Ethnocultural diversity and multiculturalism in Canada

Abstract

Canada is a country with the longest tradition of institutional multiculturalism in the world. The paper analyzes the contemporary ethno-cultural diversity of the population of Canada. Immigration has given specific feature of this country, and each new wave of immigration has contributed to its ethnic and cultural diversity. The basis of today's Canada's racial and ethnic diversity makes groups that are dif­ferent in their characteristics: whites of European origin (mainly British and French origin), so-called visible minorities and indigenous peoples. Canada has traditionally been considered a country where multiculturalism has achieved the best results in the integration of immigrants. Despite the undoubtedly great results, there is a discrepancy between the official policy of integration and social exclusion of new immigrants, especially visible minorities, from the economic sphere and general from public life. Prejudice and discrimination are still the reality for some minority groups, as well as a lower living standard of visible minorities, new immigrants and indigenous peoples. Although there is no serious alternative to multiculturalism in the Canadian society, the controversy about its real effects and objectives, attitude toward the French Canadians and indigenous people, the growing fear of Islamic extremism, and the sense of vulnerability of European values, leave room for different opinions.

Kanada je zemlјa sa najdužom institucionalnom tradicijom multikulturalizma u svetu. U radu je analiziran etnokulturni diverzitet sav­remenog stanovništva Kanade. Imigracija je dala specifično obeležje ovoj zemlјi, a svaki novi uselјenički talas je pridoneo njenoj etničkoj i kulturnoj raznolikosti. Osnovu današnjeg kanadskog rasnog i etničkog diverziteta čine grupe koje se razlikuju po svojim obeležjima: belci evropskog porekla (uglavnom britanskog i francuskog), tzv. vidlјive manjine i domorodačko stanovništvo. Kanada se tradicionalno smatra zemlјom u kojoj je multikulturalizam ostvario najbolјe rezultate u integraciji migranata. I pored nesumnjivo velikih rezultata, izražen je raskorak između službenih politika integracije i društvenog isklјučivanja novih imigranata, pre svega vidlјivih manjina, iz privredne sfere i javnog života uopšte. Predrasude i diskriminacija su i dalјe realnost za neke manjinske grupe, kao i niži životni standard vidlјivih manjina, novih uselјenika i domorodačkih naroda. Iako multikulturalizam nema ozbilјnu alternativu u kanadskom društvu, polemike oko njegovih stvarnih efekata i cilјeva, odnos prema Frankokanađanima i domorodačkim narodima, rastući strah od islamskog ekstremizma i osećaj ugroženosti evropskih vrednosti, ostavlјaju prostor i za drugačija mišlјenja.