How Immigration Policy has Created a "Cultureless" Canada

[jbg]

This letter to the editor is from an unknown source. It has shown up in both "American" and "Canadian" versions, leading me to believe that it was never published in a copyrighted manner. My response will be on next post.

How Immigration Policy has Created a "Cultureless" Canada..

=======================================

A Letter to the Editor (excellent letter) .

(Author Unknown)

So many letter writers have explained how this land is made up of immigrants. Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people why today's Canadian is not willing to accept the new kind of immigrant any longer.

Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to Canada, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in Halifax and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new Canadian households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture.

Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills, craftsmanship and desire they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. Canadians fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy, France, Japan , Czechoslovakia , Russia, Sweden, Poland and so many other places. None of these first generation Canadians never gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Canadians fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the Freedom as one people. When we liberated France, no-one in those villages was looking for the Ukrainian-Canadian or the German-Canadian or the Irish-Canadian. The people of France saw only Canadians.

And we carried one flag that represented our country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another Country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be a Canadian. They stirred the melting pot into one red and white bowl.

And here we are in 2008 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes a Canadian passport and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being a Canadian all is about. Canadians have been very open-hearted and open-minded regarding immigrants, whether they were fleeing poverty, dictatorship, persecution, or whatever else makes us think of those aforementioned immigrants who truly did ADOPT our country, and our flag and our morals and our customs. And left their wars, hatred, and divisions behind. I believe that the immigrants who landed in Canada in the early

1900s deserve better than that for the toil, hard work and sacrifice those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags, fighting foreign battles on our soil, making Canadians change to suit their religions and cultures, and wanting to change our countries fabric by claiming discrimination when we do not give in to their demands.

Its about time we get real and stand up for our forefathers rights we are CANADIAN Lest we forget it!!!

NO MORE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS NO MORE not saying CHRISTMAS in stores and our schools, Seasonal Holiday be dammed!!!

I Want my Canada of birth BACK !!!

P. S. -- KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING!!

Hope this letter is read by millions of people all across Canada!!

[jbg]

I can speak to my own family's experience. Though I reside in a very different country from you, the USA, the experience is similar.

At various times between 1892 and 1910, with the outbreak of pogroms (government-sanctioned riots) against Jews in Europe, my families' ancestors arrived, separately, from what is now the Czech Republic (then considered the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Poland and Ukraine (both then under the Russian Czar's thumb). They too were "ground kissers". They made learning of English the first order of business. I only knew my maternal grandmother well, but she, the daughter of Lena and (I believe) Jacob Osofsky, shoemakers, spoke perfect, unaccented English. She understood Yiddish but didn't speak it. Both my mother and my father spoke only English, learning French and Spanish in school as second languages.

My father and now my beloved stepfather fought for the United States in WW II and Korea. Tears come to our eyes with the National Anthem as much as to the eyes of descendants of people who came on the Mayflower.

The U.S. became a united country through the crucible of fighting secession, not appeasing and not negotiating with it. The carnage was horrific. The result was the greatest country that ever lived.

G-d bless America and Canada.

[Argus]

When I see the child of an immigrant speaking without an accent, acting and dressing like Canadians, with the same hopes and dreams, the same cultural values, the same belief system, the same attitudes towards freedoms and government and their fellow citizens, then I think immigration isn't such a bad thing.

Unfortunately, I rarely see such a thing. Immigrant parents today are absolutely determined to keep their children foreign. They fight and claw against losing their home culture, and want to preserve it forever here. They make sure their kids speak their language, make sure they understand the importance of going by their home country's traditions and morality, often sending them to special schools which help keep the old ways and hatreds alive, and even go so far as to send their grown children back to their homeland when it's time to find a spouse. They look disapprovingly, even contemptuously at Canadians and their behaviour and sense of morality, and want no part of it for their kids.

These are the kinds of immigrants I despise. I don't see them as Canadians at all, nor their children, and I really wish we could send them packing.

The poster family for this, of course, is the Khadr family.

[jbg]

The poster family for this, of course, is the Khadr family.

And people with weird ornaments walking the streets of Toronto and Montreal. What I'd like to know is "who is subsidizing these people"?

[M.Dancer]

When I see the child of an immigrant speaking without an accent, acting and dressing like Canadians, with the same hopes and dreams, the same cultural values, the same belief system, the same attitudes towards freedoms and government and their fellow citizens, then I think immigration isn't such a bad thing.

Unfortunately, I rarely see such a thing.

I could send you my photo if you like.

[jbg]

I could send you my photo if you like.

And what language do you speak, Canadian, English or French?

[M.Dancer]

And what language do you speak, Canadian, English or French?

All of the above. And if I take a hammer to my head, I can use a noun as a verb and speak passable american.

[Moonbox]

All of the above. And if I take a hammer to my head, I can use a noun as a verb and speak passable american.

I'm not really sure what this post is supposed to be all about, but I'm a strong supporter of immigration. Economically, I know we need it.

With that being said, I'm abhored by our current immigration policies. We need productive immigrants in Canada. We do not need unskilled non-english speaking immigrants who are more likely than not just going to mooch off our social welfare system.

I'm completely against our current refugee system, because basically anyone can claim that status and end up here forever, and they seem to be the worst offenders in the afore-mentioned problems.

The absolute most positive thing I've read about so far with the Harper government is that they are amending immigration policies so that skilled applicants will get to skip ahead of the rest of the pile and get here first.

The Liberals are complaining that it's 'unfair' and 'contrary to human rights' but personally I could care less. I would be more than happy to have an unskilled immigrant wait for infinity to get in if it meant the ones we were taking were likely to become a boon to our country rather than a liability.

[xul]

And what language do you speak, Canadian, English or French?

I'm not sure by what Hitler chose prisoners of his concentration camps, but obviously he didn't depend on suits or accents which people weared and spoke. Obviously after nearly two thousand years, some Jews who lived in German still decided to keep their culture, religion, language and maybe a dream of that one day they could come back and rebuild their country, and I'm sure they have rights to do so just as if a pure blood German decided to turn to Judaism no governments have right to stop him.

I agree "multiculturalism" is not equivalence with "multitribalism". I mean in my comprehension, the purpose of the policy named "multiculturalism" is not to encourage people to keep their culture and live in their respective tribes permanently but accommodate other people's culture, and eventually people may melt naturely not by force because in any case they live in the same country so they share more same interests then the people whom they ever belonged to.

Edited August 18, 2008 by xul

[Argus]

I'm not really sure what this post is supposed to be all about, but I'm a strong supporter of immigration. Economically, I know we need it.

How do you know that? On what economic basis? Have you seen evidence that the costs incurred by Canada for immigration (including associated health, education, welfare, legal, prison) are outweighed by the taxation we get from immigrants?

With that being said, I'm abhored by our current immigration policies. We need productive immigrants in Canada. We do not need unskilled non-english speaking immigrants who are more likely than not just going to mooch off our social welfare system.

So what you're saying is we need immigration, but not the immigration we get now.

The absolute most positive thing I've read about so far with the Harper government is that they are amending immigration policies so that skilled applicants will get to skip ahead of the rest of the pile and get here first.

Depending on how the skills are defined, and depending on their language skills. A doctor who speaks no English or French isn't a lot of use, frankly.

[Wild Bill]

With that being said, I'm abhored by our current immigration policies. We need productive immigrants in Canada. We do not need unskilled non-english speaking immigrants who are more likely than not just going to mooch off our social welfare system.

I'm completely against our current refugee system, because basically anyone can claim that status and end up here forever, and they seem to be the worst offenders in the afore-mentioned problems.

The absolute most positive thing I've read about so far with the Harper government is that they are amending immigration policies so that skilled applicants will get to skip ahead of the rest of the pile and get here first.

The Liberals are complaining that it's 'unfair' and 'contrary to human rights' but personally I could care less. I would be more than happy to have an unskilled immigrant wait for infinity to get in if it meant the ones we were taking were likely to become a boon to our country rather than a liability.

I've said this before but it always bears repeating. The bulk of our immigration in the 50's came from younger folks eager to work. Today its refugees and family reunification.

Grandparents and old maiden aunts tend not to apply for construction jobs.

[Smallc]

I've said this before but it always bears repeating. The bulk of our immigration in the 50's came from younger folks eager to work. Today its refugees and family reunification.

Prove it.

[M.Dancer]

I've said this before but it always bears repeating. The bulk of our immigration in the 50's came from younger folks eager to work. Today its refugees and family reunification.

Grandparents and old maiden aunts tend not to apply for construction jobs.

There were an awful lot of refugees coming in in the 50s.....DPs from the war, Hungarians fleeing the soviets, jews..etc etc...

Today they are by and large, Canadian.

Edited August 20, 2008 by M.Dancer

[mcqueen625]

What makes my blood boil is so-called immigrants like the Khadr family and their lobby group of morons. This is a family that although they live in Canada, the father was in Afghanistan trying to kill NATO troops of which many are Canadian. This is a family that cheered when 9/11 killed thousand of not only Americans but many from other countries, including Canada, as well as I'm sure many Muslims. This family is now lobbying government to expedite the release of another family member who is on trial as an enemy combatant and another is here in Canada sucking up healthcare dollars while his mother rants about her hate for the West including Canada. What needs to happens is to put her and her family along with the lawyers who are representing their cause onto the next plane back to the Middle East.

If Canada were truly a country with any pride we would strip these activist liberal minded judges of any powers they have and replace them with an elected judiciary, one that is accountable to not only the people of this country but to the laws, how they are written, without their own activist spin on them. We can blame all that is happening in Canada today with regards to our loss of culture, morals and values directly on Pierre Trudeau. He and his cohorts are the ones who crafted this flawed piece of garbage they refer to as The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I say flawed because this document confers more rights onto minorities and criminals than it does for the rest of us. We have a situation now in Canada where as the old saying goes; "The tail is wagging the dog, not the dog wagging his tail." Until we somehow wrest control and power away from leftist leaning socialists we as a country are doomed to fail. That is a sad scenario but nonetheless a true picture of where this once proud country is headed. What we need is to return to an immigration policy where immigrants are expected to assimilate themselves into Canadian society and give up this moronic thought of multiculturalism, because France is a perfect example to show that multiculturalism is a concept that can do nothing except destroy a society from within. We even have in this country already some extremist Muslims who are lobbying for Sharia Law provisions in dealing with people of the Muslim faith. Either one law for everyone, or we will end up with anarchy.

Many would blindly go to the polls and cast a vote for the Liberal Party, even though Dion promises a Carbon-Tax, and also says that it will be revenue neutral for the government. It may be revenue neutral for the government, but it certainly won't be for the poor and middle class in this country, because the prices of everything are already on an steep upward climb because of high energy prices, and the only thing a carbon tax will do is further increased the prices of ALL goods and services in this country at the consumer level. At the corporate level as we all know they don't pay increases that would adversely affect their profit margins, they simply pass those increases along through increased pricing. It will be you and I that end up paying, and it many of you and I that wind up at the doors of the local food bank because we can no longer afford to put food on our tables and to also pay the utility bills, and that's all supposing that the food bank has any food on their shelves to give to you.

Dion talks carbon-tax and along with that he and the NDP promise untold numbers of new socialist programs, that have to be paid for and my question has to be,; With dwindling surpluses, and Dion talking the government would have less money, how long do you think it will be before the other shoe fall and the Liberals announce that they have to raises taxes to pay for government operations? Myself I can already hear that shoe hitting the floor.

[Wild Bill]

Prove it.

My original opinion was formed from a book, "The Trouble with Canada", by William Gairdner. It's a little outdated now. Pgs 414 and 415 refer to a 1982 report to Parliament on immigration levels and the mix of family reunification. It also refers to a report from Employment and Immigration, Hull Office, in 1990, that told of how with the 1990 backlog of immigrants of 175,000 only 24,000, or 16% would actually have to qualify under the point system. 84% would just walk through the door under family reunification programs and the like. The book also quotes a minister of the day, Don Blenkarn, that an average of 30 family members followed each family class immigrant to Canada.

Page 415 cites a story from the December 30, 1987 Globe and Mail about an immigrant who set a world record over 17 years by sponsoring 60-70 family members into Canada.

So now I tried a google. I went to the StatsCan site first. I searched but could not find any report with a breakdown of how many immigrants are admitted under the point system as workers we need and how many are dependents. I find that odd in itself!

I did find a few things:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/pub...on3.asp#table_4

Scroll down halfway through and look at Table 4 for the above.

The Canadian Council for Refugees has a paper:

http://www.ccrweb.ca/FRBackgrounder2007.pdf

They start right off complaining about a 60/40 split between the economic and family/refugee categories.

Here's a plan for 2008:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/me.../2007-10-31.asp

Perhaps this gives one an impression of how many are workers and how many are just family:

Highlights of the Report

The Immigration Plan for 2008

* In 2008, the government plans to admit between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents. The 2008 immigration levels are in line with abalanced immigration program that aims to meet Canada’s labour market needs while fostering family reunification and honouring the humanitarian principles of refugee protection.

* Between 139,000 and 154,000 new permanent residents will be admitted in the Economic Class in 2008. To respond to labour market needs, growing admissions in the Provincial Nominee Program will be accommodated and a new avenue to immigration will be introduced, the Canadian Experience Class. To be implemented in 2008, this new stream will enable certain temporary foreign workers and international students with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience to apply for permanent residency from within Canada.

* Reuniting families is an important principle of Canada’s immigration policy and legislation. The 2008 levels plan upholds Canada’s support for family reunification by planning for between 68,000 and71,000 admissions of spouses, partners, dependants, parents and grandparents in 2008.

* Each year, Canada protects many thousands of people through the in-Canada refugee protection system and the resettlement of refugees selected abroad. The plan also maintains strong refugee admissions: between 26,000 and 31,800 permanentresidents will be admitted in this category. Up to an additional 8,000 newpermanent residents could also be accepted for humanitarian and compassionate reasons.

Now compare all this with the case of my inlaws who came from Italy in 1950. A man and his wife who BOTH were young and immediately started working! They worked hard and have done well.

That's 100% immigration in the economic class and 0% Family Reunification! They paid far more in taxes over the years to Canada than they ever took back.

I'm proud of them! THAT"S the kind of immigrant Canada has always needed!

[Smallc]

My original opinion was formed from a book, "The Trouble with Canada", by William Gairdner. It's a little outdated now. Pgs 414 and 415 refer to a 1982 report to Parliament on immigration levels and the mix of family reunification. It also refers to a report from Employment and Immigration, Hull Office, in 1990, that told of how with the 1990 backlog of immigrants of 175,000 only 24,000, or 16% would actually have to qualify under the point system. 84% would just walk through the door under family reunification programs and the like. The book also quotes a minister of the day, Don Blenkarn, that an average of 30 family members followed each family class immigrant to Canada.

Page 415 cites a story from the December 30, 1987 Globe and Mail about an immigrant who set a world record over 17 years by sponsoring 60-70 family members into Canada.

So now I tried a google. I went to the StatsCan site first. I searched but could not find any report with a breakdown of how many immigrants are admitted under the point system as workers we need and how many are dependents. I find that odd in itself!

I did find a few things:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/pub...on3.asp#table_4

Scroll down halfway through and look at Table 4 for the above.

The Canadian Council for Refugees has a paper:

http://www.ccrweb.ca/FRBackgrounder2007.pdf

They start right off complaining about a 60/40 split between the economic and family/refugee categories.

Here's a plan for 2008:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/me.../2007-10-31.asp

Perhaps this gives one an impression of how many are workers and how many are just family:

Highlights of the Report

The Immigration Plan for 2008

* In 2008, the government plans to admit between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents. The 2008 immigration levels are in line with abalanced immigration program that aims to meet Canada’s labour market needs while fostering family reunification and honouring the humanitarian principles of refugee protection.

* Between 139,000 and 154,000 new permanent residents will be admitted in the Economic Class in 2008. To respond to labour market needs, growing admissions in the Provincial Nominee Program will be accommodated and a new avenue to immigration will be introduced, the Canadian Experience Class. To be implemented in 2008, this new stream will enable certain temporary foreign workers and international students with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience to apply for permanent residency from within Canada.

* Reuniting families is an important principle of Canada’s immigration policy and legislation. The 2008 levels plan upholds Canada’s support for family reunification by planning for between 68,000 and71,000 admissions of spouses, partners, dependants, parents and grandparents in 2008.

* Each year, Canada protects many thousands of people through the in-Canada refugee protection system and the resettlement of refugees selected abroad. The plan also maintains strong refugee admissions: between 26,000 and 31,800 permanentresidents will be admitted in this category. Up to an additional 8,000 newpermanent residents could also be accepted for humanitarian and compassionate reasons.

Now compare all this with the case of my inlaws who came from Italy in 1950. A man and his wife who BOTH were young and immediately started working! They worked hard and have done well.

That's 100% immigration in the economic class and 0% Family Reunification! They paid far more in taxes over the years to Canada than they ever took back.

I'm proud of them! THAT"S the kind of immigrant Canada has always needed!

There's no reason to think that even a majority of the people coming over as part of family reunification aren't working within a short time. I would imagine that many of them are.

[AngusThermopyle]

I would imagine that many of them are.

The most important and telling word here is "imagine". What you imagine is irrelevant, facts are the only relevance worth looking at. Wild Bill has posted facts, as such they trump your imagination. Now if you can show some facts proving your contention then it will be relevant.

[Smallc]

The most important and telling word here is "imagine". What you imagine is irrelevant, facts are the only relevance worth looking at. Wild Bill has posted facts, as such they trump your imagination. Now if you can show some facts proving your contention then it will be relevant.

Actually, he hasn't proven anything about the number of immigrants who end up working. He has shown the number that come here because of work, but that really proves nothing about how many of them are working. Without immigration this country will become stagnant and die. Thats not something that should be allowed to happen.

[AngusThermopyle]

Without immigration this country will become stagnant and die.

Frequently I see this claim being made but have yet to see any proof of this concept. In all the times I've seen people make this claim not once has any of the people making it been able to show or prove why.

Thats not to say that I'm against immigration, I do believe it can serve a purpose. For myself I simply wonder why we make it so damned hard for Europeans or members of the Commonwealth to immigrate.

For instance my friend wanted to move here from Australia. She's an educated woman (two degrees in business), ran her own successful business, had 3/4 of a million dollars in the bank and is a very good hard working person. Her application was rejected, signed by a guy called Mohamed Rashid something or other. Now logically I have to ask why? One would think she'd be an ideal candidate for immigration yet she was rejected.

Needless to say she has an entirely different opinion of Canada now, not a very flattering one at that, cant really say I blame her actually.

[Argus]

There's no reason to think that even a majority of the people coming over as part of family reunification aren't working within a short time. I would imagine that many of them are.

Many are. Unfortunately, many are not. Further, many of those who are working are working menial jobs with little or no future and poor salaries. Such people are, essentially, a negative figure on the fiscal balance sheets, even without taking into account the costs of processing them.

[Wild Bill]

Many are. Unfortunately, many are not. Further, many of those who are working are working menial jobs with little or no future and poor salaries. Such people are, essentially, a negative figure on the fiscal balance sheets, even without taking into account the costs of processing them.

And while we're imagining, one would imagine that if an immigrant who came here under family reunification was of working age and form he or she could have applied on their own.

Family reunification suggests older parents, grandparents and aged aunts and uncles. As I said, you tend not to see them on construction sites.

The situation today is dramatically different than that of the 50's, by a quantum level. Yet every time one even tries to bring the subject up for debate someone starts trying to drown you out with cries like "Canada needs immigrants! Immigrants built this country!"

I'm never sure if they are mentally challenged with such simple concepts or have an agenda. Or both!

[drb82]

I think that many of you are missing the purpose behind why so many immigrants flock here. By now you should have realised that western countries (including Canada) have control over most of the worlds natural resources. Therefore their economies soar from the exploitation of other countries. Every person on earth wants to enjoy a decent life where they have the opportunity to provide their children with a stable healthy lifestyle and opportunities. So they leave their country (often grudgingly) and embark on a journey to Canada or the United States, so that they can accomplish this. They don't come to Canada because they are in awe of hockey players or because they love Tim Hortons (the closest thing to culture I can see most days around here!). Their loyalty to their home country is nothing to get so angry about. If you took two minutes to talk to one of them and ask a few questions you'd quickly find out how much they actually love it here. I've spoken with countless immigrants who have praised this country for its opportunities and high quality of living. Just because they go to a cultural parade and wave a flag of their home country, or cheer for their homeland during the World Cup doesn't mean they are disrespecting Canada. Most white Canadians LOVE to tell you about how their so Irish or Scottish etc. I bet many of you were out on St. Patricks day celebrating and not even for a second thinking that what you were doing in essence was no different than what other immigrants are doing. Besides, if that isn't enough to convince you, just remember this. Unless you are aboriginal, at one point your family were immigrants in this country, and they were seeking the same thing that modern day immigrants are seeking. So why not give them a break?

[Smallc]

I think that many of you are missing the purpose behind why so many immigrants flock here. By now you should have realised that western countries (including Canada) have control over most of the worlds natural resources. Therefore their economies soar from the exploitation of other countries. Every person on earth wants to enjoy a decent life where they have the opportunity to provide their children with a stable healthy lifestyle and opportunities. So they leave their country (often grudgingly) and embark on a journey to Canada or the United States, so that they can accomplish this. They don't come to Canada because they are in awe of hockey players or because they love Tim Hortons (the closest thing to culture I can see most days around here!). Their loyalty to their home country is nothing to get so angry about. If you took two minutes to talk to one of them and ask a few questions you'd quickly find out how much they actually love it here. I've spoken with countless immigrants who have praised this country for its opportunities and high quality of living. Just because they go to a cultural parade and wave a flag of their home country, or cheer for their homeland during the World Cup doesn't mean they are disrespecting Canada. Most white Canadians LOVE to tell you about how their so Irish or Scottish etc. I bet many of you were out on St. Patricks day celebrating and not even for a second thinking that what you were doing in essence was no different than what other immigrants are doing. Besides, if that isn't enough to convince you, just remember this. Unless you are aboriginal, at one point your family were immigrants in this country, and they were seeking the same thing that modern day immigrants are seeking. So why not give them a break?

Very nice post....except for the last. By most accounts even aboriginals are immigrants.

What you talk about really is Canadian identity and culture. Canada is a place that you can come to and still be who you are. At the same time, you can love this place and it can become part of you. When I look at this country, I can think of no place I would rather live because of this identity along with many other things. Many immigrants feel the same way.

[Argus]

And while we're imagining, one would imagine that if an immigrant who came here under family reunification was of working age and form he or she could have applied on their own.

Family reunification suggests older parents, grandparents and aged aunts and uncles. As I said, you tend not to see them on construction sites.

Family reunification suggest family, at least, but as the Americans have recently found out after doing DNA testing, often enough (80% 0f the time) they're not even related. I wonder what would happen if Canada did DNA testing on a random sampling of our "family" class immigrants.

[White Doors]

have control over most of the worlds natural resources. Therefore their economies soar from the exploitation of other countries

eh?

Also, aboriginals are most certainly immigrants as well. Unless you think they decended from apes here in parallel with Africa? If so, I would be most interested in your theory on that one.