Is it racism?

[Fanboy]

Those would be sub-genres of Canadian culture. Not 'real' multiculturalism.

I agree that it is not multiculturalism in it's purest form, but for lack of a better word it is what I use.

Assimilation/Melting pot would be a better definition for that effect. It would be the opposite of Multiculturalism though. Over long times it will lead to a single culture.

That is only true if nobody is willing to preserve their own cultural identity.

There is a reason we are a bilingual country.

 

[Knight Templar]

Not really but..

This is a hard question.

 

[orifice]

Haven't read everything that has been said here, but just wanted to throw this one into the mix...

My mother is an air-hostess for a major airline. When she visits certain countries, particularly in the middle east, she is obliged to follow local customs - i.e covering her head, taking off her shoes in certain places etcetc.

Call me bigoted, racist, xenophobic, w/e... But if this is the case in other countries, which seem to have zero tolerance to non-conformity, then surely it is right for us to say: 'No, sorry, you can't wear your head thingy because we dont do that here'.

This is a UK perspective btw - i feel immigration here is getting slightly out of control.

Here Here
We need to defend our laws and way of life from these constant attacks by foreign bigots!

 

[Dele]

Those would be sub-genres of Canadian culture. Not 'real' multiculturalism.

I agree that it is not multiculturalism in it's purest form, but for lack of a better word it is what I use.

Assimilation/Melting pot would be a better definition for that effect. It would be the opposite of Multiculturalism though. Over long times it will lead to a single culture.

That is only true if nobody is willing to preserve their own cultural identity.

There is a reason we are a bilingual country.

Actually merging and assimilation are natural and happen over time as new generations are born, who really might not give a damn about their grandfathers culture, but rather adapt the 'new' majority culture they were born in. Multiculturalists try to stop this by keeping cultures/languages alive through law (only minority language allowed in place x etc.)

There is a reason we are a "bilingual" country. 5% of our population forces 90% to learn their minority language against their will and have had a party in the government since sixties with the sole purpose of keeping their reservates alive. Thats true multiculturalism for you baby

 

[catalyst8]

It isnt as bad as the UK. Where they cant show TV ads with puppies, cause the muslims will be offended. Nor do yu have a Sharia court system.

Er... What? Where do you get your information, the voices in your head?

 

[Fanboy]

Actually merging and assimilation are natural and happen over time as new generations are born, who really might not give a damn about their grandfathers culture, but rather adapt the 'new' majority culture they were born in. Multiculturalists try to stop this by keeping cultures/languages alive through law (only minority language allowed in place x etc.)

Yes that is true, but merging and assimilation are also hindered by geography. Here in Vancouver there is an abundant Chinese population, so much so that there are all-Chinese schools. Then there are first nations reservations as well as Nunavut, and of course Quebec. Canada is a very spread out nation, and new immigrants will usually immigrate to the parts where there are already members of their culture present. If their culture has a significant presence in the area there is less need for them to adapt to our customs.

There is a reason we are a "bilingual" country. 5% of our population forces 90% to learn their minority language against their will and have had a party in the government since sixties with the sole purpose of keeping their reservates alive. Thats true multiculturalism for you baby

It sure is. Ain't it great?

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

It's not racism. A certain amount of flexibility is required but at the same time laws and traditions of the country must be kept. Unless you are willing to accept the rules and laws etc. of a nation do not move there. It doesn't matter how bad your current life is, you cannot try to start a new one and expect everyone to do what you want just because it is part of your (old) national identity.

 

[Dele]

Actually merging and assimilation are natural and happen over time as new generations are born, who really might not give a damn about their grandfathers culture, but rather adapt the 'new' majority culture they were born in. Multiculturalists try to stop this by keeping cultures/languages alive through law (only minority language allowed in place x etc.)

Yes that is true, but merging and assimilation are also hindered by geography. Here in Vancouver there is an abundant Chinese population, so much so that there are all-Chinese schools. Then there are first nations reservations as well as Nunavut, and of course Quebec. Canada is a very spread out nation, and new immigrants will usually immigrate to the parts where there are already members of their culture present. If their culture has a significant presence in the area there is less need for them to adapt to our customs.

There is a reason we are a "bilingual" country. 5% of our population forces 90% to learn their minority language against their will and have had a party in the government since sixties with the sole purpose of keeping their reservates alive. Thats true multiculturalism for you baby

It sure is. Ain't it great?

Yes and that is why large number of immigrants + multicultural policies leads to segregation. The amount of time it takes for those goups to assimilate grows larger and larger as more immigrants arrive and there is less and less contact to mainstream. Large groups take an extremely long time to assimilate and can eventually declare independence.

 

[anNIALLator]

If they come in to your country and start trying to impose their beliefs onto you, then its not racism. But if you complain about someone wanting to wear a turban then it's at least bigotry if not racism.

 

[Social Pariah]

In the eyes of the law, everyone is equal, no one should be raised above it, or put below it, regardless of subjective belief.

Were you to visit another country, you would do your utmost, to avoid doing anything that would offend or contradict the culture or laws of that country, just because western culture and law is not as strict or defined, does not mean it should not be respected just as much as any other.

 

[WeedWorm]

Its not racist at all. Even though these people want to keep their culture alive, what theyre being asked to do is not going to endanger it, they just getting pissy cause theyre acting like it will destroy their culture if theyre not allowed to bring knives into school (seriously wtf?).

 

[Beetlejooce]

What really pisses me off is when foreigners come to your country and don't even bother to learn the language. If you go to London you've got more chance communicating in fucking Polish than English.

 

[GuerrillaClock]

I'm all for multiculturalism, but it's a two way street.

If immigrants expect us to adopt or adapt to their customs, they have to do the same in change.

/thread

Seconded. I wish there was more, cut-the-bullshit common sense such as this on threads like these, sadly threads such as these always become breeding grounds for high horses. The simple truth is we would have to live by the laws of, say, Iran if we went to live there, and any attempt to impose Western culture in that country could potentially risk your life.

Western culture is VERY accommodating towards just about all other cultures, of course there will always be racism and the like between all cultures, as is the way it always has been and always will be. We have done enough apologising for the past.

 

[Same River New Water]

I'm just wondering if you guys consider this racism? ... So it pisses my dad off when someone who obviously is a new immigrant comes in with pins & stickers & etc. that are basically saying "down with gay marriage", and etc (gay marriage is legal in Canada, and my dad is gay).

Yes, it is racism. Disliking a person who has that opinion is reasonable, but linking that issue their race, extending the dislike to their race (which is the implication here, even if you didn't say it directly) and wanting to change the immigration standards for that race (again, implied) on the basis of what other people of that race did is racist. If you see behaviour in people from a culture and assume other people from that culture will be the same, you're being racist.

We have done enough apologising for the past.

[EDIT: I made a joke about Germans here - not really appropriate. Removed.]

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

You're taking stuff too seriously and asking questions which nobody can really answer. IMO:
Your dad has the right to get mad.
Turban wearing folk will all die out eventually due to no safety on motorbikes or horses.
And people should respect the laws if they go somewhere because they CHOSE to go there, however there's always police if that goes wrong.

 

[darkless]

Yeah that is a bit racist but i see the point

I remember walking to the shop some guy told me to go back to my own country and i can seriously trace my family line back to around 500 AD in Ireland I just stared at him until he went away.

Oh the reason it doesn't go back past 500 AD is because our family name changed to Furey and i cant find out what it was before that.

 

[GuerrillaClock]

We have done enough apologising for the past.

You know who say that a lot? Germans. Just saying.

I do hope you meant that as an ironic statement because...

If you see behaviour in people from a culture and assume other people from that culture will be the same, you're being racist.

EDIT: Consider this point null and void, well done for removing it.

 

[Same River New Water]

(Quotequotequote)

You're right actually, I am a bit racist. I think we all are, at least a little.

 

[InsanityBaronOfAtrocity]

Nope, it's not racism. If I went to a country that required me to wear a tophat whenever I drove a car I'd do it because A) It doesn't hurt me in any way what so ever and B) It's the law. People just like to whine and think themselves above others just do as your told and be grateful we let you come here in the first place.

And who the hell thinks comparing this to something that happened a few hundred years ago makes for a valid argument? Do you think that MAYBE things have changed a little bit?

 

[GuerrillaClock]

(Quotequotequote)

You're right actually, I am a bit racist. I think we all are, at least a little.

Didn't mean to imply that, just pointing out it was a bit of a silly comment if you meant it, which clearly you didn't. Bit of a sense of humour failure on my part, really. My apologies.