Question from a 2nd Generation South Asian

[OneNoShine]

Hello, merry Christmas all.

I've been browsing through the forums and have seen some good debate regarding the poorly executed "multiculturalism" model and how it does not favor white Canadians at all. I am a second-generation South Asian who has lived in Canada his entire life. I was born here, raised here and plan on staying here. I was brought up in a very white demographic my entire life. From childhood to university. I've read a lot of complaints about how non-whites do not tend to assimilate and how they force THEIR culture on YOU, in your own country. I have done the opposite, assimilating into Canadian culture as much as I possibly can. I played hockey from an early age, took a Canadian Politics and History course just to learn a little more about the history of this country, have never asked a White Canadian to change his lifestyle for me simply for being a minority, and have no threatening religious fate (I am a little confused about my religious faith at the time. I do believe in god but don't follow any specific faith). I was recently working at Future shop (I'm sure some of you hate me now after learning this! ) and will be finishing my University degree soon and then I can hopefully find a good job that contributes to Canadian society. I plan to raise my children the "Canadian" way too!

Basically, what I am here to ask is: Do you have issues with me living in Canada as a minority? I've done everything I possibly can to assimilate, be as small of a problem to you white Canadians as possible and to be a contributing member of the society. And I am not doing if by force either, I truly love the "Canadian culture" and appreciate it tons.

Well, thanks for your time and any answer is appreciated!!!!

Edited December 23, 2007 by OneNoShine

[charter.rights]

Hello, merry Christmas all.

I've been browsing through the forums and have seen some good debate regarding the poorly executed "multiculturalism" model and how it does not favor white Canadians at all. I am a second-generation South Asian who has lived in Canada his entire life. I was born here, raised here and plan on staying here. I was brought up in a very white demographic my entire life. From childhood to university. I've read a lot of complaints about how non-whites do not tend to assimilate and how they force THEIR culture on YOU, in your own country. I have done the opposite, assimilating into Canadian culture as much as I possibly can. I played hockey from an early age, took a Canadian Politics and History course just to learn a little more about the history of this country, have never asked a White Canadian to change his lifestyle for me simply for being a minority, and have no threatening religious fate (I am a little confused about my religious faith at the time. I do believe in god but don't follow any specific faith). I was recently working at Future shop (I'm sure some of you hate me now after learning this! ) and will be finishing my University degree soon and then I can hopefully find a good job that contributes to Canadian society. I plan to raise my children the "Canadian" way too!

Basically, what I am here to ask is: Do you have issues with me living in Canada as a minority? I've done everything I possibly can to assimilate, be as small of a problem to you white Canadians as possible and to be a contributing member of the society. And I am not doing if by force either, I truly love the "Canadian culture" and appreciate it tons.

Well, thanks for your time and any answer is appreciated!!!!

Bumper sticker seen in eastern Ontario:

There are definitely too many immigrants in this country.....just ask any Indian.

Edited December 24, 2007 by charter.rights

[margrace]

Bumper sticker seen in eastern Ontario:

There are definitely too many immigrants in this country.....just ask any Indian.

Who was driving the car, I bet it was a red neck white man.

[Leafless]

Basically, what I am here to ask is: Do you have issues with me living in Canada as a minority?

No, but I wish it was Mr. Harper looking for input on immigration.

[August1991]

Basically, what I am here to ask is: Do you have issues with me living in Canada as a minority? I've done everything I possibly can to assimilate, be as small of a problem to you white Canadians as possible and to be a contributing member of the society. And I am not doing if by force either, I truly love the "Canadian culture" and appreciate it tons.

You are asking about "multiculturalism".

I started a thread on this here.

Go there, read my comments and if you are serious, post a reply. Smart Canadians have thought about this.

Edited December 24, 2007 by August1991

[Peter F]

Basically, what I am here to ask is: Do you have issues with me living in Canada as a minority?

No. Nor as a majority

I've done everything I possibly can to assimilate, be as small of a problem to you white Canadians as possible and to be a contributing member of the society. And I am not doing if by force either, I truly love the "Canadian culture" and appreciate it tons.

You are sounding like a fool. There is no need or requirement for you to assimilate to anything. You are who you are and there ain't a person on this earth that can change that. There is no need to ingratiat yourself to anyone...least of all us white Canadians.

As an aside, since you truly love and appreciate Canadian culture, would you explain Canadian culture to us? You are probably the only person on this website who has any idea what it is.

[Guest American Woman]

As an aside, since you truly love and appreciate Canadian culture, would you explain Canadian culture to us? You are probably the only person on this website who has any idea what it is.

I thought Canadian Culture was anything you do that we don't do in the U.S.

[iForgot]

No. Nor as a majority

You are sounding like a fool. There is no need or requirement for you to assimilate to anything. You are who you are and there ain't a person on this earth that can change that. There is no need to ingratiat yourself to anyone...least of all us white Canadians.

As an aside, since you truly love and appreciate Canadian culture, would you explain Canadian culture to us? You are probably the only person on this website who has any idea what it is.

You're saying Canada wouldn't be better off if more people assimilated like this person?

Edited December 24, 2007 by iForgot

[margrace]

I thought Canadian Culture was anything you do that we don't do in the U.S.

Good answer.

[Peter F]

You're saying Canada wouldn't be better off if more people assimilated like this person?

Yes. So what if OneNoShine has assimilated? If OneNoShine doesn't assimilate what then?

[charter.rights]

Yes. So what if OneNoShine has assimilated? If OneNoShine doesn't assimilate what then?

Actually since Canada doesn't have a definable culture (that wasn't stolen from some other culture) there is a greater chance that Canadians will assimilate into an immigrant's culture than vice versa. Canadian pretty much only deal in trends and if you look at the kids and examine the trends you can pretty much decide which way the majority are going. However, the consumer culture is a western marketing strategy (where they make you believe that you have to buy and own their products in order to belong) and it isn't a true culture in any sense. Right now the culture of Christmas has been overwhelmed with the consumer culture where the entire focus is about buying and gifting store-bought items. There are quite a few of us who reject it all (and we're not too popular this time of year) but the result is a more honest and meaningful season than any American Express can buy.

[margrace]

Years ago China had an unwritten policy of accepting all people. They married their third or fouth daughters into those families and assimilated them. They are the only people I know of who actually believed in assimilation. And don't fool yourself, lots of nationalities other than whites do not want a white person in their family either. The sooner we as a people, no matter what our colour get over our prejudices the better the world will be.

[iForgot]

Whats wrong with a little bit of materialism??

Edited December 24, 2007 by iForgot

[OneNoShine]

No. Nor as a majority

You are sounding like a fool. There is no need or requirement for you to assimilate to anything. You are who you are and there ain't a person on this earth that can change that. There is no need to ingratiat yourself to anyone...least of all us white Canadians.

As an aside, since you truly love and appreciate Canadian culture, would you explain Canadian culture to us? You are probably the only person on this website who has any idea what it is.

I know there is no requirement, but if the host nation has been so gracious to let me live here why can't I do this to eliminate as much discomfort as possible? I know its what most people here want because I've been told by very many people that they wish more immigrants were like me, and that Canada would be a better place if this were true.

As for what is Canadian culture, I don't know exactly because its like someone said, Canada is a mix of European cultures itself, same with the US so its hard to have a "Canadian" culture here. But from what I have seen, I'd say its about being respective about different thoughts and values, enjoying the great outdoors, often having an interest in ice hockey, curling, other winter activities. Some other things I can't think of right now as well. Its hard to define what culture truly is.

[Higgly]

Pay no attention to the man behind the screen. Your parents came here because they thought this was a place they could strive and succeed and that their children could so the same. They were right! What they didn't realize is that this is a country with it's share of idiots, half-wits and right wing morons.

Are people telling you that you are not assimiilating quickly enough? What does assimilation mean? The bastard is not agreeing with me? Yeah right. If a Justice fo the Peace can get Christmas trees removed from Toronto courthouses, what have you got to worry about?

Go blithely about your business. If anybody threatens you or your family, call the cops. If they don't do anything, hire a lawyer and sue the bastards.

Just my two cents... and.... welcome to Canada. We need more people like you.

[OneNoShine]

Well thanks mate.

The right does have a good argument though about how everyone seems to be a first class citizen here except the White Canadian male, and I do feel for them. I'm just worried about the day the average Canadian white guy has enough that they will group me with the muslims who ask for Santa Claus to be banned from the malls!! I know its very unlikely, but race riots and possibly even deportation scares me.

Edited December 24, 2007 by OneNoShine

[Higgly]

Well thanks mate.

The right does have a good argument though about how everyone seems to be a first class citizen here except the White Canadian male, and I do feel for them. I'm just worried about the day the average Canadian white guy has enough that they will group me with the muslims who ask for Santa Claus to be banned from the malls!! I know its very unlikely, but race riots and possibly even deportation scares me.

If you were born in Canada, you cannot be deproted to anywhere. Where do you get this idea?

[OneNoShine]

If you were born in Canada, you cannot be deproted to anywhere. Where do you get this idea?

Stormfront.

I know, I know... but theres enough of them to scare me.

What about my brother? He was born on a trip to India but my parents were Canadian citizens at the time of his birth, and he was in Canada after a few weeks of being born!

Edited December 24, 2007 by OneNoShine

[Moxie]

OneNoShine you and your family sound like 99percent of our second generation immigrants. Job well done and all that. Who knows in twenty years part of your customs and culture will be part of Canadian Culture.

[jbg]

Basically, what I am here to ask is: Do you have issues with me living in Canada as a minority? I've done everything I possibly can to assimilate, be as small of a problem to you white Canadians as possible and to be a contributing member of the society. And I am not doing if by force either, I truly love the "Canadian culture" and appreciate it tons.

Well, thanks for your time and any answer is appreciated!!!!

I am an American. My unhesitating answer, as far as my country goes, is that if what you say is accurate, you're the kind of immigrant we relish.

Come on over!!!

What I do have a problem with are immigrants who don't assimilate, and seem to hover on the fringe of society, collecting benefits and contributing little or nothing.

[jbg]

Pay no attention to the man behind the screen. Your parents came here because they thought this was a place they could strive and succeed and that their children could so the same. They were right! What they didn't realize is that this is a country with it's share of idiots, half-wits and right wing morons.

Are people telling you that you are not assimiilating quickly enough? What does assimilation mean? The bastard is not agreeing with me? Yeah right. If a Justice fo the Peace can get Christmas trees removed from Toronto courthouses, what have you got to worry about?

Go blithely about your business. If anybody threatens you or your family, call the cops. If they don't do anything, hire a lawyer and sue the bastards.

Just my two cents... and.... welcome to Canada. We need more people like you.

Higgly, another occasion, while rare, that you and I agree. Maybe I am a true left-winger after all.

[Michael Hardner]

I find it curious that a few new posters have mentioned Stormfront - a White Nationalist site listed as a known hate site.

It's almost like they're trying to give that site legitimacy that it doesn't deserve.

[Carinthia]

Just remember Onenoshine, in order to ingratiate yourself into the true Canadian culture, you must apologize to chairs and other solid objects when you bump into them. The only place in our society where it is acceptable to truly speak our minds is on Internet forums, it seems.

[BC_chick]

OneNoShine, I wasn't born in Canada, but I was raised here since I was young and I identify very much Canadian. Like you, I am fully "assimilated" and a contributing member of society.

IMO a lot of who you become as a second-generation immigrant depends on your parents' values in raising children. My parents did not want us to feel different than our friends so they allowed a lot of freedoms which were not granted to the children of some of their friends. They were always irked by their friends or acquaintances who wanted to do things according to our former culture.... they always questioned why such people even left if they wanted to continue living like they're in the old country. I know, I know, economic reasons and so on.... but remember, they made the decision to put economy over society when they came here, nobody forced them to do it.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree - I find I am more pro-assimilation than some of my white friends. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for maintaining cultural pride, but while some of my friends don't see the harm in granting exceptions so long as there are no victims as a result (ie RCMP uniform vs. FGM), I believe in keeping things as they are, and not asking for any type of special treatment whatsoever (we are now coming close to a whole other debate though, so I'll leave it at that).

Sadly enough, I never even realised that in spite of my upbringing and "assimilation" there are some people who will never consider me 100% Canadian until I came on boards like this. These boards are toxic, IMO, as people say things they would never tell somebody to their face.

Social etiquette took thousands of years to develop and for good reason - but there is no need for them when you are behind a computer screen. So my advice to you - don't pay attention to what people say on these boards, it's not a true reflection of everyday life. Only allow people's opinion of you get to you when it directly affects your life. Otherwise, it's better to let it go.

Admittedly though taunting can a guilty pleasure too at times.... just tell them you're going to apply to as many affirmative-action positions as possible for which you are unqualified.

Edited December 30, 2007 by BC_chick

[Higgly]

Just remember Onenoshine, in order to ingratiate yourself into the true Canadian culture, you must apologize to chairs and other solid objects when you bump into them. The only place in our society where it is acceptable to truly speak our minds is on Internet forums, it seems.

Sad to say but we seem to get this from the British. As Paul Theroux said of the British: "They apologize when you bump into them, and they say we're weird?