Being Canadian in the 21st century

Being Canadian in the 21st century Name: Institution: Date: Canada’s southern neighbor the USA has overshadowed the nation in terms of economic and political influence in the world in the 19th and 20th century. Even with a smaller population, the country has embrace multiculturalism unlike America, and this is a widely accepted concept in the country (Stoddard, 2012). At the heart of the definition of the Canadian identity is the Charter adopted in 1982, which spells out the political and civil rights, guaranteed for every Canadian citizen, with all being equal before the law. In spite of shared culture with other Anglo majority nations, Canada has its unique culture characterized by expressions and symbols only found in Canada. In addition, both English and French are official languages in Canada. Essentially, in defining the Canadian identity in the 21st century, it is vital to look into the historical evolution of the nation in terms of demographic trends. Like many countries in the Americas, immigration patterns have influenced the demographic makeup of the country as well as the culture. Before there was colonization in Canada, indigenous aborigines inhabited the country, with some languages being mutually intelligible but there was no unity as people of one nation. The British and French colonization and settlement in the country led to the emergence of three distinct people the Englishmen, French and aborigines. With time, the British descended people emerged as the dominant group in the country, but the French culture persisted and there was recognition that the three cultures all have had great impact in the country’s history. Nonetheless, with the passage of the Charter all Canadians have equal rights regardless of their origins and culture (Stoddard, 2012). Legally, Canadian citizenship occurs through birth or by taking an oath of citizenship after fulfilling the requisite conditions including taking a Citizenship test and living in the country for three years or more. Nonetheless, being a Canadian in the 21s century extends from simply living in the country to espousing the ideals set by the constitution. Thus, Canadians must live within the threshold of the constitution as well as respect the opinion of other people as freedom of expression is enshrined in the constitution. With the advent of globalization, and increase in immigration into the country, there is increased diversity in the country than ever before. This calls for unity in the country, and political participation allows communities to have a say in policymaking. It would appear that Canadian national identity in the 21st century is inconceivable in comparison to America’s display of national identity. The reasons for this include the fact that Canada is a large country with diverse geographical features, but with a low population density. Furthermore, Canadians do not openly express their national identity, but in reality being Canadian is ...