We like to call Canada a multicultural country. But is it really?
Every spring, Regina has the
opportunity to celebrate multiculturalism with the Mosaic Festival. For
that first weekend in June, everybody is encouraged to dress in their national
clothes and attended a multicultural talent show where different groups perform
cultural dances and songs.
Multiethnic food is available to purchase and visitors can enjoy eating
bannock, samosas, doro wot (an Ethiopian chicken dish) and Ukrainian sausage
with perogies. The festive atmosphere is present all weekend until Sunday
morning when all of the colorful clothes, food, dances and songs suddenly disappear
with the expectation of coming back the following year. The Monday morning after Mosaic everything seems to be back to
the usual routine. There are no
special dances, songs, clothes or food, only people dressed in similar clothing
walking downtown, preoccupied by work.
I recall talking with my students about their experience and several of
them mentioned that it was fun, but that now it was over. When talking with friends, they declared
that the celebration was well done, and that they were looking forward next
year's festivities. Puzzled by these responses, I started wondering about the
ideas associated with multiculturalism.
Don’t get me wrong, it is important to celebrate our differences through
Mosaic Festival. However, I wonder why
multiculturalism seems to be perceived essentially as a fun “thematic weekend”? Is multiculturalism just a fairytale we
tell ourselves? When we say we promote
rights and freedoms, what does that means?
The way we see our world is shaped by the values that are produced and maintained
by the institutions that govern our daily life. For example, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees equal rights to all Canadian citizens. This might encourage us to believe that
discrimination based on race, skin colour, religion, sex, age and mental or
physical disability are now over.
However, unfortunately, oppression still remains in our society through
mass media, sports, movies and music videos. We even see it reflected in the choices of children’s toys. As a country
that enjoys an international reputation of progress and equality, how can we
explain this contradiction?
So, this is where my class
started. The Grade 12 French
Immersion students from Campbell Collegiate notice these contradictions, and seek to
understand them. As a teacher, I am glad to see their openness toward a more
complex idea of Canada.
Naomi
