Colonialism In Canada Research Paper

1842 Words8 Pages
The image of Canada that exists today derives from the historical events that have occurred in the past. This history has shown that Canadians continue to build their identity based on the experiences of racial discrimination and cultural divides of the past. A specific group of immigrants that contributed to the Canadian identity were the Chinese, which were the main contributors to the Canadian Pacific Railway, a significant part of Canada as this railway created the connection between the East and West Coast of Canada. However, the accomplishments of the Chinese and their contributions to the railway created an image that Canadians were welcoming to immigrant workers, which was not the case. In this essay, we will be exploring the scholarly…show more content…
From early European expedition to now, colonialism has been significant to the growth of Canada and its identity. Canada was a European colony that wanted to create a unique identity. According to Fleras, other factors such as racism, integration and assimilation have also shaped the image of Canadians today. These factors have resulted in negative and positive outcomes. Fleras also notes that racism exists in Canada, but the result of racism benefits the dominant white society. As well, the negative outcomes outweigh the positive outcomes and are hidden under the positive accomplishments by the Canadian government. The history of Chinese immigration began when Canada needed people to work in harsh conditions that included placing dynamite to open passageways in the Rocky Mountains, which most people did not want to do. As a result, Canada opened its work opportunities to the people in Asia, primarily the Chinese and Japanese. In return of their work on the Canadian Pacific Railway, Chinese people were granted Canadian citizenship, meaning they can also bring their families from China to Canada. The immigrants that came from China mainly resided in Hong Kong prior moving to Canada, as many Chinese people were not allowed to leave China because of the communist Chinese regime. Hong Kong was under different circumstances as they were not under Chinese rule. The employment…show more content…
This claim can be justified when Canada's first hired Chinese workers to build the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Canadian government focused on sustaining its economic growth instead of respecting immigrants for the knowledge they bring into the country. However, he also elaborates that immigrants have a significant difference to refugees. Immigrants are seen as people who contribute to a country's growth, while refugees are the people who are wasting resources and not giving back to society. As well, immigrants get to keep their distinctiveness and receive benefits, while refugees cannot obtain social support. This is significant to Canada's nation building because it shows that there are social divides that are created within foreigners that enter
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