What unites Canadians?

[guyser]

Quite possibly because those ethnic groups which are most determined to retain their old angry cultures tend to be in smaller numbers here than in those other countries.

Muslims make up just under 1% of the population here. They are 5% in Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK, between 5-10% in France.

However, their numbers here are doubling every ten years.

Good for us.

And since for the most part we have no real issues like they do , and considering as each generation born here adopts most of the cultural norms, we should be good to go.

[Argus]

This is so wrong it's amazing. Ethnic enclaves were a fact of life everywhere different cultures mixed for centuries before there was even such a term as multiculturalism. Such enclaves existed and continue to exist even in that great melting pot to the south. Why, it's almost as if the pull of like to like is a natural human impulse and not some scheme cooked up by lefty do gooders.

I'm not denying the pull of like to like at all. The issue, as I see it, is that in the past, when a large group came here and settled together, they gradually integrated into the mainstream.

So what is different today? Easy transportation back and forth to their homelands, easy access to papers, books, magazines, movies and television from their homeland, instant communication with family back home, and a continuing, year after year after year stream of newcomers from home, and larger enclaves which make it less necessary for ethnic groups to go out and seek work and other necessities outside of them. Even the schools in many urban cities have only a minority of Canadian born students there, offering little hope of helping these newcomers integrate.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Argus

[Argus]

Good for us.

And since for the most part we have no real issues like they do , and considering as each generation born here adopts most of the cultural norms, we should be good to go.

That's a good thought, if it happens. I've posted cites, however, which suggest otherwise, particularly with regard to Muslims. In fact, their Canadian born kids are more religious, more attached to extremist religious doctrines, than their parents.

[carepov]

I'm pretty sure those have already been stated on a number of occasions. Unity is achieved through newcomers joining in and adopting Canada's culture and values, most notably of tolerance, openness, compromise and responsibility. If newcomers who come from a culture which instilled in them a value set which is radically at odds with that then encouraging them to retain that culture discourages social cohesion, and encourages anti-social, even violent behaviour. We don't want the proliferation of foreign ghettos in Canada filled with people who don't speak our language, don't understand us and don't care to. We especially don't want the numbers of such people rising in a democratic society where the rising number of their votes will be able to influence government policy in directions we would not want it to go.

What we have are people who immigrated to this country decades ago yet still can't speak either English or French.

Why? Because they don't have to. They live in their Little Italy, their Chinatown, their Little India or their Little Arabia -- you name an ethnic group and an ethnic enclave will exist -- and they don't have to venture outside it because the screws have not been tightened on who we will accept as contributing immigrants.

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/editorial/2011/02/09/17212031.html

Cameron said: "Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and apart from the mainstream. We have failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong. We have even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run completely counter to our values."

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/1869/british-multiculturalism-failure

Politicians from Paris to Perth have proclaimed their nations' 'multicultural' immigration policies to be "a failure" as newspaper headlines detail violence, isolation, poverty and rising welfare costs in their countries.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/elisabethmeinecke/2011/10/03/how_multiculturalism_failed_europe

“The policy of multiculturalism in Europe has failed. Immigrants are not integrating into the Western society; on the contrary, they do everything to lead a segregated lifestyle and establish closed communities with their own rules. They use the material luxuries that the Western countries provide, but they want to live according to their own laws and beliefs.”

http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_05_07/Policy-of-multiculturalism-in-Europe-has-failed-expert/

Nice try. An argument could be made that immigration/multiculturalism policies have caused problems in many EU countries, I would probably agree.

We are talking about Canada and Canadian policies.

Your SUN article states:

"What we have are people who immigrated to this country decades ago yet still can't speak either English or French."

really?

"According to the 2011 census, 98.2% of Canadian residents have knowledge of one or both of the country’s two official languages"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Canada

Again, where are these Candian ghetos and where is this Canadian violence?

[guyser]

Again, where are these Candian ghetos and where is this Canadian violence?

Actually we have a ton of them in almost every city.

Perhaps, like me before, when one referred to a ghetto it meant a slummy area, high crime and the like.

But in actuality a ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure.

Ours are social ghettos. And most are damn respectable and well looked after.

Woodbridge (almost all of it is) Little Italy (now devoid of most Italians) Little Portugal, Little India, Chinatown and so on.

[jacee]

Argus asked "what are the benefits of multiculturalism?" a good question with good answers in response.

My question is: in Canada, what are the problems with multiculturalism (with or without cultural relativism)? A list of specific and quantifiable problems with supporting evidence would be a great help for me to understand your and Argus' position.

That's a question for you to use to start another thread.

In this thread, the question is:

What unites Canadians?

[Big Guy]

Please see new topic:" Multiculturalism in Canada - Unite or Divide"

[jacee]

I'm not denying the pull of like to like at all. The issue, as I see it, is that in the past, when a large group came here and settled together, they gradually integrated into the mainstream.

In the past when?

Integrated how?

Gradually over how long?

Are you sure they're not still following their traditions, religions and cultures?

So what is different today? Easy transportation back and forth to their homelands, easy access to papers, books, magazines, movies and television from their homeland, instant communication with family back home, and a continuing, year after year after year stream of newcomers from home, and larger enclaves which make it less necessary for ethnic groups to go out and seek work and other necessities outside of them.

There's a large population of elders in Canada who've been here for 40+ years and still don't speak much English.

So it isn't a new thing.

Maybe you just don't get around much, don't know much of the country ... ?

Even the schools in many urban cities have only a minority of Canadian born students there, offering little hope of helping these newcomers integrate.

ridiculous.

They speak many languages but talk to each other in English and share the culture of childhood.

.

[Black Dog]

I'm not denying the pull of like to like at all. The issue, as I see it, is that in the past, when a large group came here and settled together, they gradually integrated into the mainstream.

So what is different today? Easy transportation back and forth to their homelands, easy access to papers, books, magazines, movies and television from their homeland, instant communication with family back home, and a continuing, year after year after year stream of newcomers from home, and larger enclaves which make it less necessary for ethnic groups to go out and seek work and other necessities outside of them. Even the schools in many urban cities have only a minority of Canadian born students there, offering little hope of helping these newcomers integrate.

None of this of course would have happened if these hippy dippy multi culti fetishists hadn't invented the airplane, satellite TV and the internet to serve their "ghettos for all" agenda.

[jacee]

None of this of course would have happened if these hippy dippy multi culti fetishists hadn't invented the airplane, satellite TV and the internet to serve their "ghettos for all" agenda.

I shudder to think ... there's a whole monoculture ghetto of Argus's out there somewhere!

Doesn't sound like they're integrating into the mainstream anytime soon.

.

[gman29]

for the unfortunate ones the justice system

oh and a whole lot of rain in February

Edited July 17, 2014 by gman29

[Argus]

What unites Canadians?? Poutine, and beaver tail on the Rideau Canal

Bleh. Why would anyone want to ruin perfectly good french fries by pouring cheese curds on them is beyond me.

[Smallc]

Bleh. Why would anyone want to ruin perfectly good french fries by pouring cheese curds on them is beyond me.

You must be insane. Gravy, cheese, pulled pork (or beef) and vinegar. The more flavour, the better.

[-1=e^ipi]

What unites Canadians?? Poutine, and beaver tails on the Rideau Canal

__________________________________

www.CanadianForums.net

Not everyone lives in Ottawa, and beaver tails suck.

[-1=e^ipi]

EH?? I live in Alberta dude.. and Beaver Tails with lots of cinnamon are the best!!

Enjoy your diabetes.

[GostHacked]

Not everyone lives in Ottawa, and beaver tails suck.

Poutine came from Quebec. Not Ottawa. And it's f'n good.

[-1=e^ipi]

I was referring to the Rideau Canal...

[John Charlton]

These numbers about who fit where will change due to the fact that we are a individuals and come from not just one counrty but from many. I am Scott and Engish, my wife is French and German so our kids are Scott, Engish, French, Germam? NO! They are Canadian with the bonus of many immigrant culture's to be proud of !! That makes me very proud.

[eyeball]

What unites Canadians?

Higgs bosons.

[On Guard for Thee]

Poutine came from Quebec. Not Ottawa. And it's f'n good

If you happen to find yourself in St. John's I suggest the poutine at Ches's fish and chips.

Some ugly good my son.

[-1=e^ipi]

These numbers about who fit where will change due to the fact that we are a individuals and come from not just one counrty but from many. I am Scott and Engish, my wife is French and German so our kids are Scott, Engish, French, Germam? NO! They are Canadian with the bonus of many immigrant culture's to be proud of !! That makes me very proud.

Could you explain this concept to me because I do not understand it. How does one take pride in one's ancestry? Being of a certain ancestry is not an accomplishment, nor do people choose it. Why should it matter how many 'immigrant cultures' one has?

[On Guard for Thee]

Very simple. People like to relate to their hereditry. They are interested in from whence they came. It has to do with why we choose to study history.

[-1=e^ipi]

Very simple. People like to relate to their hereditry. They are interested in from whence they came. It has to do with why we choose to study history.

Yes, but how does this instill 'pride'?

[Moonbox]

It doesn't instill pride. It's something to draw pride from. Whether or not it's reasonable doesn't really matter. It's something people use to identify themselves and distinguish themselves from others. My background is 3/4 Irish, with the balance being German/Swiss. I'm proud of that for some reason, maybe because I really like blue and green eyes!

Edited August 5, 2014 by Moonbox

[Boges]

Tim Horton's

Tim Horton's unites all Canadians.