Immigration and diversity debates to heat up in Canada?

The Hendawi family, Syrian refugees now in Shelburne

High-minded national myth about diversity confronted by inconvenient data

Despite the welcoming efforts of some Nova Scotian communities, and on-going efforts to bring more Syrian refugees here, anti-immigrant posts on community Facebook blogs in Southwest Nova Scotia may be indicative of a larger Canadian mind set.

A recent Angus Reid poll says Canadians think economic prosperity for Canadians trumps emphasizing the needs of people in crisis around the world and, rather than encouaging diversity, by two-to-one margin, people want minorities to "do more to fit in".

Reid says fewer Canadians support multiculturalism as a concept today, compared to 25 years ago.

The poll showed Americans are actually 50% more likely than Canadians to say minority groups in their country should keep their culture and language (in the U.S., it's closer to a 50/50 split).

So much for Canadian exceptionalism on the cultural diversity front.

SEE FULL CBC STORY HERE: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/angus-reid-poll-canadian-values-immigratio...