Multiculturalism is an aspect of life in which Canadians pride themselves in, by showing a wider range of acceptance than any other country. However, the gang-related violence and racist remarks beg the question of whether multiculturalism divides or unites. By drawing from my past experiences, I believe that although multiculturalism can be divisive when poor judgment is used, it does generally unify this great nation. I believe the main reason multiculturalism unites is that a balance is struck between one’s personal culture and other cultures. Secondly, the idea of multiculturalism is bred from a young age, as children accept it as their own beliefs. Lastly, unlike other less accepting countries, Canada has not implemented laws against religions and cultures, which helps in the process of unifying a nation. Hence, when properly carried out and balanced, multiculturalism not only unifies, but educates Canadians and immigrants about acceptance and trust.

Living in a multicultural society can be difficulty at times, as one may feel torn between his or her nationality and the Canadian culture. Local groups in Canada, however, have made the transition to a new country a lot easier by providing citizens with an abundance of cultural groups or societies to join in. When one is trying to adapt to the Canadian culture, there are many places they can go to, but there are also locations in which the minority cultures are worshipped. For example, when I want to rekindle with my Chinese roots, I have the option to visit a Buddhist temple. However, I may also watch Canada’s sport, hockey, in an arena if I please. I believe the freedom to choose is what ensures that multiculturalism in Canada is respected and unified. Thus, unifying multiculturalism is more easily carried out in Canada, as the people with past experiences has encouraged it and enforced it.

When a child in Canada reminisces about multiculturalism, most of the time it is not a big deal to them, and for good reason. Ever since early education, the thought of multiculturalism is bred into a child, as to ensure that the child carries out acts that unifies this system, and does not divide it. All public schools in Canada allow different cultures and religious backgrounds, meshing personalities and lifestyles together. For example, in elementary school my best friends included a Caucasian, an African-American, and a Chinese pupil. I believe that education from an early age is necessary to prevent unwanted racist acts in the future, and also to demonstrate that multiculturalism lies in the children’s hands. As a result, early warnings and teachings can and will ensure multiculturalism is carried out in a safe and friendly manner.

Relative to other countries in this modern world of ours, Canada is one of fair laws and just ideals. This is a strengthening reason multiculturalism does not divide the societies in this great nation. Laws in Canada prevent racism and discrimination, allowing multiculturalism to show its positive side while unifying all cultural groups, unlike some third-world countries. For instance, in countries like Iraq or Israel, the discrimination between cultures is so intense that wars often break out, causing suffering and death. This support from the government for positive multiculturalism is vital, as without it our land would run as unorganized and bloodshed as those with dividing multiculturalism. In conclusion, the multiculturalism in Canada is thriving and unifying as the government is supporting it one hundred percent.

Multiculturalism in Canada is as fair as it is balanced, while educating the common citizen with just and respectable laws. From my personal experience, moving to Canada was the wisest decision my parents could have made for me. Being of the Chinese culture, fitting in to a foreign country is hard enough, let alone not being able to speak either of the two native languages. Moving to Canada, though, drastically improved my family and my chances of having a fully content life in a new world, partly because of higher education, but mainly because of the multiculturalism that this country offers. After immigrating to Canada, I was more or less stunned to discover the vast variety of races and religions peacefully residing in one area. To my surprise, as I grew older I began to learn that in the grand motherland of Canada, multiculturalism is not an order but a choice in which people can decide to abide or not abide by. Thus, unified multiculturalism has created a plethora of opportunities for all races, and continued the development of Canada into one of the greatest countries in the world.

“You’re so white,” my friends casually jested. I laughed heartily at the comment, but later reflected upon what it truly meant. To be dubbed white seemed so boring and dry, bleached of all cultural flavor; a term to mean average, just another one of those American-like folk from the race of majority. I felt like one of millions of plain slices of white bread longing to be that unique loaf of multigrain rye, topped with something so rich as peanut butter and marmalade; I was a third generation Canadian who seemed to have lost all heritage and tradition. I had no culture to share with others, being so plain, so white.

I realized that as a young child; I yearned for culture and went out in search to find one for myself. So, rather inquisitive of others’ customs and heritage, I attempted to adopt their ways of life so that mine, too, could be enriched by the unity of such tradition.

My first phase began with an attempt at learning to speak and write Chinese. But, as my efforts concluded in vain, I turned to find a new outlet. I tried my hand at Indian culture, picking up the odd Punjabi phrase here and there and attending traditional parties to which I even wore authentic Indian dress. I was constantly badgering my closest Indian friends to teach me a new Punjabi phrase, so when she finally did, I practiced it to perfection. While dining at an Indian restaurant later, I proudly yelled the words to an unsuspecting friend. Little did I know, however, was that I had just bellowed some very vulgar obscenities for all the other guests to hear. After this failure, I was reluctant to move forward. Though, I continued to persevere and the last path of my voyage led me to attempt the resurrection of my German grandmother’s culture. This time I dug a little deeper, persisted further, and even learned to pray and recite poetry in her native tongue. Yet, having lived here for so long her German blood ran only faintly through her veins, driven merely by a weak cultural pulse; I had seemingly come to a dead end.

After relentlessly searching for a defining culture, I was no further than where I had begun, except now I was banned from one of our local Indian restaurants, too. I was desperate to adopt an identity to set me apart from society, to render me unique. For I knew, culture was strict and divisive; a person was either Chinese or Indian or German, it was not effective for one to be a combination. Of course, people of different races could correspond in everyday life, but in the big picture, they must be kept separate.

These divisive thoughts caused me to step back to reexamine my life, my thoughts, my feelings, and most of all, my lack of strong culture. Suddenly, I realized I was not missing a culture so much, but the right attitude towards it. I had been looking at this concept through a broken lens, focusing on the wrong aspects and values, seeing it as something to set one apart: a barrier. Yet, people’s cultures should really do the opposite: help to draw us together in unity, as in a country like Canada.

My childhood desires were piqued by these exciting cultures, as are we all attracted to the individuality of others because we respect their differences. Every culture combines to form a great mosaic held firmly together unifying the country. Because of this, I can enjoy a smorgasbord of roti and chai for breakfast, followed by a midday snack of Wiener Schnitzel, and Chow Mein for dinner. And, I as a Canadian, although considered ‘white’ and seemingly without a specific culture, can be seen as my own kind of mosaic, with the freedom to encompass and share in the experience of many different cultures. Paradoxical as it may seem, it is the multiculturalism and diversity in Canada which unites us.

Canadais well-known as a country that accepts and respects multiculturalism. Immigrants with different ethnic and religious backgrounds immigrate to Canada to begin a new life, one where they can interact with other people of different cultural backgrounds in peace. They can retain their cultural background, and can participate with others in a growing society. However, is retaining one’s cultural values and identity preventing them from learning the values and customs of other cultures of the existing population in Canada? There is much doubt to this question, as multiculturalism is unifying Canada as an advancing nation, and will forever be a part of life in Canada.

For years now, immigrants and their families have immigrated to Canada, hoping to start a new life with their beloved spouse and children, hoping their children can receive a better education, hoping to make enough money to retire and live comfortably. Along with their family, immigrants bring their religion, customs, and traditions of their culture in Canada. Chinese immigrants are a good example of this practice. Each year, more and more Chinese immigrants arrive to Canada to start a new life, bringing their customs and traditions with them. My family immigrated to Canada in 1996, leaving the crowded city of Hong Kong. My father had a comfortable job, but he and my mother wanted to immigrate to Canada as they desired my brother and I to receive a better education. Both my parents are Buddhists and take part in Chinese celebrations, so it would only be natural that they remain Buddhists even as they live in a new country. Each year, we celebrated Chinese holidays, such as Chinese New Year, and followed the customs and traditions of the famous “red pockets” where married couples give these envelopes to children. My parents and my grandmother have followed these customs all their lives, so why would they give them up to follow the customs and traditions of another religion?

My family came to Canada to give my brother and I a better education, not to give up their religious and cultural identities. However, this does not mean that we will only communicate with people of the same race. My parents are not racist, and are keen to engage in conversations with fellow neighbours and clients; they have no problem making new friends with Canadian citizens. Since my family lives in a townhouse-complex, it is necessary to communicate with our neighbours in order to solve problems within the complex. Our neighbours are people from different nations from all over the world, with different ethnic backgrounds.

I fail to see how multiculturalism prevents immigrants from integrating with the existing population. The existing population is filled with people who have lived in Canada all their lives, or have immigrated to Canada and have become Canadian citizens. New immigrants become a part of society. Some immigrants have converted to Christianity, becoming a large part of their local church. My mother’s colleague is one of the few immigrants whose entire family has converted religion. Their daughter is an active participant during church meeting, contributing in choir and volunteer opportunities. I personally volunteered to work at my local community center. The experience is unbelievable, as you get to meet and make new friends, as well as making yourself well-known in your community.

The formation of Canadian values and identity is based on multiculturalism; hence, people of different cultures can live within this democratic society. If immigrants are deprived of this privilege, Canada would no longer be a multicultural country. Immigrants wish to live in Canada because they feel Canada is free of racism, and they feel they are not pressured to change their religion to suit what others believe in. There are multitudes of students from different cultures at my school, but Chinese students far outnumber the rest. There are a myriad of Chinese immigrants within my community, and their cultural influence is evident, especially during Chinese New Year. During the last New Year, decorations were hung all over the local community centers and shopping malls. Live performances such as dragon dances and martial arts demonstrations were held at the shopping centers, where waves of people dressed in red clothing watched these shows. This just demonstrates how Chinese culture has heavily influenced the existing society in Canada. Canada is a place where people of all races can enjoy these cultural festivities as a united community.

Canada is a nation where multiculturalism thrives, without conflicts between different cultures. Immigrants and citizens come together to collectively celebrate all cultures; they are not restricted to celebrate the culture of their own race. Some people argue that multiculturalism prevents the formation of Canadian values and identities, but in order for Canada to be a multicultural nation, it must realize that multiculturalism is one of the values of Canada, and that it will be forever be a part of life. Multiculturalism is undoubtedly unified in Canada.

The first day of school. For me, that is. It was the middle of January, and I was just about to start grade four at a new school, after moving halfway across the province. My younger sister and I set off for the bus early. We sat side by side and whispered about what we’d do in class. You see, at our old school, all the primary grades were in the same class, then grades four to six, and then grades seven and eight. This was only my second year of school and so far I loved it. This was about to change.

My sister was put in a different wing of the school. I was hurried into a large classroom where a roomful of strangers glared at me menacingly. I smiled at everyone, sure of a friendly welcome, and sat where the teacher asked me to. By the end of the day, my smile had started to fade. My friendly advances had been rebuffed by everyone. When the teacher turned his back, whispers and giggles would start all over the room. At first I would giggle back, but gradually I realised they weren’t being friendly.

After school, my sister was crying as we walked home. Neither she nor I could figure out why everyone seemed to hate us. It wasn’t until the boy next door befriended us and explained the situation that we understood. This was a First Nations community. We didn’t belong. We weren’t especially rich, we didn’t look like them - in fact, my sister was the only blonde on the island. Another European was considered “in” because her family was extremely rich, and had lived there for generations. She was a year older than me, but she was far more sophisticated.

The only time those girls ever made me feel accepted was when they wanted to make fun of me later. For example, they were determined to give me a makeover. Why, I could not fathom. Eventually I gave in, hoping against hope that they would finally become my friends. At recess the next day, they brought their makeup. When they finished, they looked at me and all burst out laughing. I have never been so humiliated. I looked hilarious - and the worst part was, it didn’t come off until I got home! My parents got me to laugh at myself, and to see the funny side, but I still have nightmares about it.

What those girls did to me changed my veiwpoint on life, but the worst embarrassment I caused myself. A new student joined our class, with long dark hair, who was always smiling, named Sky. I tried to make friends with “her”. It turned out “she” was a boy! The entire class thought I had a crush on him. I had never heard the word “crush” before that.

I was lucky. After a year of this, my parents moved to a big city, where cultures mingled easily. No one teased me for my skin colour. People of all different origins were friends and comrades. In this city, multiculturalism is more about the number of excellent restaurants you can find than about any difference or separation.

I long ago forgave the children who tortured me so much. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, they never realised how much their bullying hurt me. I only cried in front of them once, and that was because someone hit me . They taught me a lot, about not trusting strangers, and about not expecting everyone to love you.

The other reason I forgave them was because I have to admit that they did have good reason to hate all Europeans. They had been treated as animals, in a manner that ripped their rights away, the ripples from which were still showing when I lived there in 2000. Their parents had been ripped from their homes as young children, and sent to a “residential” school where they were forcibly taught English and forced to forget their native languages and culture.

I recovered from my bad experiences. I understand now how awful it feels to bullied because of your skin colour or where you are from, things that you have no control over. I learned to accept people, not in spite of their differences, but because of them. That is the most important lesson I have learned in all my life, and I am grateful that I learned it so early.

Through my eighteen years I have observed many things about the multiculturalism in Canada. I find it to be slightly diverse; although, diverse is such a comparative word. It is true that Canada is a multicultural country, but that does not imply that everyone will merge their traditions and religions into one unifying group. There are many different people with various backgrounds in Canada who have a preference to where they live and their choice of friends. I live in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver all my life and have not yet traveled to any other parts of Canada, so my observations and experiences may be limited.

I am of Chinese Vietnamese descent and I went to a Chinese dominant elementary Catholic school. It was clear that the amount of students who were not of Chinese descent could be counted on ten fingers. Possibly our school was located in Chinatown where the Chinese population in Vancouver is dominant or because our principal was Chinese. By the time I graduated from elementary school the friends I had were of Chinese descent. I knew there were other ethnic groups, but I did not meet anyone of my age until I went to high school.

Entering high school I’ve encountered many different people: African American, Korean, Japanese, British, Spanish and many others. At first I was uncomfortable, and so was everyone else, since it was grade eight and most people were unknown to each other. As time passed, I became friends with many students in my grade; it became obvious to me that my main group of friends were from my elementary school or were from a Chinese culture. I guess it is more comfortable to be around people who share some understanding of your background. During lunch I notice the cafeteria has small groups of people at each table sharing something in common: ethnicity, sports, computer games, homework, or trouble making. The diversity is slight but it shows during lunch break or when we choose partners for any activity.

During my five years in high school I have been to many different parts of the Lower Mainland celebrating birthdays, doing projects, and having fun. I noticed the great variety of shops in Vancouver which should show the unifying multiculturalism. However, I realize that even though we have these many different shops they sometimes compact themselves in a certain district. Whenever I drive around and look I see a specific community of stores whether it be Punjabi, Chinese, Japanese, or Hindu. The diversity helps to distinguish the many different cultures in Canada and they help to bring more colours into Canadian society. Also during certain festivals I see the performances are preformed by those from the same ethnic descent. It is rare to see someone else from another ethnic community celebrating another ethnic group’s celebration. In some neighborhoods I notice that there are areas where a particular ethnic group is more distinct than others. New immigrants from other countries are more comfortable in areas where there are people who share more or less a similar background to them or perhaps speak the same language.

Living with my parents for eighteen years, I find them to be slightly traditional and because of their language barrier they tend to feel more comfortable with friends of Chinese or Vietnamese descent. I’ve noticed that parents who have come from a different country are more likely to remain in a community where they can communicate with others and less likely to expand and assimilate into other cultures. The reason for this may be because back home, their parents had their own opinion of people outside the country and how they behave. Therefore, when they came to Canada and see the many different people, the images their parents created remained with them. So when my parents host parties or go to parties I only see friends of Chinese or Vietnamese descent and no other variety. I feel that my parent’s generation and the generation before that lead the most diverse life in a multicultural country, partly because they themselves did not grow up to accept the different cultures and traditions of the world.

Diversity is not a bad thing since it distinguishes the many different cultures in Canada. It only becomes a problem if individuals wish it to be a problem. Through the eyes of those who have not visited Canada they only see it is a multicultural country; however, there is diversity amongst the many cultures in Canada.

Many describe Canada as a mosaic: every piece symbolizes a culture and the pieces are combined into one multicultural picture. Canadians are proud of their multiculturalism policy, which allows new immigrants to retain their cultures in the society. However, like a mosaic, there are distinct lines along the edges of the cultural pieces. These lines separate the cultural groups according to their differences. Like a mosaic, Canadian multiculturalism has an appearance of unification, but is easily shattered into pieces along these lines. The differences in culture cause Canadian multiculturalism to have a divisive effect on this country.

I think the most visible evidence of a fissure in Canada as a result of multiculturalism is Quebec separatism. I believe that through history and today, the main reason for Quebec separatism is the clash between the English and French culture and values. Advocating equality of different cultures, the government endeavours to reform the British-derived federal system to please both the Quebecois and the other Canadians. Yet I see a flaw in this method: the interests of the Quebecois sometimes conflict so heavily with the interests of the other Canadians that attempts to modify the government according to the interests of both populations cannot realistically succeed. The solution of bilingualism in Canada has preserved some of the French culture and given Canadian multiculturalism an image of unification. Nevertheless, in everyday life most of the Canadians I’ve met are fluent in only one language: either English or French. Moreover, Anglophones and Francophones don’t read the same books, or watch the same programmes on television. These language and cultural differences concentrate the Francophones in Quebec and the Anglophones elsewhere, creating two linguistically and culturally divergent zones.

Canadian immigration policy allows people from everywhere in the world to come to one place, creating a unifying effect. My family moved to Canada from China 4 years ago. Immediately upon arriving, waves of problems rushed to greet us. Apart from the obvious language barrier, we lacked the network of friends and relatives that can help us settle down, find jobs, and adapt to this new environment. After fruitlessly searching for an apartment for 3 days while living in a shelter that charged $50 a day for one bedroom, the only help we received was from our compatriots, with whom we share the same culture and could communicate. Drawn to them like a drowning man to a straw, we rented an apartment in an area full of older Chinese immigrants that provided ready help. Many other immigrants shared the same difficulties as us. As time passes, a zone where the majority of the population is from one country forms, such as Chinatown. Multiculturalism succeeded in allowing the people to keep their own cultures: I have seen immigrants in Chinatown who came to Canada thirty years ago, who didn’t learn English, and still lived quite happily in their own ways. But multiculturalism failed in uniting people of different cultures. These zones, such as Chinatown, separate the different cultures in Canada, and confine one culture within one place.

Multiculturalism hopes that everyone exercises tolerance and respect for other cultures, but underestimates the impact that historical backgrounds have upon different cultural groups. Hatred as a result of atrocities between cultures and countries, such as war crimes, are felt deeply and passed on generation by generation. For example, the 14-year Japanese invasion of China will forever be marked in the five thousand years of Chinese history as one of the most ignominious crimes. Our school in China organized field trips to the Nanking Massacre museum, where we saw hundreds of pictures of piles of corpses, pale white skeletons, burying of civilians alive, and gang-raping of Chinese women. I clearly remember seeing a poster of a Japanese contest to kill the most Chinese civilians, and pictures in which 3-year-old boys was used as bayonet practices. We then listened to how the Japanese raped females as young as 7 in Nanking, looted and burned the city, and killed over 300,000 civilians. Time proved to be inefficient at healing this wound: just last year multiple anti-Japanese riots and parades of over 10,000 civilians broke out in Beijing and Shanghai. A simple multiculturalism policy wishing to pacify this kind of odium and atrocities built upon history seems preposterous.

If multiculturalism failed in uniting the Anglophones and Francophones, how can we expect it to succeed in uniting other cultural groups, many of which have equally complicated history and unique customs? Without the near-impossible healing of historical wounds first, how can Canada’s multiculturalism achieve its utopian hope of respect and tolerance between different cultures? I have heard that the American style of multiculturalism is a “melting pot”, where different cultures are combined into one “American” culture. I believe that a hybrid between the mosaic and the melting pot would produce a better multicultural policy that unites the people: a cocktail multiculturalism, where the diversity of cultures exists, but there are no discernable edges among the cultures.