Canadian Multiculturalism @50: Retrospect, Perspectives, Prospects

The multiculturalization of Canada has catapulted it into the front ranks of countries in advancing a principled diversity governance. Fifty years after the inception of a multicultural governance model that seemingly works and is relatively popular, Canada remains one of the few countries in the world to believe in multiculturalism. Yet the irony is inescapable: Notwithstanding its lofty status as a Canadian icon and an aspirational ideal, an official multiculturalism remains misunderstood both in Canada and abroad in terms of what it means, how it works and for whom, and why it endures. If anything, as the book explains, the idea of multiculturalism remains shrouded in the conceptual fog of a ‘riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma’. An interplay of polite fictions that mask inconvenient truths puts the onus on deconstructing Canadian multiculturalism by conceptualizing strengths (including a probe into why multiculturalism ostensibly works in Canada but rarely elsewhere), analyzing weaknesses, critically assessing its worth, and envisioning its future in responding to the new realities and demands of a post-multicultural world. That Canada’s multiculturalism remains a work in progress, albeit one with innovative possibilities, provides a fitting tribute.