by minorities, and others relatively absent of minorities.

As long as Canada's economy remains strong, and employment is buoyant, it's unlikely that too many problems relating to high unemployment rates affecting immigrants will become a problem. But problems still exist, where highly educated professionals emigrating from their countries of birth face lack of Canadian-recognized professional accreditation.

That situation, if not ameliorated, along with the potential for an economic slow-down and with it job losses, could create an inequitable situation where immigrants, with no "Canadian experience" could form a compelling group of unemployed with all the problems inherent in such conditions.

Such conditions which helped to create the situation of societal segregation, immigrant disaffection, religious and political strife and the creation of the banlieues in France, with their no-go-zones for French police, the aggravated poverty, the resentment and anger of immigrant youth, the lawless violence that ensues.

Thus far Canada has been able to create an atmosphere of welcome and inclusion, offering an egalitarian set of opportunities and freedoms under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to all Canadians. We can all of us hope for a steady evolution of the entire society to form the basis of a broader national identity.

Multiculturalism is fine as far as it goes. In the end, however, people living together in close proximity are far better off recognizing and accepting the ties that bind us together. With all of our differences that help invigorate and enrich Canadian society, there is also a need to blend, to accept a Canadian identity.