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Discussion
of Case Study Themes
At
a Glance
Canada is a nation of immigrants, but the homelands
of these newcomers differ dramatically when one compares
British Columbia and Quebec. Canada's external orientation
differs dramatically from east to west. Eastern Canada
is culturally and economically tied to the Atlantic
world whereas western Canada is tied to the Pacific
world. Promotion of a multi-ethnic society challenges
the future of Canadian national unity. Global forces
of trade and migration are transforming the communities
and neighborhoods of Montreal and Vancouver.
Case
Study 1 -- Montreal: An Island of French
The
Struggle to Preserve French Culture in a Sea of English
Nearly half of Quebec's seven million people live
in the city of Montreal. It is here, surrounded not
only by English-speaking Canada, but also by the largest
and most influential English-speaking country in the
region, the United States, that the battle between
French and English is most heated. Quebec's French-speaking
majority, the Quebecois, recognize that protecting
the language is the single most effective means of
preserving culture. And protection from English is
just what the Quebec government is seeking.
Historically,
Montreal's English-speaking minority held the economic
power in the province. Although English speakers represented
only one-quarter of the population of the city, the
language used in business and commerce, and on many
public signs, was English. Fearing the decay of Francophone
culture, the threatened French-speaking majority took
a number of calculated steps in the 1970s aimed at
securing priority status for their language and culture.
An example of this was legislation that banned unilingual
English signs. Between the early 1970s and 1980s,
twenty percent of English speakers and their companies
left the province.
The Patterns of Linguistic Domination
Although small pockets of Francophones exist throughout
North America, by far the largest population resides
in Quebec. Like most of North America, Quebec's birthrate
began to decline in the 1970s as it transformed to
a postindustrial economy. But the Quebecois suffer
from the lowest birthrate in all of Canada. The situation
is considered so serious that the provincial government
pays families $6,000 Canadian dollars for every child
born after the first two; but still the birthrate
is low.
Immigrant
Assimilation: French or English?
To compensate for this low birthrate, Quebec has looked
outside its borders and has welcomed immigrants from
around the world. This rapidly growing immigrant population
poses a great challenge to the Quebecois. An immigration
office campaign slogan trumpets the French language
as the key to success in Quebec, and to ensure that
newcomers agree, the government pays them. Immigrant
families can receive up to $200 Canadian dollars a
week to be taught by the government how to assimilate
into French-speaking society.
But
many immigrants do not feel obligated to help preserve
French language and culture. Despite government inducements
and laws such as English signage restrictions, the
immigrants believe that English is the key to success
for their children. Yet in Quebec, choosing English
has a price. Although English public schools do exist
in Montreal, the only free education available by
law to immigrants is a French one.
In
1995 a referendum was held to determine if Quebec
should break away and form its own country. The vote
was close -- by a margin of one percent, Quebec residents
chose to stay Canadian. A spatial analysis of voting
patterns shows that the deciding votes came in large
part from immigrant communities.
Case
Study 2 -- Vancouver: Hong Kong East
The
Hong Kong Diaspora
The cultural landscape of Vancouver, British Columbia
is being transformed by the influences of Asia. At
one point, nine thousand immigrants per year were
flooding Vancouver from Hong Kong, in large part because
wealthy families feared the 1997 return of the British
protectorate to communist Chinese rule. The Hong Kong
diaspora has found a safe haven that is relatively
close to home in Vancouver.
Immigration
across the Pacific Rim is not new. Vancouver has an
old and well-established Chinatown. But most of today's
immigrants are not moving to this older part of Vancouver.
Urban Geography of Vancouver
Vancouver's east side has always been home to non-English
speaking immigrants. Some were from Europe, some were
from Asia, but all were working class people, and
their smaller houses still dominate the landscape.
Chinatown is located in this more densely populated
east side.
On
the west side, greater wealth is reflected in larger
lots and an abundant urban forest. It is this greener,
more affluent part of the city in which the new Asian
elite has chosen to live.
The Global Meets the Local
In the past, homes on the west side often reflected
Anglo traditions, with Tudor styling and large gardens.
But new homes being built on the west side reflect
the tastes of new Asian buyers. As developers rush
to accommodate affluent new arrivals from Hong Kong,
hundreds of old homes have been torn down to make
way for spacious, more modern designs. Not only are
the remaining long-time residents of western Vancouver
worried about the clash of styles between the old
and the new, they also fear the changing culture reflected
by the grand nature of these custom-built homes. Yet
these new cultural influences, accepted or not, are
a new reality for Vancouver. All along the Pacific
Rim, the old diaspora from Europe is meeting the new
diaspora from Asia. These global cultures are meeting
on a very local and personal level in the high-income
neighborhoods of Vancouver.
After
the 1997 return of Hong Kong to China, fewer Hong
Kong Chinese immigrated to Vancouver, and in fact,
many returned to Hong Kong. Today immigrants continue
to arrive from Asia, but primarily from Mainland China,
India, and the Philippines.
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