Finding Our Way : Rethinking Ethnocultural Relations in Canada

Many people think that ethnocultural politics in Canada are spiralling out of control, with more groups making more demands. This book offers an optimistic picture. It argues that Canadians have learned lessons about how to accommodate ethnocultural diversity.

Many people think that ethnocultural politics in Canada are spiralling out of control, with ever more groups making ever greater demands. This book offers a more balanced and optimistic picture. It argues that we have learned many important lessons about how to accommodate ethnocultural diversity, lessons which can help us tackle the challenges still facing us. The first half of the book examines the situation of ethnic groups formed by immigration to Canada. It argues that the "multicultural" model of integration adopted by the Canadian government in 1971 has worked much better than many people realize, and can be adapted to meet today''s new challenges. Accommodating these ''nations within'' is difficult, but here too we have learned a great deal about what works, and what does not. Reflecting on these lessons can help put our conflicts back into perspective. The challenges of ethnocultural diversity in Canada are real, but not insurmoutable, and we can draw upon an impressive range of experiences and resources in addressing them.