Multi-culturalism, that grand idea from the 1970's has been an abject failure. There have been many reasons for this. It must be noted that the United States tried a different approach in which all new citizens were simply assimilated into the American melting pot and everybody simply became an American. Many countries in Europe did however try the "Multi-cultural" approach, and most of those countries have already discovered that this approach to immigration is a failure.
First we must understand what multi-culturalism actual is. It is an immigration process by which immigrants are welcomed to Canada and is it accepted that they are accepted under the condition that all cultures are equally valid and equally important to Canadian society. This is a laudable idea, but hardly practical.
Here are a few reasons why multi-culturalism is a failure. First, from the very beginning, the process was flawed. It was built around the idea that Caucasian males (European decent) were the privileged few and would always remain that way. In that spirit, programs were set up for new immigrants, youth, women, aboriginal peoples, women, and people with disabilities. While this was absolutely the right thing to do, the omission of any sort of government programming for white men in their 30's and 40's is now becoming apparent. As immigration numbers are changing, the dominance of those white males is beginning to decline, and there are no programs to deal with that segment of the population.
Our country is a Constitutional Democracy with 3 branches of government, Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Part of the Legislative body of government is the Senate. Many young people, and many immigrants have absolutely no idea about the historical significance and the duties of the Senate, and are calling for it's abolition. Few immigrants understand that without the Senate, there would be no Canada because Quebec would not be part of our Confederation. No Canada means they would not be here in a free society.
May other immigrants are calling for the abolition of the Monarchy. To be fair, many native born Canadians are calling for the same thing. This is a contentious issue, and is much more about historical significance than about immigration but the numbers are higher in the immigrant population. Again, it is because they do no understand the significance of the Crown and it's history to Canada.
The other day while I was going into the subway, a veteran selling poppies tried to sell a poppy to a Korean woman. She asked him why she should buy a poppy. He explained to her that the poppy symbolized the soldiers that had fought and fallen for Canada. Her response. "I am a citizen but I am Korean, what does that have to do with me?" He tried to explain to her that those fallen soldiers fell so that she could be here in a free society and say that, but she wasn't buying it.
That is the next issue with multi-culturalism. Many immigrants come to Canada and are quite correctly told that their culture is important and they should try to hang to it. The mistake often made is that they should maintain their culture identity first and be Canadians second. In the case mentioned above, the woman was Korean first, so anything Canadian didn't matter to her, because her she was only a Citizen of Canada. We need to make new citizens to our country feel as though they are Canadians first and foremost. It is important for the continuation of our country that all Canadians feel that way. What good is a Canada where citizens feel divided based along racial lines. Multi-culturalism, that was supposed to embrace all cultures has driven a wedge between many of them.
Another issue that arises from multi-culturalism is gang violence. More often than not, immigrants find their way to our biggest cities, and the ghettoization of immigrants begins. Quite often different immigrant groups end up crammed into the same space. There is quite often ethnic or even racial tension between some of these groups. This can spill over into the neighbourhoods and result in gang-violence and dead children. Even adult gangs, cartels and mafia groups move into these areas. Often they completely control the neighbourhoods.
One of the other things that happens as you cram different ethnic groups and cultures together is an increase in hate crimes and attacks based on religion/race or sexual orientation. That is not to say that these things don't happen in a homogeneous society, but it is much more prevalent in a mixed culture.
There is something much more sinister looming under the surface of some cultures. I know a guy that I worked with. He and his wife have been citizens for over twenty years. He does not allow his wife to vote, she does not go out without his consent, and his children must dress in traditional Muslim dress.
Another issue surrounds young girls. This includes arranged marriages, quite often between very young girls, as young as nine or ten and old men, quite often living back in countries like Pakistan or Afghanistan. Canadian youth have choices. They cannot be, nor should they be, bound by the marriage choices of their parents.
That is minor compared to some of the other more sinister things that have happened here in Canada. There have been honour beating of girls, and even honour killings. Yes, that's right, even in Canada, honour killings. We have been told that all cultures are equal and valid. I CANNOT accept that.
Another thing that is unacceptable is terrorism. Since September 11, 2001, there have been an unknown number of thwarted terrorist attacks in Canada. There has also been the recruitment of Canadian youth by Al-Quaida linked immigrants. The most recent being the 3 boys from London Ontario. If multi-culuralism is going to allow terrorists into our country, then the process needs to changed or be gone altogether.
Today in the Quebec legislature, Pauline Marois introduced the new "Quebec Charter of Values" This is a dangerous overreaction to multi-culturalism. This bill is a reaction to growing Islamophobia and a move towards a more "secular" state within the province of Quebec. It would ban provincial officials from overt religious officials from wearing overt religious symbols. It would also cater to minorities a restrict the Freedom of Religion provision in the "Charter of Rights and Freedoms"
Multi-culturalism has now been taken to it's extreme in Quebec, and that is where it could end up across the country. Add that to the negative effects that it has across our country (especially in our big cities) and it is clear it is not working. I am all in favour of immigration. It is immigrants that build our country and move our country forward, but multi-cullturalism has to go.
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