Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity

To leave, to flee, to settle abroad, to find a safe haven, to leave behind one's native land, home territory, family and friends, to abandon a world of familiar food, flavours and smells, to head toward more friendly skies… to emigrate.

To leave and to be weighed down, in the absence of other heavy baggage, by memories of smiles and tears, of landscapes in the sunshine or in the rain; by recollections of public and private histories, sometimes colourful, sometimes threadbare; by echoes of one's native tongue, the living force of the soul; by remembrances of one's values and former lifestyle.

To leave, but in some ways to stay behind…

From now on, the tastes and preferences of Canada's ethnocultural communities will have a powerful influence upon the Canadian marketplace. Hence any company wishing to carve out a larger share of the domestic market must choose marketing and sales strategies which respond to the needs of these communities.

For instance, a number of food products, which just a few short decades ago were unknown or misunderstood, have now made their appearance on supermarket shelves everywhere. At first these foodstuffs were imported or produced for the preparation of such delicacies as shishkabob, moussaka, couscous, paella, sushi and egg rolls; now they are being offered to each and every Canadian who wishes to add a bit of pizzazz to everyday meals or to prepare new recipes containing a whiff of the "exotic". The same goes for the domains of clothing and culture… there's an almost infinite range of lifestyles to choose from!

Fruit Cup, Bridge Mixture, Tossed Salad

Made up of both visible and "invisible" minorities, the diverse Canadian ethnocultural mosaic has become the country's distinctive trademark. No fewer than 28% of its approximately 32 million inhabitants come from backgrounds other than native, French or British; and over 42% can claim at least one ancestor who did not belong to any of these groups! But what countries of origin can these Canadians claim for themselves - or for their ancestors?

The ethnographic map of Canada has taken on the colours of multiplicity, a direct result of multiple waves of immigration, more often than not brought about by events of major international importance. These people, who now call our land their home, come from a long list of countries on each and every continent.

More Ingredients… A Better Pie

Canada's ethnocultural communities are making a powerful contribution to the transformation of the country's economy simply by getting down to business. Indeed, since a good many of these communities can claim substantial numbers of newly minted immigrants,they are able to maintain close links with their respective countries of origin. Any Canadian company which is aware of all that these people have to offer, including their familiarity with international markets and knowledge of languages and cultures, can benefit from a wide range of advantages :

o a familiarity with foreign commercial practices
o a facilitating of business contacts and the establishing of cooperative networking
o translation services which favour negotiations and market penetration.

On the other side of the ledger, recent census data reveals that immigrants tend to launch their own enterprises, to be self-employed. Far from "stealing jobs" from other workers within the economic system, newcomers contribute to increasing the available pool of investment capital, creating jobs and boosting Canada's economic growt through their spirit of innovation, their initiative and their high level of energy.

Text "The Canadian Identity Collection"
Department of Canadian Heritage