Political Correctness In Canada

Canada is generally seen as a tolerant and accepting safe haven for immigrants and refugees. Canada prides itself on its multiculturalism which has been a part of the country’s history for over forty years. Although immigration has been a successful practice in the country the mindsets of people residing in Canada are hardening and becoming less tolerant towards these newcomers. People have become tired of accommodating and essentially ‘sacrificing’ for others and are concerned about the threat to ‘Canadian values” (undefined term) in family life, security, justice system etc. Canadians are also having to change their attitudes towards societal issues, such sexuality, civility and gender . Canadians fear their way of life is being threatened and feel left out of decision-making in Canada and further see Canadians as a cultural nuisance.

There is an ongoing debate in Canada about integration vs. accommodation in new immigrants. People moving to a new country are generally expected that they alter their ways to integrate into their new environment and culture. Canada however is far more accommodating and supportive in this transition then any other country. The common opinion of native Canadians and immigrants who have been in the country for a couple decades is that there is more presently more focus on providing accommodation for immigrants than supporting the process of integration in to Canadian culture. On multiculturalism, two-to-one people believe that they would prefer that minorities ‘do more to fit in’, rather than try and preserve their own customs and language. Claude Bazinet, a Quebec citizen expressed his frustration and said “’We receive them here, we feed them, we house them, we give them an education, and they don’t integrate at all,”. Bazinet is only one of the many people who have raised a voice against the emphasis on ‘reasonable accommodations,”. Part of this debate stems from the fact that there are many laws being altered as well as introduced to help people of certain religions and cultures carry on their daily practices. Previously, the electoral laws stated that all voters were expected to prove their identity before voting by unveiling their face but there has since been exceptions created to those rules to accommodate Canadian Muslims. Presently, Muslim women do not have to remove their niqab or burkas to cast their ballots.

The resentment to such immigrants is clearly seen in Brampton marked by the term ‘white flight’. People have started taking actions such as moving out of places heavily populated by immigrants this form of migration is known as white flight. Places like the city of Brampton get labeled as “ghetto” for being composed mostly of South Asians. ‘White’ people feel as though their needs are not being met by societies like Brampton anymore due to the focus being on providing for certain ethnic minorities. The immigrants moving in to cities like Brampton feel more at home due to the large selection of amenities specifically catered to the needs of the south asian community such as Indian grocery stores , ethnic sweet shops and Sikh and hindu places of worship such as the gurdwaras and mandir’s. An increasing number of white people are complaining of feeling like stranger’s in their own homes and them having to integrate rather then the newcomers. Many people also resent the fact that workplace diversity laws are leading to them not getting their fair shot at jobs and are deciding to make the move. In Brampton there has been an implantation of the ‘Equal Opportunity Plan’. This plan calls for there to be necessary steps taken to eliminate barriers to equal opportunity, including systemic barriers and also doing all possible to avoid discrimination and harassment by effectively preventing it. Since 87 percent of officers in the police force are white, new employers are putting emphasis on allowing ‘non-whites’ to join the police force, taking away the right to equal opportunity for people who are not from ethnic minorities groups. Another reason for this move is that Brampton schools are filled with south asian kids who seek out tuition and extra support from teachers. Many parents believe The high school in Brampton have become way too competitive and that their kids won’t get into a good college because of the presence all of the Asians. A mother to two from Brampton said “I want my children to grow up in the real world. This is not the real world” further showing that areas outside of Brampton provide more opportunity to ‘white people’. All in all, white native residents of Brampton are feeling as though they are being forceful dragged out of their homes due to the shift of focus on immigrants, specifically South Asians.

In addition to past residents having to see their cities change for immigrants, the issue of political correctness has also become a big problem. The majority of Canadian population feel that political correctness has “gone too far,” yet over 70 per cent of people still feel compelled to not completely speak their minds to avoid offending others. It is also a common belief that political correctness impedes immigrant reform. People have to be really weary and think multiple times before they speak or tweet in order to avoid offending someone from a different ethnic background. It is believed, immigration reform is only successful when individuals are provided with the ability to speak about the problems in society as well as the implications that come with, truthfully and openly and this is not the case in Canada. The issue of wishing someone merry Christmas or saying happy holidays has been debated upon for many years. Retail companies and public school teachers are instructed to say “Happy Holidays” rather then “Merry Christmas” to avoid a feeling of exclusion amongst people who do not celebrate Christmas. Nunavut’s premier is also putting in to effect that all government workers must speak fluent Inuktut languages, which would result in two third territory’s workforce out of their jobs. People feel as though our society has been divided into a sectors of complainant groups, continuously fighting for sympathy and reparations. A Montreal professor named Gad Saad said that “political correctness is limiting the free exchange of ideas on university campuses across the continent”. Since classrooms are not able to see the free exchange of thoughts and ideas , such ideas are staying inside and people are often bottling up their opinions about societal issues unable to freely express. By promoting political correctness in the classroom we are essentially teaching students that there is only one right way to think and this is absolutely not the case. Many celebrity figures such as the comedian Russel Peters has also expressed his frustration with political correctness and stated “It’s hypersensitivity. People are afraid of words now. You gotta focus on intent. We’re judging books by their cover now. You gotta pay more attention. You gotta put down the sensitivities’. Language sensitivity is also leading to comedians such as Russel Peters having to censor their commentary because of people being effected by the lightest of teasing. Political correctness effects all age groups of the population and makes it a suffocating environment for people who are used to speaking their mind.

Canadians are also feeling as though they are not a part of the country’s decision making process in regards to immigrants. Taxpayers in the past have been content with the policy which rejects immigrants with permanent health concerns as well as serious disabilities. Since the healthcare system is publicly funded , citizens believe it is there right to have a say in the alteration of this policy. This is not the case however, Starting June 1, 2018, Canada will stop rejecting immigrants on the basis of existing health conditions and will begin accepting sick immigrants who will eventually become a drain on our social welfare system. It has now become a concern that people are seeking asylum in Canada primarily to take advantage of the ‘free’ healthcare system.It is a known fact that getting a specialist doctor appointment is already hard enough and there is enough burden to governments by the costs of retiring baby boomers. By increasing competition to access health care we are neglecting Veterans, Soldiers suffering from mental conditions, native communities etc., In addition, Minister Ahmed Hussen announced that there was going to be an increase in immigration intake to 310,000 people annually. It is also a problem that More than 30,000 people have crossed into Canada from the United States to seek asylum illegally. Canada provides care for these illegal immigrants which leads to the overwhelming of Canadian social service workers also leading to the neglect in service to citizens of Canada. According to many surveys and polls , people are now internationally convinced Justin Trudeau has become so identified with social justice and people-kind priorities that he’s lost the appearance of leading a serious government. There is also worry that immigrants do not value Canadian identity and should be tested on “Canadian Values”. The petition filed to have this looked over by the government has caught nothing but a bind eye, further proving the lack of involvement of Canadian citizens in the decisions of the country.

Although Canada is seen as a nation where diversity is respected and celebrated people are getting tired to essentially have to ‘bend over backwards’ for new immigrants and sacrifice their daily practices.Immigrants are not only making it harder for Canadians to use their free speech rights and not be held back by political correctness, they are also taking from the countries health care system, Past residents are feeling out of place and moving to try and find their old life again. Presently adopted practices of the Trudeau government are not making the government equal but rather silenceing their own citizens and prioritizing asylum seekers. This mindset towards immigrants is also a huge issue due to the incapability of Canada to sustain growth without the aid of immigrants. Our social welfare framework depends on a growing population and without immigrants the Canadian population will be inevitably shrinking.