Candian culture: embrace it or else?

Canadian Culture: embrace it or else?

I can't believe this type of thinking is around but I guess it takes all kinds. Reading our local rag I came across an opinion piece entitled "Immigrants Must Embrace Our Culture!" The title alone gave me a sense of what this was about and what was to follow, kind of like when you can smell something spoiled and bad before you see it.

The articles author posed that he was tired of Canadian elected officials worrying about "offending immigrant sensibilities and cultures with every decistion they made." Everyone waived their flag patriotically after 9-11 he said, everyone except Canadians because "they were apprehensive about trampeling the rights of immigrants and offending them." I stopped sipping my coffee at this point, raised one eyebrow, and said to myself "Oh?"

The author wrote further that "people who choose to come to Canada need to get themselves set straight about a few things." We already have our own culture he said, and it was developed over centuries by, ahem "Christian men and women who fought and died for our Candian way of life and freedoms" (you can start humming any anthym right about here). Still mining this religous vein he went on to write "God was and continues to be part of Canadian culture" and that "it was Christian men and women who founded this nation." There was this small matter, I thought, of the peoples who were already here as well as the immigrant population from other countries who labored long and hard during this founding as well. But I read on.

Demonstrating some semblence of cultural sensitivity the author said as well that "although immigrants are welcome to follow their own beliefs they should know that our God is the only God in Canadian culture." I knew the author and what surprised me was that he wasn't a preacher by trade. "If this offends them" he wrote "then they can consider making some other part of the world their home."

The man was on a role. Once he finshed shaking his finger about God he went on about language. Sure other languages are spoken in Canada he said naming Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese as examples BUT "here in our country Enlish and French are our official languages so immigrants better learn them" he said. Our country? Aren't English and French from England and France I wondered?

"Canadians are happy with their own culture and way of life and have no intention of changing" he said. If immigrants expect Canadians to change their beliefs, culture, language, God, flag, or way of life to suit them then they could just exercise the good o'l Canadian freedom to leave he concluded.

Well....

You know, folks are entitled to their opinion, they are. But I am also entitled to an opinion of theirs. So,

Careful thought and consideration must be given before waving our flag patriotically either in pride, or in protest. Canada is a nation which accepts and embraces cultural diversity; it doesn’t scold other cultures for it.

Firstly, our elected officials, and we, must exercise forethought towards others when making decisions. And yes, consideration must be given to other peoples’ cultures and beliefs. Canada’s patriotic trampling of immigrants rights has a sorry history littered with victims. Historically, thoughtless decisions without sensitivity to culture led to shameful acts such as the Japanese internment during World War Two, the Komagata Muru incident, the internment of generations of aboriginal children in residential schools, and the internment of Dukkobors.

We can all learn from this disgraceful part of our history or ignore it to our embarrassment. Moreover, although Canadian culture was fought for and developed by Christian men based on Christian principles it only became such at the expense of another already established culture, complex and highly developed, that was heartlessly trampled without consideration or sensitivity.

Secondly, post colonial Canada was founded by European Christian men based on Christian principles. Those principles were enshrined in a constitution which, upon reading it, makes liberal mention of the word “citizen.” It does not say “homogeneous” citizen.

Also enshrined in the constitution were fundamental freedoms all citizens enjoy, like freedom of religion and freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression. Since its founding Canada has evolved and is now considered one of the greatest places on earth to live. We are respected internationally for our neutralityand fairness as well as for our acceptance and tolerance of all peoples and cultures.

While it may be nice to hearken back to a time when ‘exotic parts of the world’ meant only England and France, we no longer live in that time. The advent of transportation and globalization has changed our world and movement within it forever.

Thirdly, while English and French are Canada’s two official languages, such recognition is but a matter of historical policy. In fact, there are other languages spoken in Canada now with Japanese, Punjabi, Cantonese, and Mandarin to name but a few and we are approaching a time when the number of speakers of those languages is beginning to outnumber their English and French speaking counterparts. Each of those peoples upon being accepted here have all said “thank you” in their languages and meant it. They’re thankful because they didn’t have to forsake their identity or beliefs, things they were often persecuted for in their own countries.

Fourthly, I rarely weigh in on religious debate but a few things need to be said here. While it is true that God is part of the Canadian mosaic of peoples and culture, so too are Jehovah, Jowaii, Allah, Buddha, Naas, and Rahras (to name but one). As for this “If our God offends you” business I have only to say that God is not ours, but rather we, regardless of our religious leaning, are his. And no we shouldn’t find some other part of the world to call home because of differences about god.

What we should do is the best we can to get along with one another in this place we all choose to call home. There is a tenet which I believe to be universal to all cultures and religions the world over: respect for one another, and a liberal dose of it is due here.

Indeed for centuries Canada has welcomed peoples from the world over to become citizens. While it is reasonable to expect immigrants to adapt to our culture and way of life, it is at the same time unreasonable for us to assume our culture and way of life haven't already changed as a result of the rich diversity of peoples and their beliefs. Embracing this diversity cultivates better understanding between different peoples and this can only lead towards all of us becoming better friends, neighbors and citizens.