Mosaics and Melting Pots in Motion: Reading and Responding to New Times

Abstract

As the world's two leading recipients of people from other countries, the United States and Canada have had to develop policies that are responsive to their growing cultural diversity. While the United States historically has adopted an assimilationist, melting pot approach, Canada has chosen a very different path. Since the 1960s, America's northern neighbor has been involved in an interesting and fairly unique cultural experiment. Assimiliation has been rejected in favor of pluralism, the melting pot spurned in favor of multiculturalism. The experiment is worth watching, especially in view of the fact that the worldwide resurgence of ethnic loyalities is forcing other countries, including the United States, to consider a range of pluralistic possibilities. The author examines the outcome to date of the Canadian multicultural experiment, including some of the direct consequences for religion. He concludes with a discussion of the implications of what has been happening in Canada for other countries, notably the United States.