What Is Canadian Identity - Essay Example

?Canadian Identity What does it mean to be a Canadian and what is a Canadian. The two questions have remained controversial issue among Canadians whoare always trying to establish their origin and existence as Canadians. The controversies surrounding the two issues results from the government’s definition of Canadians (Carpenter web). The main cause of the problem is the close association that exist between Canada and America. The two countries share similar historical, political, and social factors. However, unlike Canadians, Americans have an identity. For instance been an American means that an individual is sovereign and has the right to liberty and pursuit of happiness (Carpenter web). The first step toward solving the problem will be recognizing the identity issue as a national problem. The government and the Canadians should then search for a common solution to the problem. In this paper, I will analyse the issue of Canadian identity from both perspectives. Regionalism is a dominant factor in Canadian social and political framework. As a political ideology, the Canadian regionalism is based on the dominance of one region over the others in national affairs. Regionalism is the main factor that has prevented Canadians from realizing their national identity (Charles 67). Firstly, regionalism has introduced divisions among Canadian citizens. It would be difficult to realize or define a true national identity on a country that is divided between social classes and generation gap. Canadian identity exists and it is responsible for our national prosperity that is based on our regionalism. Canada is divided into six basic regions that are based on geographical and social economic factors in the country. Regionalism is vital for Canadian identity. Regionalism provides a basis for national unity, which is instrumental in defining Canadian identity. It is evident that Canada has both geographical and cultural diversity that defines the livelihood of each individual. The need to define Canada on cultural basis has contributed to the controversy that surrounds issues of Canadian identity. The French were the first European immigrants to have settled in Canada. This was followed by the immigration of the British leading to the formation of the British and French Canada. However, Canada has been experiencing increasing numbers of immigrants from other countries (Charles 67). The existence of people from different cultures has made it impossible to define Canadian culture. Culture is a significant in defining the identity of a country. Thus, Canadians lack a common culture that they can identify themselves with or that associate them with the country. Currently Canada has become the leading country in social diversity. The country is home for people from all over the world including the Americans. As Canadian, we are a multicultural society that is not divided along ethnicity or any racial structures. The intercultural cohesion that exists among Canadians defines them as Canada citizens and people of the modern world (Mathews 98). Lack of a dominant culture or social group in the Canadian society promote national unity and freedom that defines the life of the Canadians and hence their national identity. Canada has a widening generation gap that adds controversy to the issue of the Canadian identity. Since the arrival of the European immigrants, Canadians have been loosening their attachment with their European origin. There has been a continuously increasing variation in societal values across different generations. The association of Canadian citizens with their European countries of origin has been reducing constantly. The first generation of immigrants is completely different from the current generation of Canadian citizens. This trend is increasing constantly resulting into a wide generation gap. This factor is responsible for the lost Canadian identity. For instance how can we define where we are going if we do not acknowledge where we came from. It is a fact that Canadians originated from Europe and their history is closely tied to the European history. In addition, defining ourselves as Canadian is dependent on our history. The widening generation gap indicates that we are constantly losing the values we have for our roots or origin. This in turn prevents us from having a clear definition of our future as a nation. The Canadian identity defines where we are heading based on our current position. The widening generation gap is therefore contributing to lack of identity among the Canadian citizens. Currently it is difficult to identify Canadians as British, French, or Americans. Although Canada has existed for a long time as a sovereign country, it is difficult to terminate its connection with Europe. For instance, the Canadian still use English and French as their main languages of communication. History also tells us that Canada had existed for a long time as British and French Canada before it united to form the modern Canada. History repeat itself and it is difficult to separate Canada from its source (Mathews 98). The European nations from where Canadian immigrants came from remains vital to the Canadian people. The widening generation gap is therefore increasing lack of national identity among Canadians. The widening generation gap is inevitable in the current wave of modernization. In addition, Canada needs to define itself as an independent country away from the influence of European powers (Mathews 98). To achieve this position, widening generation gap is a necessary source of national identity. Canadians require a pure national identity that is based on Canadian culture and values. This shows that Canadians can only realize or define their national identity based on their own values. The widening generation gap has resulted in the creation of a multicultural society that defines the identity of Canada. Conclusion What is Canadian identity? This has remained a controversial issue among Canadians. Although Canadians have lived in the country for a long time, they have never known their identity. Comparing themselves with the Americans has worsened the issue since Americans have the identity of liberty, prosperity and search for personal happiness. Regionalism is a major issue that influence Canadian identity. The country is divided into different regions that are based on geographical and social factors. This is the basis of divisions among Canadian citizens and hence their lack of national identity. Cultural-ism is the next factor that contributes to lack of Canadian identity. Canadians neither acknowledge their British or French origin leading to lack of identity. This has resulted into a widening generation gap, which also indicates lack of Canadian identity. Works Cited Carpenter, Scott. The Great Canadian Identity Crisis. Quebecoislibre. 2000. Web 11, June 2012. < http://www.quebecoislibre.org/000108-11.ht> Charles, Blattberg. Shall We Dance? A Patriotic Politics for Canada. McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003. Print. Mathews, Robin. Canadian Identity: Major Forces Shaping the Life of a People. London: Cengage, 1988. Print. Read More