wild goose chase
Active Member
One of the prevailing views or mythos we seem to have is that Toronto, and English-speaking Canada more broadly, celebrates multiculturalism, and encourages immigrants and minority groups to "preserve" their cultures more than American cities or others in the Western world (like say France) which promote a more assimilationist view, encouraging immigrants to give up their culture and conform to a pre-existing one.
Do you believe this is true? I have heard and read many people's claims that the multiculturalism vs. melting pot differs little in other than name, and that regardless of either country's mythos, after a couple generations or so, most immigrants end up with little left to tie them or remind them of the home country and become seen as "typically" American or Canadian, and that official policies on multiculturalism do little to change this.
I'm in Chicago right now, and I do find that it seems that some immigrant groups are more far removed from their home countries than what I'm used to (eg. Italian-Americans seem to not speak Italian as much as Italian-Canadians, mention family members who've lived in the "old country", or cheer for Italy in international sporting events), but I think part of that is that Toronto is a newer immigrant city, not that they retain their cultural customs and ties longer.
If we compare immigrant communities that arrived at similar times, would you find than their US counterparts gave up distinctive food, cultural customs, language quicker than Torontonians did? What about societal attitudes -- do you buy the idea that Torontonians embrace their heritage more than other cities you've been to or lived in?
Do you believe this is true? I have heard and read many people's claims that the multiculturalism vs. melting pot differs little in other than name, and that regardless of either country's mythos, after a couple generations or so, most immigrants end up with little left to tie them or remind them of the home country and become seen as "typically" American or Canadian, and that official policies on multiculturalism do little to change this.
I'm in Chicago right now, and I do find that it seems that some immigrant groups are more far removed from their home countries than what I'm used to (eg. Italian-Americans seem to not speak Italian as much as Italian-Canadians, mention family members who've lived in the "old country", or cheer for Italy in international sporting events), but I think part of that is that Toronto is a newer immigrant city, not that they retain their cultural customs and ties longer.
If we compare immigrant communities that arrived at similar times, would you find than their US counterparts gave up distinctive food, cultural customs, language quicker than Torontonians did? What about societal attitudes -- do you buy the idea that Torontonians embrace their heritage more than other cities you've been to or lived in?