A look at how Canadians stay true to their roots abroad
by Kaitlyn Dingman
“While there is a heated debate between the notion of the hyphenated Canadian, say Polish-Canadian, and non-hyphenated Canadian, simply ‘Canadian.’ Both explicitly, through governmental policies such as official multiculturalism, and implicitly, through perceived ideas about a mosaic, it would appear that the practice of one staying true to their old country’s culture and heritage is celebrated as a very Canadian thing to do.”
J.P. Lewis, political science lecturer at the University of Guelph.
As Canadians, we pride ourselves on our capitalist economy, our democracy, and as seen in this year’s Olympic games, our ability to dominate on the ice. With the sense of Canadian national pride still lingering post-Olympics, the question of what constitutes a Canadian identity is fresh. With a nation so large and with the multicultural mosaic we speak of so frequently, it becomes difficult to pin-down something that unites all Canadians alike.
The dynamics of what Canadian identity is are constantly changing and it becomes difficult to define what being Canadian is in a few words. Over the past few decades, multiculturalism has played an important role in defining Canada as a nation. Many could argue that part of Canada’s identity is our cultural mosaic, that a mixture of ethnic groups, cultures and languages co-exist in our nation. It is very common for immigrants, even though they may have never been outside of Canada, to identify themselves with their native heritage.
Second-year Sheridan College student, Jovana Stojkovic, is a prime example of this.
“I believe it’s important to identify myself as Serbian because even though I was born in Canada, I feel just as Serbian as if I was born in Serbia,” said Stojkovic.
Canadian immigrants acknowledge their native heritage by doing such things as identifying themselves as a ‘hyphenated Canadian’ and by moving into communities of similar demographics.
There are many reasons why immigrants feel it is important to seek out communities that share the same ethnic backgrounds.
“I would say that parallel communities, ethnic enclaves, whatever you want to call them, are, to some extent, a natural, unavoidable and arguably even desirable part of the immigration experience as people come to an immigrant-receiving country and get settled by attaching themselves initially to communities with which they’re familiar, that provide social support and social capital,” said Jason Kenney, the minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism in a speech at the University of Huron.
University of Guelph political science lecturer, J.P. Lewis, also had insight into this idea of a shared ethnic community.
“There are many reasons for immigrants to move into communities of common culture, background and language; social and economic support would seem to be the most obvious, while the location of sponsors and family create a natural locale to begin a new life in,” said Lewis.
One main familiarity these communities have is a shared language.
“It has a lot to do with how my parents raised me. When I was little I learned Serbian as my first language, I never knew anything else existed until my brothers went to school and came home and would talk in English,” said Stojkovic. “I believe identifying myself as Serbian has given me culture, religion, values, beliefs, and the chance to know a different lifestyle which I adore.”
Lewis explained the distinction between the “hyphenated” Canadian and the “non-hyphenated” Canadian, when it comes to national identity.
“While there is a heated debate between the notion of the hyphenated Canadian, say Polish-Canadian, and non-hyphenated Canadian, simply ‘Canadian,’” said Lewis. “Both explicitly, through governmental policies such as official multiculturalism, and implicitly, through perceived ideas about a mosaic, it would appear that the practice of one staying true to their old country’s culture and heritage is celebrated as a very Canadian thing to do.”
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