Racism still exists in Canada.

The reason I say this is because true multiculturalism,

where cultures co-exist without conflict, is simply an ideal. Its not something that
exists, instead, its something that Canadians hope to achieve. Wherever and
whenever different races come into contact with each other, there is always the
potential for discrimination, even in Canada.
Why?
Because Canada is an immigrant nation. Its built on the people who come, hoping
for a new life. Although Canada officially has a pro-multiculturalism policy, its
absurd to assume that people who come to the country for the first time will
suddenly adopt that mentality. So if someone comes from a country with a
homogenous population where theyre taught racism, or theyre taught stereotypes
of other races, chances are that they will bring that with them when they emigrate.
Sometimes, its hard for people to accept others and it could take a long time for
them to accommodate the multicultural Canadian scene. Not only that, but theres
also the chance that Canadians already in the country are prejudiced. Racism,
unfortunately, exists everywhere.
Fortunately, as far as I know, official policies that are discriminatory have been
abolished though, so its not too bad^^
So, one critique is that multiculturalism doesnt really exist.
Another is the concern that by continuously praising multiculturalism, the histories
of the peoples who have been historically discriminated against, are being
ignored.or hidden. Sort of how you were surprised that racism still exists. If you
say it enough time, people start to believe that Canada is multicultural, even though
it hasnt always been that way.
The multicultural policy is a fairly recent one in Canadian history. Prior to this, like in
America, the policy was that of assimilation. People who came to Canada had to be
as Canadian as possible. So these assimilationist policies destroyed First Nation
communities, and oppressed the French in Canada (as far as I know^^)
How?
The colonialists would take aboriginal children from their homes and place them into
residential schools. There, they would take away their names, their clothing, and
their language, everything that made them Native American. This, of course, was so
that the new generation of Native Americans would be more Canadian than
aboriginal. If you change the children of a country, make them forget their culture,
their history, their customs, and their language, it essentially destroys that culture.
A consequence that we still see playing out today.
Theres also the attempt of the English parts of Canada to marginalize the French.
They werent allowed to speak French, learn French in school, or have access to
service in French. Fortunately, it has somewhat changed but theres still quite a bit
of animosity between the French and English, a lot of complaints about the
inequality between the French and English in Canada. That conflict is one of the

reasons why the Parti Quebecois, a political party in Canada, keeps trying to get
Quebec to separate from the rest of Canada.

Another complaint is that multiculturalism is shallow. Yes, its a good thing that
there are cultures living together, but usually, multiculturalism only shows the
stereotypes of a culture. It would be incredibly difficult to understand the intricacies
behind every single cultural holiday or event that happens within Canada. So if
someone were to ask Whats a kimono? you could say its traditional Japanese
clothing but thats it. So, even I dont understand a lot of the celebrations that
happen in Canada. I see pictures, someone tells me the name, but I never really
learn about why its being celebrated. So, I guess you never really understand the
culture, you are simply exposed to it and learn to accept it. That acceptance, of
course, is a good thing. Its just a question of what multiculturalism really means.
For some people, its simply accepting different cultures. For others, you have to
understand everything about the culture.
So people are worried that this shallowness perpetuates stereotypes of cultures
within Canada. So, again, with the kimono, if thats the only part of a culture that is
celebrated, the only part shown, that tiny image suddenly becomes representative
of an entire group.

One thing about multiculturalism is that some people take it to mean that Canada is
a blank slate. Meaning, Canada has no culture, its simply there for immigrants to
practice their own culture. Yes, Canada is a place where you are free to celebrate
your culture, but its also a place with a heritage of its own. If the country is willing
to accept that you have brought a culture with you, you must be willing to accept
that the country has a culture of its own, which may be different from your own.
That is a fundamental part of multiculturalism, understanding that you will be faced
with other cultures, and accepting that.
So, quite a frequent complaint is centered on Christmas (for example). Canada, has
a Christian heritage. So, Christmas is a huge holiday in Canada. There are Christmas
decorations everywhere and people say merry Christmas to everyone. Some people
complain that since Canada is multicultural, you should say happy holidays
because not everyone celebrates Christmas. Its all about political correctness.
Some also complain that the decorations shouldnt be up because they dont
celebrate and it bothers them. However, that tends to get a lot of backlash because
Christmas is part of Canadas culture.

Immigration in Canada is generally quite positive. However there is always the risk
of anti-immigrant sentiment. The economic situation in Canada isnt always great,
sometimes theres a recession, the employment rates are low, etc. And in those
time, people who are suffering, sometimes want someone to blame. Sometimes,
that blame turns towards newcomers to the country. The most common worry is

that immigrants are taking the jobs of the Canadians already in the country.
However, that is not true. In general, immigrants, regardless of their qualifications,
tend to take low-pay positions that most Canadians dont apply for.