- Keywords: Bi-Bi Commission, Ukranian-Canadian, multiculturalism.
- Timeline: 1960s-2000s.
- Summary: Lalande identifies the Bi-Bi Commission as an early instance of ethno-cultural identity and multiculturalism dialogue in Canada: “This article offers insight into Ukrainian Canadians’ position in the debate and thus an impression of the hopes and concerns of the third force. The third force consisted of the “other ethnic groups,” because at the time of the debate, the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (hereafter B&B Commission) divided Canadian society into three categories: the Founding Nations consisting of British and French Canadians, other ethnic groups, and First Nations. However, the B&B Commission only dealth with the first two categories” (p. 47-48). Reflecting on the complexity of the term multiculturalism, Lalande notes: “[I]t is often not quite clear what is meant by multiculturalism … [T]he concept of multiculturalism can be into three components … “social reality” … meaning that people of different ethnic groups live together in one society. Then there is the ideology of multiculturalism, the interpretation of which depends on the respective individual or institution. Finally, there is the policy of multiculturalism that depends on the respective government. Ideology and policy are not necessarily mutually exclusive. They can be intertwined, thereby influencing each other” (p. 48).
Levine-Rasky, C. (2006). Discontinuities of multiculturalism. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 38, 3, 87-104.
- Keywords: Multiculturalism, policy, racism, pluralism, education.
- Timeline: 1990s-2000s.
- Summary: On the matter of social barriers amidst a policy of multiculturalism, Levine-Rasky observes: “Racialized groups, Aboriginal people, and recent immigrants like those in Kerrydale experience barriers in finding suitable work, housing, and an adequate income. Meanwhile, large numbers of the Canadians express intolerance for multiculturalism. Among them are some Baywoods parents” (p. 99). Near the end of the paper, Levine-Rasky asks: "Can the multiculturalism of experience be reconciled with the multiculturalism of liberal humanism?” (p. 99).
Lo, L.; & Wang, S. (1997). Settlement patterns of Toronto’s Chinese immigrants: Convergence or divergence? Canadian Journal of Regional Science, 20, 1-2, 49-72.
- Keywords: Chinese-Canadian, Toronto, community building, relations.
- Timeline: 1990s.
- Summary: Outlining differences in Canada's Chinese-Canadian community, Lo and Wang note: “Chinese immigrants in Canada comprise a heterogeneous group with varying regional backgrounds. They originated from different areas, ranging from the core comprising Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, to the near periphery of South and Southeast Asia and the distant periphery of the West Indies, Central and South America, and Africa. They speak different dialects and perhaps different languages” (p. 51). While the Chinese-Canadian community is diverse: “[T]he public, and even the government sometimes, tend to treat the Chinese as a homogeneous group, and more recently, Chinese are generally perceived to be right, as a result of much media attention” (p. 52). In terms of implications: “Treating the Chinese as a homogeneous group conceals internal differences, which in turn has implications on the delivery of social/immigrant services, the design of policies affecting this group, and the deployment of marketing strategies” (p. 71).
