source: www.thestar.com
Canada has the highest per capita immigration rate in the world, driven by economic policy and family reunification. In 2001, 250,640 people immigrated to Canada. Newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. By the 1990s and 2000s, more than half of all of Canada’s immigrants came from Asia. Canadian society is often depicted as being a very progressive, diverse, and multicultural. Accusing a person of racism in Canada is usually considered a serious slur. All political parties are now cautious about criticising of the high level of immigration, because, as noted by the Globe and Mail, "in the early 1990s, the old Reform Party was branded 'racist' for suggesting that immigration levels be lowered from 250,000 to 150,000."
Being Canadian is like living inside a tossed salad. It means you can be who you want. We practise some aspects of our culture in our house. Although my parents speak Twi at home, I don't feel like I have to put on a beaver mask when I step out of my house. (Rhoda Nimoh, 20, born in Ghana, moved to Canada at age 3)
I'm a Somali first. I don't say I'm Canadian. I'm a Canadian citizen, but when someone comes up to me and asks me what my nationality is, I don't say Canadian or Somali-Canadian. I say I'm Somali. That's how they know me. The first impression people get, they say "you're Somali". Africans that immigrated here don't even consider themselves Canadian. They say they're Canadian citizens but usually you don't say to yourself, "Oh, I'm a proud Canadian" like the Molson Canadian (beer) commercials. No one ever says that. Only Caucasian people think that. We don't think of ourselves as Canucks. I'm Canadian, I'm not a Canuck, though. (Mohamed Osman, 20, born in Somalia, moved to Canada at age 6)
You can't describe a Canadian but if we don't keep our culture, we lose our culture. Without your roots, you're empty. You don't belong anywhere. (Azba Hathiyani, 18, born in Kenya, moved to Canada at age 6)
When I think of being Canadian, I think of multiculturalism. It makes me feel united with everyone else because I am not spotted as different because everyone is different ... I don't have to tuck away my culture. Everyone understands. There's a day in the year in our culture when we eat only vegetarian food ... If I tell my friends I am not going to eat meat that day, they understand. My friends are from all around – black, Chinese, Indian. They're mixed. (John Huynh, 16, born in Toronto to Filipino parents)
I am definitely proud to be Canadian This country is full of different places and the views of what it means vary according to that, I think. (Ali Pirani, 16, born in British Columbia to East African parents)
Canada has the highest per capita immigration rate in the world, driven by economic policy and family reunification. In 2001, 250,640 people immigrated to Canada. Newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. By the 1990s and 2000s, more than half of all of Canada’s immigrants came from Asia. Canadian society is often depicted as being a very progressive, diverse, and multicultural. Accusing a person of racism in Canada is usually considered a serious slur. All political parties are now cautious about criticising of the high level of immigration, because, as noted by the Globe and Mail, "in the early 1990s, the old Reform Party was branded 'racist' for suggesting that immigration levels be lowered from 250,000 to 150,000."
Being Canadian is like living inside a tossed salad. It means you can be who you want. We practise some aspects of our culture in our house. Although my parents speak Twi at home, I don't feel like I have to put on a beaver mask when I step out of my house. (Rhoda Nimoh, 20, born in Ghana, moved to Canada at age 3)
I'm a Somali first. I don't say I'm Canadian. I'm a Canadian citizen, but when someone comes up to me and asks me what my nationality is, I don't say Canadian or Somali-Canadian. I say I'm Somali. That's how they know me. The first impression people get, they say "you're Somali". Africans that immigrated here don't even consider themselves Canadian. They say they're Canadian citizens but usually you don't say to yourself, "Oh, I'm a proud Canadian" like the Molson Canadian (beer) commercials. No one ever says that. Only Caucasian people think that. We don't think of ourselves as Canucks. I'm Canadian, I'm not a Canuck, though. (Mohamed Osman, 20, born in Somalia, moved to Canada at age 6)
You can't describe a Canadian but if we don't keep our culture, we lose our culture. Without your roots, you're empty. You don't belong anywhere. (Azba Hathiyani, 18, born in Kenya, moved to Canada at age 6)
When I think of being Canadian, I think of multiculturalism. It makes me feel united with everyone else because I am not spotted as different because everyone is different ... I don't have to tuck away my culture. Everyone understands. There's a day in the year in our culture when we eat only vegetarian food ... If I tell my friends I am not going to eat meat that day, they understand. My friends are from all around – black, Chinese, Indian. They're mixed. (John Huynh, 16, born in Toronto to Filipino parents)
I am definitely proud to be Canadian This country is full of different places and the views of what it means vary according to that, I think. (Ali Pirani, 16, born in British Columbia to East African parents)
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