Multiculturalism in Canada

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by saffronleaf

The opposite of diverse is homogeneous, not white.

I don't know who you hang around, but there are multitudes of white people who complain about a place not being white enough, and many of them vote with their feet and move to predominantly white areas. How many people have complained about Brampton being too brown or Richmond being too Asian? Many. Whether this is "acceptable" to say or not just depends on who you hang around with. There's plenty of people you can associate with who would complain that a place is not white enough, if you prefer that.

I don't really care -- if a brown person wants to move to Brampton and a white person wants to move to Oakville, that's their prerogative. Having such options is nice, if anything.

Well, on SSP Canada anyway, people complain that places are too white or non-diverse all the time (in Canada at least, "too white" and "non-diverse" usually mean the same thing), but comparatively few (very few in fact) people complain about places being too diverse.

[dleung]

Very few people complain about the lack of straight pride parades either, or feel the need to say "all lives matter"

[Architype]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Well, on SSP Canada anyway, people complain that places are too white or non-diverse all the time (in Canada at least, "too white" and "non-diverse" usually mean the same thing), but comparatively few (very few in fact) people complain about places being too diverse.

Not so much in real life, except perhaps to complain about the lack of restaurant diversity. Newfoundland is not diverse, but stops short of celebrating its whiteness, but just barely. In Nfld. I would really miss my diversity of Asian food, and perhaps tire of all the fat white people, but perhaps that's a privileged selfish thing? Immigrants will only go where they want to as we well know.

[ssiguy]

I can't stand this idea that Canada has no culture or identity. Canada has always had a lot of each WELL before multicultural hit the scene. If you don't believe me you don't have to, all you have to do is leave the country.

Our climate, music, sports, manners and mannerisms, our view of the world, geography, 2 official languages, and history all set us apart from any other country. The rest of the planet has absolutely no problem defining what Canada is and who it's people are. If you don't believe it, go abroad and find out how fast people's demeanor changes for the positive when they find out you are Canadian.

The only people that are insecure about Canada are the one's who's livelihood depends on them financially so they can milk as much as they can from the feds. Canada is extremely highly regarded and envied from nearly all countries and regions around the world and you don't get that kind of response when no one can think of anything unique about you. In fact quite the contrary, people know a lot about your country, values, and culture and they like what they see.

[saffronleaf]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Just look at how non-diverse cities and regions of Canada are so harshly judged on here.

So is this just some competition to see which kind of cities get criticized more?

Again, there are multitudes of people who dislike diverse cities in Canada and elsewhere. There are entire political movements that make their dislike of diversity a core part of their platform.

And yes, there are people who dislike homogeneous cities.

So what's your point? Do you want to do some empirical survey of Canada to see who gets to legitimately complain and whine more? Do you want some sympathy or something?

If you like homogeneity, by all means live in homogeneous communities -- no one cares. There's people on both sides of this preference that levy harsh judgments on the other side.

[saffronleaf]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Well, on SSP Canada anyway, people complain that places are too white or non-diverse all the time (in Canada at least, "too white" and "non-diverse" usually mean the same thing), but comparatively few (very few in fact) people complain about places being too diverse.

Sure, maybe if you do an empirical survey on SSP Canada, you might find more people preferring diverse cities. But Canada in general? Hah. Plenty of people complain about diversity in real life and vote with their feet.

And "usually" mean the same thing, sure. But people complain, even on the purportedly diversity-loving too-White complaining SSP Canada, all the time about Richmond. Remember the furor over a few stores opting to have Chinese language signage? Nearly every thread about Vancouver descends into Sinophobic rants, especially if Richmond is brought up. Brampton has a poor reputation here and elsewhere in the real world, and I can tell you it's not just because of its suburban character -- or else plenty of other towns would get equally harsh criticism.

Some people like diversity others like homogeneity.

Your whole poor old white man schtick is tiring. Everyone wants to be a victim these days. OMG OMG someone said this place is too white!! Let me get my panties in a bunch. OMG, someone said they like diversity! What about the all white economically booming Quebec City?! What happened to equality and post-racialism!?!

Give it a break.

[saffronleaf]

Originally Posted by dleung

Very few people complain about the lack of straight pride parades either, or feel the need to say "all lives matter"

Yupp, this is just another chapter in the new wave of majoritarian victimhood that's sweeping large swathes of the world.

How dare someone suggest they like diverse cities without acknowledging that homogeneous cities are just as good? And of course, when they refer to homogeneous cities, its never about acknowledging how great Richmond / Brampton / Scarborough / Aboriginal reservations etc. are...

[Antigonish]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

He's not wrong, Anglo Canada doesn't really have a cultural identity, we mirror the Americans in almost everything.

The main difference? Canadians aren't very friendly and outgoing, Americans are. Canadians are reserved like the Brits but have the accent and culture of the Americans.

Only 2 regions in Canada have a legitimate Identity, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

I think every region has it's own unique culture, tbh. Being a Maritimer living in the Prairies you do notice subtle differences, but overall it's pretty negligible. I think what some Canadians in our international cities as well as most non-Canadians don't realize is that Canada is quite "balkanized". You travel or live from region to region, or province to province, every area has different ethnic makeups and regional quirks. However, everybody puts their differences aside for the greater good of the dominion. It's how we've survived for 150 years.

The one thing I'll add to your main point - Canadians are very passive aggressive. I'm beginning to put the pieces together and there are two main hypothesis I've come up with:

1) About 20% of the working population works in the public sector, or a contractor of the public sector. With constant labour union disputes, strikes etc. the average person can't voice their displeasure without offending one (or many) of their friends and family members; so we bottle it up until it bursts at the seams.

"Those damn teachers, on strike again! ...oh wait, my girlfriend and aunt are teachers. Better just keep that to myself I guess"

"But those postal workers, amirite? ...oh crap, my neighbour and brother work for the postal service. Better just keep that to myself I guess"

"SERIOUSLY? ANOTHER NURSING STRIKE? NURSES! ...oh shit, my mother is a nurse, same with my sister. Better just keep that to myself I guess"

Rinse and repeat.

2) Canada is so fucking cold and miserable for half the year that when Canadians travel abroad they are so damn happy they aren't freezing their tits off in Regina in January that they are the most pleasant and wholesome version of themselves when overseas. "Wow, Canadians are the nicest people on the planet!!"

Yeah right. Come to Saskatchewan right now, where breathing in the cold wind hurts your lungs and the wind stings your skin every minute you spend outdoors. See how nice we are then

Originally Posted by ssiguy

I can't stand this idea that Canada has no culture or identity. Canada has always had a lot of each WELL before multicultural hit the scene. If you don't believe me you don't have to, all you have to do is leave the country.

Our climate, music, sports, manners and mannerisms, our view of the world, geography, 2 official languages, and history all set us apart from any other country. The rest of the planet has absolutely no problem defining what Canada is and who it's people are. If you don't believe it, go abroad and find out how fast people's demeanor changes for the positive when they find out you are Canadian.

The only people that are insecure about Canada are the one's who's livelihood depends on them financially so they can milk as much as they can from the feds. Canada is extremely highly regarded and envied from nearly all countries and regions around the world and you don't get that kind of response when no one can think of anything unique about you. In fact quite the contrary, people know a lot about your country, values, and culture and they like what they see.

I find the folks who claim that Canadians have no culture are the most boring, basic, suburban mall living types. Just because you have no personality doesn't mean the rest of the country is the same. The ones who go out of their way to "embrace" facets of other worldly cultures can't embrace aspects of their own, or lost them along the way; maybe out of shame? I'm not sure. But it's a growing pattern I see.

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

Originally Posted by dleung

Are you one of those people who say "All Lives Matter"?

please elaborate

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

Originally Posted by dleung

Very few people complain about the lack of straight pride parades either,

Gay parades are stupid too. In general they just further stereotypes and are kinda dumb. Just reserve parades for holidays. Banging people who are the same gender as you or if you change your gender doesn't grant you a blocked street. It's either all of it's okay or none of it's okay. If there are gay parades there should surely be straight ones too (but they won't be as fun).

[saffronleaf]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

Gay parades are stupid too. In general they just further stereotypes and are kinda dumb. Just reserve parades for holidays. Banging people who are the same gender as you or if you change your gender doesn't grant you a blocked street. It's either all of it's okay or none of it's okay. If there are gay parades there should surely be straight ones too (but they won't be as fun).

It's not illegal. You can reserve public space for demonstrations of almost any kind. It's just a stupid idea to host a heterosexual parade in a heteronormative society. Hence, few do such a thing. But nothing is holding you back -- go for it.

[BretttheRiderFan]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

Gay parades are stupid too. In general they just further stereotypes and are kinda dumb. Just reserve parades for holidays. Banging people who are the same gender as you or if you change your gender doesn't grant you a blocked street. It's either all of it's okay or none of it's okay. If there are gay parades there should surely be straight ones too (but they won't be as fun).

Guaranteed you've never been to one.

[Marshal]

I prefer supporting things so long as they are not harming anyone/thing.

I think "gay" parades are dumb in many ways. So?
"Gay Pride" parades are a whole lot less dumb. But they are still kind of dumb. The thing is, so are all parades.

A parade is a show, a celebratory show, but a show nonetheless. To be a good one involves expression, artifice, humour, dazzle . . . fun. Pride is a blast. And it promotes a wide range of things - which is great by me.

Our Pride parade is a crazy, and while a bit of an eye opener, it was a great experience for my kids . . . they knew the values of open acceptance, they knew the world was broader than their own: Pride showed them a bit of "crazy" being cheered on by the community at large. They learned a lot of good, even though they were sometimes a bit confused, and sometimes giggling too much to watch. As adults, both of them have thanked us for exposing them to such things in a manner that incorporated them into our 'family normal.'

It takes an open, but also educated, mind to take something like a big city Pride extravaganza in and process it. To say it is about banging people of your own sex is ludicrously superficial, if not just downright missing the point . . . not just of Pride (a party coming out of centuries of oppression) but of parades and celebrations of any kind (one group/community expressing something they feel special about to the larger populous).

And, don't struggle too much BobLoblawsLawBlog, you probably are unlikely to understand. All I would ask, is for you to not criticize everything you don't get, and save it for the truely bad stuff: like hate based things, ideologies that kill, starve, uproot and displace people, things that are wiping out all the animals, and plants, and the beautiful nature of the world at hand. Good luck.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by dleung

Very few people complain about the lack of straight pride parades either, or feel the need to say "all lives matter" :rolleyes:

Except that you're the one who brought this up here...

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by saffronleaf

It's not illegal. You can reserve public space for demonstrations of almost any kind. It's just a stupid idea to host a heterosexual parade in a heteronormative society. Hence, few do such a thing. But nothing is holding you back -- go for it.

Cynics will tell you that Straight Pride Week is pretty much every week, White History Month is basically every month, International Men's Day is mostly every day. There is a shred of truth to that.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Antigonish

I find the folks who claim that Canadians have no culture are the most boring, basic, suburban mall living types. Just because you have no personality doesn't mean the rest of the country is the same. The ones who go out of their way to "embrace" facets of other worldly cultures can't embrace aspects of their own, or lost them along the way; maybe out of shame? I'm not sure. But it's a growing pattern I see.

I am not an anglo and am often even harsh on Anglo-Canadians on here, but if I hear one more Anglo-Canadian describe themselves, their group or their community as "boring anglo", I think I am gonna puke.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by saffronleaf

So is this just some competition to see which kind of cities get criticized more?

Again, there are multitudes of people who dislike diverse cities in Canada and elsewhere. There are entire political movements that make their dislike of diversity a core part of their platform.

And yes, there are people who dislike homogeneous cities.

So what's your point? Do you want to do some empirical survey of Canada to see who gets to legitimately complain and whine more? Do you want some sympathy or something?

If you like homogeneity, by all means live in homogeneous communities -- no one cares. There's people on both sides of this preference that levy harsh judgments on the other side.

Except... I never said I did. And I don't think anyone on SSP says that either. So you're proving my point about "suspicion" of not being open "enough" to diversity.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by saffronleaf

Sure, maybe if you do an empirical survey on SSP Canada, you might find more people preferring diverse cities. But Canada in general? Hah. Plenty of people complain about diversity in real life and vote with their feet.

And "usually" mean the same thing, sure. But people complain, even on the purportedly diversity-loving too-White complaining SSP Canada, all the time about Richmond. Remember the furor over a few stores opting to have Chinese language signage? Nearly every thread about Vancouver descends into Sinophobic rants, especially if Richmond is brought up. Brampton has a poor reputation here and elsewhere in the real world, and I can tell you it's not just because of its suburban character -- or else plenty of other towns would get equally harsh criticism.

Some people like diversity others like homogeneity.

Your whole poor old white man schtick is tiring. Everyone wants to be a victim these days. OMG OMG someone said this place is too white!! Let me get my panties in a bunch. OMG, someone said they like diversity! What about the all white economically booming Quebec City?! What happened to equality and post-racialism!?!

Give it a break.

More "suspicion".

Have fun with your new religion, guys.

[Antigonish]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I am not an anglo and am often even harsh on Anglo-Canadians on here, but if I hear one more Anglo-Canadian describe themselves, their group or their community as "boring anglo", I think I am gonna puke.

It's true though. When I was younger ("college aged") a lot of the folks who came to Nova Scotia from Ontario or out West (but primarily the GTA area) would always gripe about how things are better back in Toronto, or how the malls, or club scene, or anything of the sort was "better in Toronto". Well go the fuck back to Toronto if it's not your thing? The last thing I want, or anyone else from the Maritimes want is for the local culture to take a back seat to carbon copies of something from away.

Hence, the "come from away" attitude by the locals. If I find a job in Montreal I'm not going to complain about how it isn't like Nova Scotia, I'm going to embrace aspects of Quebecois culture that's new and interesting to me. And I expect the same for people who how come east too.

Originally Posted by Acajack

More "suspicion".

Have fun with your new religion, guys.

This. What's turned me away from being increasingly liberal is the cult status of dogma that's co-opted liberal political thinking. It's reached atheism level of group think. No thanks.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by saffronleaf

Sure, maybe if you do an empirical survey on SSP Canada, you might find more people preferring diverse cities. But Canada in general? Hah. Plenty of people complain about diversity in real life and vote with their feet.

And "usually" mean the same thing, sure. But people complain, even on the purportedly diversity-loving too-White complaining SSP Canada, all the time about Richmond. Remember the furor over a few stores opting to have Chinese language signage? Nearly every thread about Vancouver descends into Sinophobic rants, especially if Richmond is brought up. Brampton has a poor reputation here and elsewhere in the real world, and I can tell you it's not just because of its suburban character -- or else plenty of other towns would get equally harsh criticism.

Some people like diversity others like homogeneity.

Your whole poor old white man schtick is tiring. Everyone wants to be a victim these days. OMG OMG someone said this place is too white!! Let me get my panties in a bunch. OMG, someone said they like diversity! What about the all white economically booming Quebec City?! What happened to equality and post-racialism!?!

Give it a break.

LOL, Richmond is becoming one of the least diverse places in Metro Vancouver. It's becoming nothing more than a vast ethnic ghetto. It's no surprise that home sales in Richmond collapsed farther and faster than any other municipality once rules were put in place to stem the flood of money laundering being done through real estate.