POLI 212 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Canadian Multiculturalism Act, Chinese Head Tax In Canada, Constitution Act, 1982
17 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
February 1st, 2018
Lecture 8: Multiculturalism
Introduction
●As a political community, we have made a commitment to acknowledging and promoting
our heterogeneous society
●It was introduced as a policy in 1971 by Pierre Elliott Trudeau (it did not happen quickly
though)
●Immigration reform predates multiculturalism as a policy
●The Conservative government of Diefenbaker proposed immigration reform, and then it
was taken by the Liberal government of Trudeau
●B&B commission: the royal commission of bilingualism and biculturalism
Multiculturalism: Core Canadian Commitment?
●October 1971: PM Pierre Trudeau announces multiculturalism as an official government
policy
●1982: s.27 Constitution Act, 1982: “This Charter shall be interpreted in a manner
consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of
Canadians
○It is an interpretive clause, it doesn’t mean it guarantees it
○It does not define what this means
○It tells the Court that when they are interpreting these rights, part of their
interpretation should be informed by, and acknowledge the fact that Canada is a
multicultural place
●1988: Mulroney government passes the Canadian Multiculturalism Act
○Statement of principles that says that the federal government has designated a
minister and the government has commitments to maintain multiculturalism
Background 1950s-1960s: Immigration Reform
●Pre-1950s
○Before the 1950s, Canada had a ‘white’ immigration policy
○The government was free to pass statues that could discriminate
○They would discriminate based on race, ethnicity, or national origin
○Example: Chinese “Head Tax”
○PC 1911-1324: barring “negro race” because “unsuitable to the climate and the
requirements of Canada” [US]
PC= privy council, an executive order in council that would have been passed in a particular year
Document Summary
As a political community, we have made a commitment to acknowledging and promoting our heterogeneous society. It was introduced as a policy in 1971 by pierre elliott trudeau (it did not happen quickly though) Immigration reform predates multiculturalism as a policy. The conservative government of diefenbaker proposed immigration reform, and then it was taken by the liberal government of trudeau. B&b commission: the royal commission of bilingualism and biculturalism. October 1971: pm pierre trudeau announces multiculturalism as an official government policy. 1982: s. 27 constitution act, 1982: this charter shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of. It is an interpretive clause, it doesn"t mean it guarantees it. It does not define what this means. It tells the court that when they are interpreting these rights, part of their interpretation should be informed by, and acknowledge the fact that canada is a multicultural place. 1988: mulroney government passes the canadian multiculturalism act.
