Canada is one of the most diverse nations, with more than 200 ethnic origins, nealy 1 in 5 Canadians belongs to a visible …show more content…
A few notable examples of discrimination towards immigrants, and those trying to immigrate are to be mentioned starting with the The Chinese Immigration in 1885 (http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/rachel-decoste/canada-immigration_b_4747612.html). This act was a way of deterring the entry and immigration of chinese people by charging a hefty tax. This tax was not charged to any other ethnic group (http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/rachel-decoste/canada-immigration_b_4747612.html). Following the chinese immigration act, the “anti-black” era was followed in 1898, where many black Canadian immigrants were discriminated against and treated as inferior, which made them unable to assimilate into Canadian society, black Canadians were treated primarily as a source of cheap labour. Later in 1939, 900 jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany made their way to the Americas. The director of immigration in Canada at the time fought to keep these refugees out of Canada, as they may be a threat to society and create unwanted …show more content…
Canada opened its doors to people based on their merits, rather than racial categorization in order to welcome the best and brightest people from around the world. Following the Immigration Act, The Canadian Multiculturalism Act was developed in 1988 which was created in order to lessen discrimination within our nation. Some of the values in the act were to promote the understanding that multiculturalism reflects the cultural and racial diversity of Canadian society to preserve, enhance and share their cultural heritage; recognize and promote the understanding of multiculturalism; recognize the existence of communities whose members share a common origin; ensure all individuals receive equal treatment and protection under the law, while respecting and valuing their diversity to name a few (http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-18.7/page-1.html#h-3). In order for the Multiculturalism Policy of Canada to be assured, the Crown, and other ministers must encourage and promote a coordinated approach to the implementation, this may include the aid in development of implementation of programs and practices in support of the policy.