Compared to other countries we
Canadians have a much more positive attitude towards immigrants and immigration.
It is suggested in this
article that it is far less likely for what happened in Norway by the right wing man, who set off a bomb and shot young people, killing a total of 76, to happen in Canada. This is because immigrants are far better integrated into Canadian society. The article also suggests that we cannot become complacent as racist attacks have become more common place across Canada.
For all people might say that French Quebecois are racist and not particularly welcoming, this isn't true. Sure Quebecois have issues with people who don't speak their language and are suspicious of people who's culture they don't know [Like all other peoples btw], but it takes little for them to open their hearts and homes to their new neighbours.
Stupid comments made by various Quebec Politicians in particular those from the parti Quebecois who blamed "maudits immigrants" for not voting for independence, while offensive are also correct. Most who come to this country come for it's stability and safety. They might come from a country which was unstable and for them the unity of Canada is important to continue ensuring it's stability so it is true they will vote federalist and against Quebec leaving. It is completely logical and no one should blame them for this.
Ironically some of the most racist people I have met in Canada were new arrivals!!!! I used to have a neighbour that my native-ex [The one I am no longer on speaking terms with] befriended. This neighbour moved to Toronto for several months and when he came back, he had nothing but vitriol to spew about Toronto. "Toronto, is so fucking full of immigrants he said". This guy was NOT even born in Canada. His family had come to Canada from Europe when he was a small child. I could not believe his comments. I tore him a new one. I asked him what rights he thought he had as a person NOT even born in Canada to criticize other people, who he perceived as new comers because of the colour of their skin but who might in fact actually be born here, unlike his sorry ass.
I went on to say that the only person in the room who could complain about immigrants was my native-ex, who by definition was a 'Native of Canada'. That even myself who has an French ancestor who arrived in Quebec in 1667, was still an immigrant in comparison. So if he wasn't happy with Canadian "Immigrants" he could go back to the country where he was born, and where it was obviously so perfect. Because Canada is a country built on immigration. It started off with the Natives, and the arrival of the French and the English, but now has become a nation where EVERYONE is welcome.
It sucks that in some immigrant communities they continue to fight internally like they have not left their own country and I strongly believe that those who attack other members of their nationality should be sent back home. Last week I linked an article where some pro-democracy Syrians in Montreal have been threatened by pro-Assad factions. Those in pro-Assad factions should be warned that in this country everyone is entitled to their opinion and no one goes out and beats up people for having a different opinion. If they don't get that, they are welcome to find a country who tolerates this abhorrent behaviour.
One of the things I love the most about Montreal is it's multicultural international flavour. It's wonderful that you can meet people from all sorts of different countries. I love it that at work I've had opportunity to work with people from just about everywhere in the world. Of late the students that apply for internships are mostly from the old European eastern bloc, North Africa, the middle East, and Central Africa. A percentage of those who apply from those countries are often new arrivals to Canada, with a degree in their own countries re-doing an engineering degree in Montreal in a COOP program to get the benefits of a Canadian education and Canadian work terms, which give them that Canadian experience which helps them find work.
The majority of the students that I've had working for me in internships are very grateful to have the internship and are thrilled to be in Canada. They praise the education system, and the Coop programs. One of the questions I often ask is why they chose the University and program they are in, and also ask how the Canadian university compares to the university they previously attended. It's the kind of question that's not very personal and should make the candidate relax as it's an opinion and there is no right and wrong.
Every last one will tell me that they were impressed at our school system here and they have learned so much even if they are doing the program for a 2nd time. There's a percentage who just feel everything here is better, if nothing else they might be saying it to convince themselves and look appreciative, but there's another percentage that can give you great details as to why our Engineering programs rock.
The thing I like to remember is that unless you are fully a North American Native [Also wrongly labelled Indian], you are an immigrant and from immigrant roots. Even if your family has been in Canada 400 years. By keeping that perspective it makes it far easier to accept new comers and help them integrate into Canadian society.
One of the stories we were told in school was that Canada is a mosaic, and the USA is a melting pot. Canadians are proudly Canadian but also retain a little bit of their previous identity which I think makes for a far more diverse country and I love that about Canada.
My daughters grew up in a very diverse neighbourhood and were exposed to people from all different nationalities. At some point in her late teens, my eldest dated briefly a boy from Drummondville [or was it Valleyfield - always mix those? ]. The biggest shock my daughter had travelling to meet her beau in his home town, was the fact everyone was homogeneously white and french-speaking. Having always lived in Montreal she had never seen areas that were so uniform in language and people's ethnicity.
Even though I grew up in a less ethnically mixed area, where I grew up in Montreal North and Riviere-des-Prairies, we were a mix of French-Quebecois, Italian-Canadians [first/second/third generation] and Haitian-Canadians [mostly first generation]. The English schools I went to had students who where 95% Italians, 3% French and the remaining 2% included everyone else! That was my experience until about age 15, when my mother placed me in a private school downtown. It was there I was exposed to Montreal's more varied English community, as well as Montreal's diverse Jewish community.
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