current forum:National & International Affairs

[Northender]

What's a true Canadian, but someone who is a citizen?

Apparently some people are very troubled by news today that the number of non-white, non-aboriginal Canadians will increase substantially over the coming years - suggesting there will be fewer "true" Canadians.

By 2031 one in four Winnipeggers are forecast to be visible minorities, with larger ratios in the largest cities.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadi ... s36C21bMsg

I thought the majority of people living in Canada are Canadians.

[zander]

"Troubled" is the right word. I saw some of the early comments to this story on the Globe & Mail story before they were deleted.

Yeesh. I won't assume the commenters are representative of our wider society, but there are some really unpleasant people out there.

[sputnik]

I personally prefer a country full of immigrants as they tend to work harder than most third, fourth or fifth generation Canadians.

Sometimes it seems like the longer someone has been here the more one takes Canada for granted.

No one has a claim to "Canada" as being "their" land. Even the aboriginal people were highly nomadic and are even believed to have come from Asia.

Some people need to remember that.

[zander]

No one has a claim to "Canada" as being "their" land. Even the aboriginal people were highly nomadic and are even believed to have come from Asia.

Using that argument, nobody can claim any land outside of maybe the Rift Valley. After all, it would seem that human were originally nomadic and migrated outwards from East Africa.

Some people need to remember that.

Seems to me that aboriginal people have been here a lot longer than anyone else has. If anyone could claim Canada as being "their land", it's more likely to be them.

Maybe we all need to remember that.

[Northender]

I personally prefer a country full of immigrants as they tend to work harder than most third, fourth or fifth generation Canadians.

What does hard working mean to you?

Are you saying all Canadians who can trace ancestry back to the first settlers are generally not hard working people compared with someone who just arrived from anywhere. If so, I don't agree and I personally find this view offensive to the many Canadians who built this country up over many generations. I also don't think a country full of immigrants is more desirable than a country full of citizens.

[Fort Garry Dark]

I'm a sixth generation Canadian and you wouldn't believe how lazy I am!

Quite the opinion of a nation there Sputnik!

[Old Chum]

Some What I do agree with Sputnik , we have become lazy in this land to lazy to have kids and to self centered to see that our kids get the best education possible . When at the UofM convocation amazing how many immigrant children had better marks then some of the local kids. Who sometimes seem to think it is owed to them

[sputnik]

Canada is a "land of opportunity" and not a land of instant and guaranteed success. Many fail to realize that opportunity is potential that must be tapped by utilizing hard work and integrity.

Immigrants seem to get this because they usually come from places with far less to no opportunity and work their collective butts off to make a better life for themselves. I watched my grandparents do this and make huge sacrifices to provide a better life for their children and grandchildren.

Compare that to some of my contemporaries that would do a 6-8 year "extended" Arts or Business degree (paid for by mommy and daddy), graduate with a 2.0 CGPA and then complain that they couldn't find a six-figure job like their parents have. Then they go and spend what money they have on cell phones, Mexican holidays, designer jeans and bar tabs and complain that houses are too expensive and that NO ONE their age could ever afford a house.

So personally. I welcome a country with more immigrants. Hopefully their culture and work ethic will rub off on the rest of us.

[sputnik]

I personally prefer a country full of immigrants as they tend to work harder than most third, fourth or fifth generation Canadians.

What does hard working mean to you?

People that exceed the accomplishments of the previous generation in making a better life for themselves and their children and and those that do what they can to make Canada a more prosperous and culture rich nation.

[jonovision]

Remember that things like working 60 hours a week, owning a house at a young age, etc., are not virtues, they are lifestyle choices.