What's so manufactured about it? Seems to me it's just the reality of this place. I've got Ukrainian, German, Cree, West Indian, and who knows what else in my immediate family... My daughter's elementary school population is probably at least one-third Filipino, alone.
I'm not disagreeing that Canada is "multicultural", and I'd certainly say it's pretty common for most Canadians to point to their hybrid heritages. For example my daughter is Italian, Ukranian, and Danish. I have taught in schools and certainly there is no shortage of representation from many different cultures, (indigenous and non-indigenous).
What is manufactured is "MULTICULTURALISM" as the space where we "all belong" and we "all get along". These vignettes are purposeful, and they promote/and create a false reality rather than portray an exsisting reality. It's a reality that needs unpacking.
I don't actually put so much stock in people "getting along" by the way, but I certainly put stock in a space where everyone feels that they do belong, and that has to be more than tolerating difference. In fact, the concept of multiculturalism supposes a particular centre of normal and others being the multi. Anways, despite my particular critique of contemporary multiculturalism in practice , what I'm not critiquing is the model that there is more than one way to be Canadian.
I guess what I always took away from it was that our differences are far less, and far less important, than our similarities ("us" being everyone). The "getting along" and "belonging" just sort of follow naturally from that. I've never supposed that there was a particular "normal" either - it's what we all make it to be. I do recall getting into some heated discussions with my family at various times on that point!
A Love for Art was a collaborative blog for visual artists, musicians, writers, and social scientists. This blog has evolved into a new blog called BETA, go check it out!
4 comments:
I think one of those crossing guards still works on Beverly and Baldwin.
:)
I'm so amazed at how much we manufacture the whole multiculturalism thing in Canada.
What's so manufactured about it? Seems to me it's just the reality of this place. I've got Ukrainian, German, Cree, West Indian, and who knows what else in my immediate family... My daughter's elementary school population is probably at least one-third Filipino, alone.
P.S. I love the song in this clip!
sky.
I'm not disagreeing that Canada is "multicultural", and I'd certainly say it's pretty common for most Canadians to point to their hybrid heritages. For example my daughter is Italian, Ukranian, and Danish. I have taught in schools and certainly there is no shortage of representation from many different cultures, (indigenous and non-indigenous).
What is manufactured is "MULTICULTURALISM" as the space where we "all belong" and we "all get along". These vignettes are purposeful, and they promote/and create a false reality rather than portray an exsisting reality. It's a reality that needs unpacking.
I don't actually put so much stock in people "getting along" by the way, but I certainly put stock in a space where everyone feels that they do belong, and that has to be more than tolerating difference. In fact, the concept of multiculturalism supposes a particular centre of normal and others being the multi.
Anways, despite my particular critique of contemporary multiculturalism in practice , what I'm not critiquing is the model that there is more than one way to be Canadian.
I guess what I always took away from it was that our differences are far less, and far less important, than our similarities ("us" being everyone). The "getting along" and "belonging" just sort of follow naturally from that. I've never supposed that there was a particular "normal" either - it's what we all make it to be. I do recall getting into some heated discussions with my family at various times on that point!
Post a Comment