Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - March 2007
Population growth and diversity are both on the rise in Alberta as the recent census by Statistic Canada revealed that Alberta is one of the two provinces that are driving two-thirds of the country's population increase. Migration from other provinces and international immigrants fuelled a growth rate of 10.6%, a rate that is double the national average. The Statistics Canada's census data also revealed that today 11% of Albertans are non-white, with the majority being Chinese, followed by South Asians, Filipinos and blacks.
Alberta was not always so diverse, nor was it tolerant of the diversity. Norman Kwong, Alberta's Lieutenant-governor, stated at the 10th anniversary of The Canadian Multicultural Education Foundation that "diversity isn't the strange thing it was when I was growing up". Kwong made reference to Alberta's history where Chinese were not allowed to vote until 1948.
The celebration coincided with the opening of the Glenbow Museum's exhibit Mavericks - "An Incorrigible History of Alberta", an exhibit based on the book by Aritha van Herk that talked about how early Alberta communities tried to keep minorities and new immigrants from succeeding and how those new Albertans were blamed for every social problem in the province. Kwong said he was reminded how far Alberta has progressed since then as immigrants are now "recognized for the strength that they bring to our communities, they are celebrated and shared, rather than feared and shunned." Other events included the celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The MP for Edmonton Strathcona, Rahim Jaffer, has also praised Canada's open and tolerant society. Jaffer, who arrived as a refugee with his family from Uganda in the 1970s, said that "very few countries would allow (a refugee to become a member of parliament)". Jaffer attributes the gradual acceptance of diversity and difference cultures amongst the younger generation of Albertans due to the fact that they have so much more access to the world, and "things like skin colour and religious beliefs seem far less foreign to them."
Alberta's lieutenant-general still maintained that although the province has come a long way, there "is still work to be done".
In recent article in the Edmonton Sun, some high profile, non-white Edmontonians have stated that racial discrimination in Alberta is very subtle and continues to thrive quietly. Winston Hawthorne, of the National Black Coalition of Canada's local chapter, said racism still thrives in discriminatory industry hiring practices. Many local black university commerce graduates head for the East Coast and the states for better economic opportunities. Hawthorne has stated that the media continues to be an area where blacks are poorly represented.
Articles Reference:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070325/national/alta_racism
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=6087e04f-3841-4e75-8042-7419150078fe
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/03/26/3836003-sun.html
