Punjabi & Cantonese As Canada's Two New Official Languages?
Immigration Watch Canada
requests that you consider our latest press release for publication or
broadcast.
Respectfully,
Dan Murray
Immigration Watch Canada
www.ImmigrationWatchCanada.org
PRESS RELEASE
A recent Vancouver Sun column, written by a person of Punjabi origin, stated
that in order for broadcasts of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver to be
understood by all the people in the country, and to "embrace Canada's new
linguistic reality", Canada should consider making Cantonese and Punjabi
Canada's two new official languages. These languages happen to be the ones
spoken by a large number of the recent immigrants who have come here.
Most Canadians would find the suggestion exceptionally arrogant and would shake
their heads in disbelief. And undoubtedly, a number of Punjabi and Cantonese
speakers would be embarrassed to hear that a member of their group had publicly
expressed such a view. But it is clear that others see nothing wrong with it.
The question that Canadians have to ask is this: Why are this person and his
supporters making such a statement?
Canadians do not have to look very far to find some answers:
(1) Multiculturalism: Canada's multiculturalism policies have encouraged the
separation of many immigrant groups from mainstream Canada. Although previous
waves of immigration have produced similar isolationist behaviour, the behaviour
was never officially encouraged by governments. Consequently, it gradually
dissolved. However, since mass immigration began in 1990, a number of elected
officials at all three levels of government have actively promoted isolationist,
multicultural policies in order to secure votes---effectively perpetuating this
behaviour. Not long ago, British Columbians heard one particular result of
elected officials' encouragement of this attitude: a demand for a division of
B.C. into two provinces (one chiefly occupied by visible minorities) in order to
have the interests of visible minorities better served. Canadians did not hear
any censure of this view from elected officials, a number of whom seem to
believe that satisfying every such demand, no matter how absurd, is perfectly
acceptable.
(2) Mass Immigration: For most of Canada's history, our country has never had a
mass immigration policy. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Canada's population
growth has been driven primarily by natural increase, not by immigration.
Between 1861 and 1900, for example, Canada experienced population growth, but
emigration from Canada actually exceeded immigration. Although Canada did have
large numbers of immigrants arrive here just before World War 1, it has had,
since then, significant "immigration breathers"---periods of low immigration
(often caused by high unemployment) in which newcomers had a time to adjust to
the country and integrate.
The current mass immigration policy has given the immigrants of some particular
groups the idea that unlimited numbers of their groups can and will continue to
enter Canada, and that sooner or later, their groups will outnumber the host
population in certain regions. The person who has made the suggestion that
Punjabi and Cantonese be made official languages of Canada has seen his
linguistic group become the majority in a few areas, and he obviously believes
that immigration is primarily about competition for power. To him, the idea that
new immigrants should make a genuine effort to accept Canada's ethnic make-up
and to fit into Canada is unecessary and unworthy of consideration.
(3) Complete Ignorance of Canadian History: The people who have expressed such a
view are so immersed in where they came from, and have so completely re-created
that place here, that they have no idea where they are. If Canada is going to
assist any groups in the preservation of languages, it should be our aboriginal
people. Beyond them, the trans-continental nation state of Canada has only two
founding nations. Period. Most Canadians are willing to respect newcomers, but
it is becoming clearer and clearer that a continuation of high immigration
numbers means that certain groups are going to demand linguistic status equal to
that of the French and English founding nations, or status equal to that of
aboriginals.
Canada's response should be to immediately end its unjustified mass immigration
policy. Otherwise, the country will descend into complete absurdity. Canada is
supposed to be an established country, not some partially-filled space where
newcomers use every possible legal or illegal device, with the assistance of a
number of elected officials and their supporters, to increase their numbers and
compete for power. This attitude shows a complete contempt and disrespect for
Canada. The people who present the idea that Punjabi and Cantonese should become
Canada's two additional official languages have to be told loudly and clearly
that this idea is absolutely ridiculous. And elected officials and their
supporters who nourish this view should get long terms in the political
obscurity they so richly deserve.
END OF PRESS RELEASE