Happy Canada Day! | Diversity, not assimilation ... at Schema : more than ethnic

Happy Canada Day! | Diversity, not assimilation ...

As millions of Canadians around the world have spent the day celebrating Canada's birthday, we've heard a lot of people ask "What is Canadian identity?" A complicated question to answer, because being Canadian is ... complicated. But we don't take it too seriously. After all, Canada is also known for its sense of humour (yes, with a "u") and comedic talent (Russel Peters, for example).

When talking about what makes Canada distinct, nothing compares to the infamous I AM CANADIAN beer ads. Essentially mocking stereotypes about Canada, it's still worth a watch, at least once a year.

Amongst the list of Canadian-isms, there's a line that stands out:

"I believe in peace keeping, not policing,
diversity, not assimilation."
(see full transcript)

And that really sums it up. Being Canadian is a sensibility, a perspective founded in ideas about peace and cultural accommodation (that are quite unique to Canada). Corny, I know, but so true! (See John Ralston Saul's recent best-seller, A Fair Country: Telling Truths About Canada). What most of the world hasn't yet realized, is how ethno-culturally diverse the Canadian mainstream really is, a reality that the Globe and Mail, called "The New Canada."

It has become fashionable in the past decade to say that Canada is changing, becoming more urban, ethnically mixed, competitive, secular, and media-savvy. Ask anyone under 30, though, and you'll hear that the country has changed already. There is a new Canada, and for young men and women now between 20 and 29, it is the only Canada they have ever known. Not only will members of this generation soon be taking over positions of influence - in business, politics, and culture - they already are leading Canadian thinking about such issues as race, sexuality, family, and the media. They are the mainstream .... (from The New Canada: A Globe and Mail Report on the Next Generation)

It is this "New Canada" mainstream that makes Canada really distinct ... and yes, even more complicated. And it's in being "complicatedly diverse" that we launched our six-part special series, "But where are you really from?" If you've got a thousand of these stories (like we all do), we know you'll really enjoy these at schemamag.ca/indepth.

From all of us at Schema, we're wishing all of those who are proudly complicated, HAPPY CANADA DAY!