Historicizing Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Richmond LEE BLANDING LANGARA COLLEGE & XSPACE LEARNING

Transcription

1 Historicizing Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Richmond LEE BLANDING LANGARA COLLEGE & XSPACE LEARNING

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3 Personal background Immigrant to Canada at age 14 BA in Canadian Studies Further studies in Canadian history PhD dissertation on the history of Canadian multiculturalism policy Part time lecturer at Langara College in Interdisciplinary Studies Full time director at an educational startup that serves ELL and International Students

4 Today s objectives Unpack the history of multiculturalism Explore the development of terminology Discuss the applicability of concepts and terminology to the Richmond context

5 Group activity Instructions: Do not use your smartphones or computers (I know it s tough!) Take one minute to answer the following question in a word, number, phrase, or even a few sentences: When did Canada become multicultural?

6 Expected answers: Dates: 1971; 1982, Immigration: late-19 th century, 1960s. We ve always been multicultural. We ve never been multicultural. Depends who you talk to.

7 When did Canada become multicultural? Did he mean multi-ethnic, or many-cultured? Did he mean officially multicultural? Was it a trick question? Is there a right answer? Will I be judged? Am I being insensitive if I give the wrong answer?

8 Answer=Question The kinds of questions we ask in some ways determine our answers! Multicultural is usually not used in the same way as multiculturalism : Immigration and migration patterns continue to evolve, with many former culturally homogenous countries becoming increasingly multicultural. THE OXFORD HANDBOOK OF MULTICULTURAL IDENTITY

9 The way that we think about words and concepts has a lot to do with which generation we were born in, where we went to school, which country we are originally from, and a myriad of other factors Words and phrases like multiculturalism, multicultural, interculturalism, diversity, unity in diversity, third force, etc. are contested terms Contested terms

10 An historian s answer We should place multiculturalism in its historical context Multiculturalism arose in the 1960s at the same time as the term multicultural ; primarily as a reaction to bilingualism and biculturalism How we use this term today has evolved dramatically since 1971

11 Before we began to use the term multiculturalism, some spoke of Canada as a mosaic Likely first used by Victoria Hayward (1922), but popularized by John Murray Gibbon after 1926 Gibbon arranged the first folk festivals of song and dance in co-operation with the Canadian Pacific Railway The mosaic

12 First recorded uses I could find: The President of the Vancouver (Jewish) Peretz School, Dr. Harry Winrob, spoke of Canada having a multi-cultural pattern during an annual concert in 1957 A.J. Arnold wrote in the Jewish Western Bulletin that Jewish Canadians could contribute to the development of a multicultural pattern of Canadian life. Multiculturalism

13 Political change In many ways, multiculturalism in Canada is a new name for an old activity, namely the long-standing efforts of the federal Citizenship Branch to encourage harmonious community relations in Canadian cities and to protect and assist ethnic groups.

14 Citizenship Branch 1942: Creation of the Nationalities Branch of the Department of National War Services 1945: Renamed the Citizenship Branch (within the Dept. of the Secretary of State); : Citizenship Branch housed within the Department of Citizenship and Immigration

15 Immigration v. multiculturalism Immigration Branch of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration looked after..immigration Citizenship Branch of the DCI was devoted to education and liaison This separation of immigration policy and bureaucracy and what might be termed multiculturalism policy and bureaucracy has been the case since the 1950s No direct relationship between immigration and multiculturalism

16 Integration Made up of a young generation of civil servants trained in the social sciences; wanted to make Canada a better place Concerned with integrating immigrants, ethnic minority communities (second or third-generation Canadians), and even Indigenous Peoples into Canadian society Recent historical work by Will Langford, Franca Iacovetta and Heidi Bohaker, and others has shown that Indigenous Peoples were seen as in need of integration

17 Iacovetta has called this generation of activists, civil servants, etc. gatekeepers Concerned that immigrants were bringing communistic ideas with them Parallels with modern worries about immigrants importing radical ideologies Gatekeepers

18 Proto-multiculturalism Beginning to see Canada as more diverse : The population of Canada is an assorted package with ingredients of many varieties. Since the war, over a million immigrants have come from some 40 different countries. About 30 per cent have been of British origin; the remainder have come from other lands. Thus, in addition to Canadians of French and British cultural traditions, we have many people with other cultural backgrounds. This calls for understanding and cooperation between the people of the various ethnic groups so that we may live together in harmony, and so that everyone can make his best contribution to the country.

19 Brussels World Expo, 1958 the first world s fair of the Cold War an opportunity to emphasize Canada s newfound commitment to integration, rather than assimilation Canada stands in the middle way, so as to prevent too great expectations on the part of prospective immigrants.

20 Two basic cultures Two dominant cultures A unique characteristic of Canadian life is diversity The melting pot concept of complete conformity is not acceptable to Canadians. Instead, individuals and groups are encouraged to contribute from their cultural heritage and traditions to the enrichment of Canadian life

21 Bicultural and multicultural Official government position in the late 1950s: Canada is essentially bicultural Quebec is the home of French-Canadians, the only place where they can survive Canada has two major societal cultures, but is enriched by other cultures

22 Quiet Revolution Election of Premier Jean Lesage in 1960: Seen as the actual beginning of the Quiet Revolution Reorients the public discussion toward biculturalism and a focus on French Canada Election of Lester Pearson in 1963: Promised a Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism

23 The Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism ( ) Terms of reference: inquire into and report upon the existing state of bilingualism and biculturalism in Canada and to recommend what steps should be taken to develop the Canadian Confederation on the basis of an equal partnership between the two founding races, taking into account the contribution made by the other ethnic groups to the cultural enrichment of Canada and the measures that should be taken to safeguard that contribution. Royal Commission

24 Biculturalism Commission wanted to ensure that the two cultures possessed the required institutions to preserve their cultures Wanted to see if French Canadians were adequately represented in public organizations, and whether the members of these organizations have the ability to preserve and express their cultures. Presupposed that there were two major linguistic and cultural communities that required public institutions in order to reflect and maintain their status.

25 Ethnic minority communities react Sense of grievance around the idea of biculturalism Less complaints about bilingualism Formation and mobilization of political organizations Members of Canadian League for Ukraine s Liberation at Bi-Bi talks.

26 Ethnic mobilization A few attempts made to organize ethnic minority groups Mostly unsuccessful Institute of the Canadian Ethnic Mosaic Confederation Hoped to become the rallying centre of representatives of all ethnic groups

27 Briefs to the Commission: The National Federation of Canadian University Students (NFCUS): any reference to other cultural groups should be made only with respect to either the French or the English cultural groups as is implicit in the name of this Commission. Société-Saint-Jean Baptiste de Montréal: Don t repeat the unfortunate adventure of the tower of Babel. Pierre Trudeau (then a law professor): bilingual [and] multi-ethnic.

28 Ukrainian Professional and Businessmen s Club Canadian Ukrainian citizens feel that they are too a founding race since to a large extent it was the Ukrainians that did the work of building the railways, and it was the Ukrainians who found these settlements in the most inaccessible parts of Western Canada. Our ancestors did not move into a neatly ploughed prairie but opened up the backwoods. It is largely from their efforts and the efforts of other Canadians that the Canadian wilderness was transformed into the Canadian bread basket of the world.

29 Take away points Ukrainian and Polish organizations and individuals formed the largest contingents aside from French Canadians Profound misunderstanding between French Canadians and ethnic minority communities about the meaning of biculturalism. French-Canadians: Biculturalism = French-English biculturalism/bilingualism (the reality in Quebec) Ethnic minority communities: Biculturalism = English or French + minority languages/cultures (the reality in Western Canada)

30 Exchange between Manoly Lupul and Pierre Trudeau, 1964 Trudeau, of course, denied that there was anything artificial about the French and pointed to historical factors like the Manitoba school question that had discouraged westward French-Canadian migration. I replied with instances of Quebec bishops, politicians and journalists deliberately discouraging such migration, resulting in a settlement policy that brought in people like the Ukrainians, many of whom still retained a linguistic base that was just waiting to be tapped. And how long will they last? Trudeau snapped. Longer than you think, I replied, which pretty well ended the halfhour give and take.

31 Clarification of Trudeau s opinion: Article in Cité Libre from 1966: "If six million persons with Ukrainian as their mother tongue lived in Canada, it is probable that this language would impose itself with as much force as French. In terms of real politik, what makes English and French equal in Canada is that each of the two linguistic groups has the power to break up the country.

32 Ukrainian Community Led by the Ukrainian Canadian Committee Excluded the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians (procommunist) Unofficially led by PC Senator, Paul Yuzyk First speech in the senate (1964) referred to Canada as a multicultural nation Said ethnic minority communities were a third element in society

33 Linguistic maintenance = cultural maintenance [t]he third element ethnic or cultural groups should receive the status of co-partners, who would be guaranteed the right to perpetuate their mother tongues and cultures, which should be offered as optional subjects in the public and high school systems and the separate schools of the provinces, and the universities wherever there would be a sufficient number of students to warrant the maintenance of such classes.

34 Royal Commission s response Ethnic minority communities are scarcely conscious of the fact that they belong to a bilingual and bicultural country.

35 Citizenship Branch in the mid-1960s Primarily concerned with promoting Canadian unity Subsidized the Ontario Conference on Intergroup Relations, Canada Ethnic Press Federation and the First National Conference on Canadian Slavs, who actively promoted multiculturalism Supported youth exchange programs Had been told at a UN conference by other countries delegations that Canada was a bi-national, multiethnic state

36 Citizenship Branch responds to the Commission Mr. Laurendeau remarked that ethnic groups out west have the impression that they had been encouraged to maintain their respective cultures by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. There appeared to be a conflict, therefore, between the approach of the Department to this question and the appointment by the Government of a Commission stressing biculturalism. He asked what the attitude of the Citizenship Branch was on this matter. our aim was unity through diversity The Branch s interaction with ethnic groups at the National Citizenship Conferences had guided the Branch towards a multi-cultural approach. The notion of assimilation of the ethnic groups into one of the two major cultures was a concept that had long been out of favour in the Citizenship Branch.

37 Split understanding of Canada Royal Commission committed to bilingualism and biculturalism Wrote a report (Book IV) on the other ethnic groups Recommended funding for French-language services outside of Canada Citizenship Branch continued to develop multicultural programs Supported community organizations in creating a public ethos of unity in diversity Grafted a French- English relations program onto existing programs

38 Multiculturalism policy Comes about due to several factors: 1. Protest and advocacy by multicultural movement from Changes in policy and practice in the Citizenship Branch 3. Generalized changes in society Trudeau government response to Book IV and French-Canadian nationalism Factors that were not at play: 1. People of colour or visible minorities 2. Changes in immigration law (Order-in Council PC ; i.e. the points system ) 3. Purchasing of ethnic votes ; was an afterthought in 1972 election 4. Trudeau s personal convictions

39 Multiculturalism policy, 1971 First, the government would support all of Canada s cultures and assist their development so long as they demonstrated a will to exist. Second, the government would assist members of all cultural groups to overcome barriers to full participation in Canadian society. Third, the government would promote creative encounters and interchange among all Canadian cultural groups in the interests of national unity. Fourth, the government would continue to assist immigrants to acquire at least one of Canada s official languages and to become full participants in Canadian society.

40 Symbolic policy change Of the sixteen recommendations made by the Royal Commission, only four required new funding and initiatives by the Trudeau government. The remaining recommendations were either the prerogative of the provinces, were already in place in the Citizenship Branch, or were to be studied by the Citizenship Branch.

41 Multiculturalism post-1971 Multiculturalism Secretariat takes over from the Citizenship Branch Shuttled between different departments for years Small budget compared to Official Languages Program Becomes increasingly concerned with racism against visible minority communities during the 1970s and 1980s Made a full Department in 1988 Later transferred to Heritage

42 Ethnic minority communities Ukrainian communities push for bilingual schools in Alberta and Saskatchewan Establishment of the Ukrainian-English bilingual program in Alberta schools (1974 Multicultural movement is largely silent; very little movement federally Recognition that change will happen locally

43 Shifting definitions MULTICULTURALISM AND INTERCULTURALISM

44 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Adopted in 1982 Section 27 reads: This Charter shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of Canadians.

45 Canadian Multiculturalism Act, 1988 multiculturalism reflects the cultural and racial diversity of Canadian society and acknowledges the freedom of all members of Canadian society to preserve, enhance and share their cultural heritage multiculturalism is a fundamental characteristic of the Canadian heritage and identity and that it provides an invaluable resource in the shaping of Canada s future

46 Reasonable accommodation Modern debate was restarted in 2007 Appointment of the Consultation Commission on Accommodation Practices Related to Cultural Differences by the Charest government in Quebec Led by a federalist (Taylor) and a nationalist/separatist (Bouchard)

47 Interculturalism as a pluralist model, interculturalism concerns itself with the interests of the majority culture, whose desire to perpetuate and maintain itself is perfectly legitimate, as much as it does with the interests of minorities and immigrants Gerard Bouchard historian and co-chair of the commission on reasonable accommodation in Quebec

48 Multiculturalism v. Interculturalism Multiculturalism: Integration into a common civic culture, national languages Presupposes two societal cultures Does not ascribe any value or priority to them except by virtue of the sheer weight of numbers and reality Interculturalism: Integration into a common civic culture and national languages that are the expression of common histories and cultures What I would call historicized multiculturalism Is really about the majority cultures and their preservation, while recognizing the value that immigrants and ethnic minorities bring

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50 Richmond

51 Some numbers Statscan and City of Richmond 70.4% of people in Richmond are visible minorities; Greater Vancouver: 62.2% 2011 National Household Survey 60% are immigrants 38% are Canadian-born 2% non-permanent (refugees, study permits) Nearly 58% are 25 or older at the time of immigration 35% are 5-24 years old at immigration

52 RIAC Vision for Intercultural Life in Richmond Promote: Pride in and acceptance of Canadian values and laws. Pride in and respect for diverse heritages and traditions. Pride in and participation in community life. Recognize: That culture is an integrated pattern of thought, speech, action and behaviour which is passed on from one generation to another, through education and learning. That culture evolves, and Richmond s culture is shaped by historic patterns and traditions, current practices and trends, and future planning. Embrace: The concept of Interculturalism, a culturally interactive and vibrant process, as the next step for Canadian multiculturalism.

53 Culture = roots, history, heritage RIAC: Richmond s culture is shaped by historic patterns and traditions, current practices and trends, and future planning. Bouchard: I would say that interculturalism intends to connect cultures as much through their roots as through encounters.

54 What is meant by history? In 2008, the Bouchard- Taylor Commission suggested that the crucifix that hangs in the National Assembly in Quebec be placed in a museum the Liberal government filed a motion for the crucifix to remain, since it was deemed a part of the heritage and history of Quebec Adopted unanimously by the 100 MNAs who voted

55 How do we talk about multiculturalism in Richmond? Balwant Sanghera, VP of RMCS: The RCCS [Richmond Chinese Community Society] had two objectives for this lunch: to help Chinese-Canadians integrate into the mainstream and to introduce Chinese culture to the mainstream society. RCCS builds bridges between cultures, Richmond News, 4 September 2013, A9 Chak Au, City Councillor In Richmond, we are perhaps among the most blessed in Canada because we live up to the true spirit of multiculturalism. We are a community of many peoples and diverse faiths. [ ] The most symbolic representation of this intercultural harmony is the Highway to Heaven Richmond s Highway to Heaven sends a message to the world, Richmond Review, 16 January 2015, 8

56 Voices from the community In the 1960s, I went to school with parties of third generation Chinese descents, fifth generation Japanese descents, fourth generation Sikh descent etc. etc.[ ] We all got along just fine much of this due to the fact we all grew up in the same basic culture the now soughtafter harmony already existed. Re: Shark fin soup incident: I don t believe that kind of behaviour is representative of Canadian values. We only expect immigrants to learn the language, integrate, embrace our culture and become proud Canadians. Wellington Court Strata Council: The council remains a group that speaks Mandarin as its first language, which reflects the group of owners and the multiculturalism of Canada.

57 Problems with application of policies Multiculturalism policy was created for white ethnics Interculturalism policy assumes there is a common culture that is more or less agreed upon Do not address structural inequalities Assume that receiving societies are numerically dominant Do not deal with national minorities in a meaningful way

58 Problems with language Disconnect between language used by politicians, academics, etc., and those used by the broader public Disagreement over meaning of history, culture, multiculturalism, etc. Need to both describe and prescribe

59 A theory of interculturalism for Richmond Recognition of the uniqueness of this situation (certainly in Canada, and perhaps the world) Recognition that we can t fit our situation into a neat model Recognition of historical process of integration

60 Deep diversity Theory developed by political philosopher Charles Taylor Later abandoned by him because it s perhaps impractical and does not fit his politics Reflects the reality of life in the Lower Mainland Allows for multi-national and multi-ethnic diversity In the context of citizenship, deep diversity implies that it is necessary to abandon the notion of a uniform citizenship and instead grant culturally distinct groups special status and protections that will help preserve their cultures over time. John Erik Fossum