The jagged edges of multiculturalism in Canada and the suspect Canadian

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Abstract
Although other nation-states have denounced multiculturalism, Canada continues to declare it is a fundamental characteristic of its national identity. However, there is no consensus about how multiculturalism should be defined or how it is implemented in Canada. This paper draws on an analysis of interviews conducted with members of the second-generation Sri Lankan Tamil diasporic community in Toronto, as well as online comments posted in response to articles on protests staged by this community about the end of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict. This paper argues that there are cleavages among Canadians with respect to how multiculturalism is understood. The diverging perspectives of the multicultural discourse in Canada illustrate that while the diaspora sees multiculturalism as a means to maintain their dual identities and engage in homeland politics, non-Sri Lankan Tamil Canadians conceptualize this form of activism in homeland politics as being disloyal to Canada, thereby questioning their Canadian identities.
Funding Information
  • This work was supported by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

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