IDENTITY AND CULTURE IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD Individual and group identity Immigration Languages Bilingualism

INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP IDENTITY Individual Identity and group identity have overlapping aspects As individuals we are part of cultural groups language groups economic groups social groups political groups

CANADA AS A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY Official Bilingualism Actually more and more multilingual each year Multicultural society mosaic approach versus melting pot A melting pot is the approach used by the United States in an attempt to assimilate newcomers into American culture Turn of the century 84% of the population either French or English Today less than 50%

MOTHER TONGUE SPOKEN 2011 Mother tongue Main language spoken in home environment

MOTHER TONGUE

IMMIGRATION 101 There people who come to our country arrive as one of two types Refugees An individual fleeing their country of origin for fear of their life or persecution Immigrants People who plan their move, for increased opportunity, ability to reconnect with family or other factors Have submitted the proper documentation and observed the established processes

IMMIGRATION 101 Refugees end up in Canada due to push factors These are undesirable aspects of the place they are living in for example

IMMIGRATION 101 Immigrants end up in Canada due to pull factors These are desirable aspects of the place they moving to for example

IMMIGRATION IN THE PAST Over the past 100 years, more than 13 million immigrants have arrived to forge a new life here, making Canada one of the world’s most ethnically diverse countries. Most came from Europe during the first half of the twentieth century. Later on, non- Europeans started arriving in larger numbers as economic immigrants or refugees, or as family members of previous immigrants. By 1970, half of all immigrants were coming from Caribbean nations, Asia and South America. In the 1980s, a growing number were arriving from Africa.

WHERE OUR NEWCOMERS ARE FROM In the 1990s, 58% of Canada’s immigrants were born in Asia (including the Middle East); 20% were from Europe; and 22% came from the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa and the United States. Most (73%) settled in Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver,

WHERE OUR NEWCOMERS GO From 1981 to 2001, Canada’s five largest cities—Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, Ottawa–Gatineau and Calgary— received much smaller shares of immigrants from North America, Western Europe and Oceania, but received larger shares from West Asia, South Asia and East Asia.

VISIBLE MINORITY POPULATION GROWING FAST Canada’s visible minority population is growing much faster than its total population: 25% growth from 1996 to 2001 versus 4% growth in the general population. This is due largely to increased immigration from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America and the Middle East. In 2001, about 70% of the visible minority population was born outside Canada.

LANGUAGES AND INDIGENOUS CULTURES INDIGENOUS CULTURES The original population of an area First nations Larger collective identity Band Legal status under the Indian Act Aboriginals Political term, used in legal policy to identify certain rights

INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES IN ALBERTA This map shows the major language groupings indigenous to what is today the province of Alberta. Each community’s language is indicated by a coloured dot. Dialect differences are not marked on this map. Alberta is the only province to officially recognize Métis territory as reserve land, the lands marked on this map. Other Métis communities throughout the country are not so designated, and are not yet marked on these maps. Nakoda here refers to the Stoney language. Cree is the Plains Cree dialect, and Ojibway is the Saulteaux dialect.

INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES IN ALBERTA There are more than 50 Aboriginal languages spoken in Canada They can be divided into approximately 11 languages Many of these are now threatened h?v=iacrBDOFF44http:// h?v=iacrBDOFF44

OFFICIAL BILINGUALISM Canada is legally bilingual at the federal level of government French and English enjoy equal status as official languages These were established by the BNA Act of 1867 and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Canadians have the right to receive federal government program services in English or French Canadians have the right to communicate with and plead before a federal court of law in English or French

OFFICIAL BILINGUALISM Strongest support for official bilingualism is in 98% in Quebec 76% in Atlantic Canada 72% in Ontario 67% Prairies 63% British Columbia Polls taken in 2001 and 2002 by Centre for Information and research on Canada Only New Brunswick is officially bilingual