Canada’s Diversity

According to the 2006 Canadian census, out of the 31 million people living in Canada, a little more than five million people comprise the visible minority. The CBC has posted a wonderful Flash presentation of the statistics. It can be seen here.

In summary, here are the top ten minority groups in Canada (without the numbers):

1. South Asian (Indian, &c)
2. Chinese
3. Black
4. Filipino
5. Latin American
6. Arab
7. Southeast Asian (Vietnamese, &c)
8. West Asian (Iranian, &c)
9. Korean
10. Japanese

I cannot tell you how much I love Canada’s diversity. It is an amazing feeling to walk down the street and hear different languages, see different faces. The amount of culture around us is astonishing, and it would be a severe waste not to take time to learn about each one. As a visible minority myself (Filipino), I enjoy having a wide variety of friends from different backgrounds, and it makes my life just a little more interesting.

Canada’s wide-open doors to immigrants is really changing the demographic of this country, as well as the workforce. Now, many immigrants are holding professional jobs and excelling in various fields, bringing with them the experience they have earned in their homelands, and their tenacity and resilience, which is evidenced in their adjustment to this country. However, there are still various problems with the language barrier. Methinks that if you are going to a country whose primary language is English, take the time to learn English. If you’re going to China, learn Chinese. If you’re going to France, learn French. It’s easier said than done, obviously, but communication is paramount everywhere. It’s not worth not doing anything for the advancement of your family or yourself, economically and financially, mainly because you aren’t able to speak properly.

On the other hand, it irritates me when native English-speakers look down on the visible minority– or refuse to talk to them/hire them/befriend them, &c– mainly because of this language barrier (and accents; UGH it bugs me when people make fun of accents). If we were anywhere else, we would have to learn the native language, too. Doesn’t matter where it is. It’s a delicate balance, though: immigrants need to do their best to learn to speak English, while native English-speakers should be able to encourage their immigrant colleagues/classmates/friends by talking to them. It has to work both ways. I can speak for myself and my friends, though, that it is very rewarding.

While we’re on the topic of language, here’s another stat I found on the CBC website:

The top five languages in Canada are…

1. English
2. French
3. The Chinese languages
4. Italian
5. Punjabi

Another thing that’s been going through my mind regarding visible minorities: professional accreditation. I am of the firm opinion that Canada needs to set up an accreditation exam of some sort in the fields in which immigrants are involved. For instance, medicine. There are so many visible minority doctors working as cab drivers or storekeepers and the like, unable to practice their craft because employers don’t believe that they have the necessary education. Engineers as well. Employers look for “Canadian experience”, but what sort of said Canadian experience can these engineers get if they cannot get hired? But if there was a standardized test somehow, these professionals could be evaluated, and if they pass, they are perfectly capable of working in the same field as the next Canadian school graduate.

Still, I am immensely proud and grateful that Canada has opened its doors to every kind of immigrant from numerous parts of the globe. To be able to live harmoniously in the same country is a testament to the fact that we are all human, and that our differences can bring us together. Squashes racism rather nicely, doesn’t it?

Or, at least, it should. It damn well should.