Do All Ethnic Minorities Support Multiculturalism Policies in Canada - Essay Example

These philosophies are formed as a result of the historical experiences of these states with different migrant ethnic groups. Canada has had a comparative advantage in the migrants’ integration. There is sufficient evidence to suggest the contributory role of the Canadian multiculturalism policy in the comparative success. However, debates about multiculturalism that have been made over the past few decades suggest that there has occurred a subtle transition in people’s perception of multiculturalism.

There has occurred a retreat from multiculturalism all over the world in general and in the Western Europe in particular. Multiculturalism is also being considered by critics as a harbinger of the future of Canada. “For critics, multiculturalism is an inherently flawed idea, and while these flaws may have emerged more quickly or starkly in Western Europe, they are starting to reveal themselves here in Canada as well” (Kymlicka, 2010, p. 5). This surge against multiculturalism that started in the Western Europe might have made few Canadians suspicious of the long-term benefits of multiculturalism, though at large, almost all ethnic minority groups in Canada do support the multiculturalism policies of Canada.

Canada is an example of such group of states which neither have a very strong ethnic identity nor have a very strict civic national identity. This lack of extreme enables Canada to be more integrative towards different ethnic minorities. In spite of the anti-Muslim notions instigated in many countries around the world in the last decade, the perceptions of the Canadian ethnic minorities have not changed much. This can be estimated from the fact that 83 per cent of the Canadians are of the view that Muslims contribute to the development and prosperity of Canada according to the results of a survey conducted in 2006 by Focus Canada (Kymlicka, 2010, p. 9). Canadians have not only encouraged multiculturalism policies in the past, but have also extended their help to the immigrants in a vast majority of cases when they required it.

“Hundreds of students at the local high school here rallied yesterday to support a 15-year-old Asian boy who was the only one charged in a high-school fight in which the other boy allegedly started the scrap after racially taunting him” (Clarkson, 2009). Such rallies are not uncommon to occur in Canada. Over the time, states like Canada have generally moved towards the versions of integration that are not quite as rigid as they used to be in the past. “States that had assimilationist tendencies towards their ethnic minorities have moved in the present time towards multicultural policies” (Costoiu, 2009, p. 15). Ethnic groups have gained increased support and empowerment as a result of the development of these multicultural policies that range from the policies that address the religious and cultural needs of the ethnic groups to the policies that provide the political organizations of different ethnic groups with support.

While the Canadians are not against multiculturalism, there are some people who have a different stance towards race (racialicious.com, 2010). Since race and multiculturalism are two distinct features, some people’s sensitivity towards race cannot be confused with multiculturalism. However, people of Canada generally tend to suppress racism wherever they witness rather than flaring it up. “