Canadian Multiculturalism Act
| Canadian Multiculturalism Act Loi sur le multiculturalisme canadien |
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| An Act for the preservation and enhancement of multiculturalism in Canada Loi sur le maintien et la valorisation du multiculturalisme au Canada |
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| Citation | Canadian Multiculturalism Act |
| Enacted by | Parliament of Canada |
| Date assented to | July 21, 1988 |
The Canadian Multiculturalism Act is a law, passed in 1988, that aims to preserve and enhance multiculturalism in Canada.
The federal government, under Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, declared in 1971 that Canada would adopt multicultural policy.Canada would recognize and respect its society included diversity in languages, customs, religions, and so on. In 1982 multiculturalism was recognized by section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act was then enacted by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
In a webpage published by the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRC) it is declared that: "In 1971, Canada was the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as an official policy." This statement likely refers to the 8 October 1971 announcement of Prime Minister Trudeau in the House of Commons of Canada that, after much deliberation, the policies of bilingualism and multiculturalism would be implemented in Canada. One result of this policy statement was the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (CMA) of 1988.
The preamble of the CMA declares that,
This restatement of the Constitution is mirrored in the IRC webpage. The multiculturalism policy allows citizens to practice their religions and keep their identities without the fear of official persecution. It is believed by some that without this fear, Canadians are more willing to accept different cultures. The policy, therefore, emphasizes a mutual respect between ethnicities and also acceptance of one’s personal beliefs.
This policy guaranteed equality before the law and for pursuing opportunities whether personal, career, or in any other field. This means anyone of any race or ethnic origin is capable of pursuing his or her interests without persecution. Canadian law, as a result, reflects many of these rights and belief as they guaranteed to all men and women. All of these rights are guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which is part of the Canadian Constitution.
The Parole Board of Canada writes that the CMA has two fundamental principles:
The CMA binds the Federal government and institutions to encourage, facilitate, assist and undertake several high-minded goals. The Minister may also enter into agreements with provincial and foreign governments to promote these goals. Other ministers may enter into agreements with the provinces. The "Canadian multiculturalism advisory committee" is established in Section 7, and the Minister is charged with the annual composition of a report on the operation of the CMA.
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