Multiculturalism: A failure of integration or exclusion?

Contributed by Ian Mathieson

The recent comments by the Prime Minster of Britain, David Cameron and the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel  that state multiculturalism has been a failure should make us here in Canada consider how our multicultural system – the one that all others are judged against – is fairing itself.

Multiculturalism for Canada is an official policy.  Created initially to address the problem of the two solitudes of French and British Canadians it wasn’t until other groups, people of colour, immigrants First nations, Metis and Inuit peoples spoke up that they were even being considered for a mention in the policies that would eventually become the Multiculturalism Act.

Today multiculturalism is seen as one of the binding features of Canadian nationalism and it’s taught in schools as the answer to the less ‘nice’ assimilationist policies of the US.  But is multiculturalism a failure here as it has been declared in Britain or Germany by their respective leaders?

Multiculturalism may eventually fail Canada if certain actions aren’t taken, but not for the same reasons that Mr. Cameron has mentioned.  In his speech Cameron argued that “under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and the mainstream” and we all know who he’s referring to here because he spends a lot of time referring to them throughout his speech – yep you guessed it- young Muslims.   Apparently, because these young Muslims have no common national identity to connect to, the only natural path for them is extremism.  There are a couple problems with this analysis.

Firstly, this assumes that the values that so called ‘minority cultures’ ascribe to are clearly inferior to mainstream values and that specifically those folks who are from Muslim backgrounds are particularly problematic.  This is just good old cultural stereotyping and has been practiced with increasing fervor since 9/11

Secondly, this kind of thinking assumes that it is the policy of multiculturalism that pushes these young people to congregate into ghettos of isolated cultural groups, avoiding the ‘mainstream’ through their own choice.  Rather the reality is that sticking together in groups where they will be respected and treated as equals is one of the few options for many ethnic youth facing similar kinds of discrimination.

Most newcomers arrive in countries like Britain and Germany and Canada not to stick to traditional ways of doing things but obtain a new life for themselves – unfortunately many, even after several generations find that they will be excluded from the prosperity that they had hoped for, not because of self-segregation or cultural backwardness but because they are not welcomed into the mainstream for various reasons – most disturbingly as a result of forms of xenophobia and racism.

Its not that people want to live separate lives, it’s that they have never really been given the chance to participate in the benefits of the mainstream society. If nations like Britain, Germany and Canada really want to consider multiculturalism a failure they should cite the real reason – that it privileges a mainstream culture while otherizing those not of the mainstream.

Here in Canada we too should look at multiculturalism and consider how it fails to address inequities that are inherent in the political and economic system towards certain groups simply because of their race, culture or ethnicity.  If we continue to ignore these inequities or blame different groups for their own exclusion, we will face a situation where certain communities will never feel that they are a part of the larger national system and will begin to exclude themselves, not because they want to, but because that is their only option.

Contributed by Ian Mathieson

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