Words: 1059
“We like to think, in this country, that our multicultural mosaic will help nudge us into a greater openness. But multiculturalism as we know it indulges in stereotype, depends on it for a dash of color and the flash of dance. “. To what extent is this position true? Support your point of view with details from the three readings listed. Outline Thesis: Canadian government tries to make easy life for immigrants in Canada by establishing laws and policies to reduce diversity in challenges and conflicts between different nations.
But, unfortunately, it is not easy as it seems to, because people make their decisions about other according to their education, stereotyping and experience. 1. Peoples’ ignorance about their racism in living places Stereotypes about behaviour and habits 2. Peoples’ ignorance to understand racism in workplace Usefulness of Canadian Acts 3. Separation people by color, nation and religion by giving them Nicknames 4. How people react when the crime occur. 5. Conclusion “Multiculturalism as a fact refers to a state of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a specified place”(www. ikipedia. org). Where is that line between multiculturalism and racism? Canadian government tries to make life easy for immigrants in Canada by establishing laws and policies that reduce diversity as well as challenges and conflicts between different nations. But, unfortunately, it is not as easy as it seems to, because people make their decisions about other according to their education, stereotyping and experience. Some people think that they are not racists, but when it comes to dealing with other people they find thousands of reasons, why they do not want to deal with them.
They are stereotyping nations by their color, background, behavior. Some people will never live in buildings with East Indian, because of their preferences in meals. In “I’m not a Racist but…” the author gives an example of nice man, who rejected to live with Indians, “he was given to understand that cockroaches were symbols of good luck in their culture and that, when they moved into a new home, friends came by with gift-wrapped cockroaches” (Bissoondath 75). How did he know about this habit, from Media, experience or from school? However, not every Indian neighbor is going to come and welcome newcomers.
In fact, some people live for decades in one place and even do not know any neighbors. Unfortunately, it is not only about living place, it is about workplace as well: Chinese hire Chinese, Russians – Russians, Italians – Italians. But everybody in one voice telling that there is no racism, it is just preferences to work with, because people afraid to recognize different cultures. For example, there are many organizations for people of different color, “The Association of Black Nurses, The Association of Black Artists or The Association of White Nurses” (Bissoondath 76).
But, why people try to separate one from another. Everybody is equal and must be recognized by his professional skills, not by religion, color or sex. Canadian government has such Acts like: “Canadian Human Rights, Employment Equity, Official Languages, Pay Equity and Multiculturalism” (Canadian Diversity). But does everybody follow them? For instance, if two persons want to get one job: Black and White, who will get it? It is not a secret that one of them can go to the court and says: “It was my right to get it. Why it is a discrimination against me? Is it not racism? But the truth is, the employee chose one from another according to his professional skills, not on a land of racism. Next, in Canada people from different nations get different names, which can be determined as racism as well, “native Indian are “apples” (red outside, white inside); blacks are “Oreo cookies” (black and white); and Chinese are “bananas” (Choy 77). Many of them were born here, and they have their visible differences only from their parents, but they are Canadian: they think Canadian and go to Canadian schools. Why is there an inequality against them?
Their parents used to fight to become Canadian against society, where they were not recognized. They spent a lot of energy to make their children happy, “Don’t work like me,” Chinatown parents said. “Work in an office! ” (Choy 78). However, every person, who is differing, can be looked at as newcomer, but he can be more Canadian than everybody else. Choy states, “I’m proudly a banana: I accept the paradox of being both Chinese and not Chinese” (80). It means that he understands that he is both Canadian and not Canadian. Nobody should forget their backgrounds, even if they are immigrants for a long time.
Otherwise, they will lose their inimitable identity to be themselves. Another point is, when it comes to deal with crime, people think that it is international, multicultural or even a racist matter. But it is only, “innate to the darker side of the human experience” (Bissoondath 74). Nowadays wars occur all over the world, and they are not only a matter of hate by one nation to another, it is about desire to possess, be beyond the planet. Or people fight to get their freedom back, not to be discriminated by other nations. Canada is the one of a few countries, which did not have a war for a long time on it territory.
So, people try to immigrate here, because this country is the safest in the world. Population of the Earth want to be secured and independent from other, “ironically, we are all the same, wanting the same security and happiness” (Choy 79). Why do people like to discriminate other? This question is disturbing several generations. And there is no exact answer for it. It was, it is, and it will be, unless everybody understands the significance of every culture, nation, religion and sexual preferences. After that it can be said that our earth is multicultural. Unless, it will taken over by racism, discrimination and violence.
Work Cited Bissoondath, N. “I’m not Racist But…” The Mercury Reader: A Custom Publication. Comp. M. Rubens. Toronto: Pearson Custom Publications, 2008. 74-76. Choy, W. “I’m Banana and I Proud of It. ” The Mercury Reader: A Custom Publication. Comp. M. Rubens. Toronto: Pearson Custom Publications, 2008. 77-80. “Canadian Diversity: Respecting our Difference. ” Multiculturalism. 20 Jan. 2004. Canadian Heritage. 1 Aug. 2008 < http://www. canadianheritage. gc. ca/progs/multi/respect_e. cfm? nav=0. >. “Multiculturalism – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia” 3 August 2008 < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Multiculturalism >