Multiculturalism in canada - Essay Example

According to Bertrand, this commission was formed with the aim of investigating the existence of different cultures and ethnic groups in the country, and to devise recommendations on how the government can incorporate all of them in all walks of life in the country. The commission was also to take into account the cultural enrichment that the other ethnic groups provided in the country and find measures that could be taken to safeguard that contribution (Bertrand, par 3). Although it seems as though multiculturalism is a phenomenon that confers some advantage to a country, this essay outlines some of the damaging effects it expedites.

It would be worthwhile to investigate how multiculturalism in Canada has promoted the creation of "segregated racial and ethno-cultural enclaves within local communities," (Garcea), leading to a country where the people are divided into numerous ethnic groups with different cultural backgrounds instead of uniting them. Garcea continues in this article that though the government tries hard to concentrate "immigrants with similar racial or ethno-cultural backgrounds," into the same location, multiculturalism "promotes and supports the creation of ethno-specific secular and religious institutions to serve the needs of each major ethno-cultural community.

" Clearly, immigrants to Canada do not automatically adopt the same national identity that the locals share, but they retain their own sense of identity and culture that they bring along from their own native country. Banting and Kymlicka have found that multiculturalism actually leads to feelings of alienation among the immigrants, and they quote that " racial minorities are less confident they fully belong," (Banting and Kymlicka, 54). Multiculturalism has also been blamed for resulting in discrimination and racism.

Banting and Kymlicka claim that these minorities are " clearly are victims of racism," (Banting and Kymlicka, 64), and that they are more likely to be discriminated upon and face racist situations in the country. Banting and Kymlicka also state that " in comparison with white immigrants, minority immigrants have a greater sense of discrimination and vulnerability," (Banting and Kymlicka, 55). Additionally, "multiculturalism fosters competition and inequality between ethno-cultural groups," and also, "after some period of struggle a very clear group hierarchy will emerge and thereafter life chances will again be a direct consequence of ethnic background," (Garcea).

He further states in his article that "this inequality results from the political dynamics between the relationships of the leadership of ethno-cultural groups and some political parties whereby the former seek political status and financial resources to advance the group's and personal interests, and the latter seek various forms of support to win elections," (Garcea). Clearly, multiculturalism does not lead to the creation of an equal and egalitarian society where everyone has the same chances of success in life regardless of their ethnicity; it instead promotes the creation of a hierarchal system, based on one's ethnicity.

Multiculturalism has also led to the creation of conflicts between the different ethno-cultural gr