Multiculturalism Act

On October 8, 1971, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau established multiculturalism as the official social policy of Canada, making the nation the first and only one to have such a policy. On July 21, 1988, Canada passed a national multiculturalism law, which made multiculturalism a fundamental component of Canadian society and gave it an integral place in the decision-making process of the federal government. The core of multiculturalism is the idea that differing cultural or ethnic groups can coexist harmoniously in a pluralistic society. Canada has made multiculturalism its official doctrine and instituted corresponding policies that formally promote and incorporate ethnic and racial differences as integral components of the political, social, and symbolic order. Whereas American society has been compared to a melting pot, promoting conformity to a particular norm, Canadian society is likened to a patchwork quilt where ethnic boundaries are encouraged and supported by government policies and monetary resources. Just as the patches of a quilt determine its unique pattern, the different cultures in Canada determine its unique character.

For a policy of multiculturalism to work, a nation’s policies and ideologies must promote minority rights to social equality and cultural identity within a pluralistic environment. Although Canada was initially oriented toward Anglo-conformity, diversity was a part of some of its laws and given some consideration. First Nation citizens had a special status, and the French and English were established as charter groups. Also, to encourage settlement of the prairie before World War I, the Canadian government promised to protect the immigrants’ languages and cultures. The Citizenship Act of 1947 gave immigrants and native-born people similar status and rights in Canadian society.

During the 1960s, Canada’s Indigenous population became more assertive, the Québécois resented exclusion from central political institutions, and other ethnic minorities feared losing their culture and becoming second-class citizens. It was in this context that the policy of multiculturalism was implemented, allowing all Canadian citizens to choose to live according to their preferred culture while respecting the rights of others. The multiculturalism law of 1988 focused equally on cultural maintenance and social integration within a framework of equal opportunity.

The Multiculturalism Act affected many aspects of Canadian society. Schools developed programs to accommodate more than sixty language groups and seventy ethnocultural communities and implemented multicultural and anti-racism programs. The media also experienced growth. Toronto had more than one hundred non-English newspapers, and more than forty cultures were represented in Canada’s ethnic press. Ethnic radio and television programs thrived. Programs were developed on the community level, and at the federal level, supportive laws and policies have been instituted to help create additional multicultural and ethnic heritage programs.

Critics of multiculturalism argue that it is divisive, creates social and cultural ghettos, and, in the long run, inhibits opportunities for minorities. Others see anti-racism and multiculturalism as being incompatible. Furthermore, some studies have demonstrated how members of Indigenous or minority groups have experienced racism and exclusion and therefore do not necessarily believe the implementation of a multiculturalism act is enough to promote equality and rectify history. In 2019, the General Social Survey (GSS) on Canadians’ Safety, published by the Canadian government, found that 46 percent of Black people fifteen years and older experienced discrimination, and 33 percent of Indigenous people had experienced discrimination. Another study published by KPMG in 2024 found that of one thousand Black professionals surveyed, 81 percent experienced some form of racism in the workplace.

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