Transcending Diversity: Envisioning Shared Citizenship

1. Transcending Diversity: Envisioning Shared Citizenship � Joanna Anneke Rummens Culture, Community and Health StudiesFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto anneke.rummens@utoronto.ca

2. Diversity in Canada Almost 250,000 new immigrants and refugees arrive each year 2.2 million newcomers this past decade - highest inflow this century Prior to 1961, 90% European-borns -> 25% between 1981-1991 Of the 1.8 million immigrants who arrived between 1991-2001: 58% from Asia (includes the Middle East) 20% from Europe 11% from the Caribbean, Central and South America 8% from Africa 3% from the United States 18.4% of the population is foreign-born, the highest level in 70 years

3. 18% of Canadians speak neither English or French as a first language Increasing proportion of newcomers speak a non-official language at home 73% of immigrants between 1991-2001 members of visible minority groups Canada�s visible minority population will likely account for 1/5 of the total population by 2016 249 different ethno-cultural origins indicated in 2001 Census results 38% of the population reported multiple ethnic origins in 2001 (2001 Canadian Census)

4. Traditional view of Canadian society - �Three Forces�: two �founding charter groups� - English and French the �ethnics� - comprised of subsequent immigrant populations aboriginal and First Nations peoples Official policy of bilingualism within a multicultural framework also actual existence of �nations within nations�

5. Seeking Unity within Diversity Canada�s Multiculturalism Policy encourages strong identification of Canadians with their ancestral ethnic group origins at the same time, identification with Canadian society Both are seen as vital to social cohesion

6. This apparent contradiction gives rise to a number of important issues �

7. First, is multiculturalism - sociocultural pluralism as opposed to political pluralism - compatible with national unity?