My name is Mangalam Thomas Mathew. My parents were born in the province of Kerala, located along the southernmost tip of India. They immigrated to Canada, where in due course, my father found work in Newfoundland as a physician. I was born in St. John’s. My skin is brown. I am Canadian.

Discovering a balance between my Indian roots and my contemporary Canadian heritage has always been perplexing. Am I a Canadian who happens to be from India? Or am I an Indian who just happens to live in Canada? Consequently, my adolescence has been largely influenced by this constant identity struggle. My parents speak Malayalam (a Kerala dialect) fluently in our home. Yet in school, we hardly learned anything about India. I was taught French and English; I studied the history of Europe and North America. I found it difficult to identify with these foreign European historical figures, who looked nothing like me. I treated this narration as history; a foundation on which this country was built, an introduction to the fascinating book that is Canada.

I believe that I personify the identity revolution in Canada. Perhaps Ms. Naomi Klein would label me a struggling 18 year old Indian-Canadian attempting to derive his identity through the history of this great nation; a victim of the inherent and often subliminal exclusionist policies which afflict minorities in Canada to this very day. Ms. Klein would also argue that growing up in a predominantly white town in Northern Ontario furthered this sense of alienation. However, she would be wrong on both counts. My classmates, teachers and employers have all accepted me for the human being that I am. No distinction for or against me has been made based on the colour of my skin or the country from which my parents originally came. My family and I have gained acceptance in the community because the spirit and principles of Canada, as inscribed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, dictate that all individuals be treated with equality. The social values upheld by current government policy are conducive to acceptance and tolerance, and thus we have benefited and enjoy a wonderful standard of living. The connection I feel towards Canada is by no means ‘superficial’, but rather a genuine and veritable sense of belonging. I refuse to be categorized by Ms. Klein as a ‘disenfranchised minority’, incessantly ‘crying victim’. I am a young man representative of the ambition and vitality exercised by the forefathers of our nation to deliver Confederation. I am a strong and proud Canadian citizen, not a victim of anything.

Canadian identity has acquired a different flavor during recent years. This is evident through the diversity of our present populace. The increasing number of immigrant minorities are pressing an immense indentation upon the collective identity of our nation. A few decades ago Canada was dominated by European males. Today over 40% of Toronto, the nation’s largest city, is comprised of ethnic minorities. Women, after enfranchisement, are taking on a leading role in Canadian politics, culture and economy as well as the workforce. Ms. Klein needs to broaden the scope of her perspective on this issue. Simply reducing the identity revolution to a conflict between the English and French compositions of Canada neglects the true pith of the discussion. Ms. Klein adamantly declares that the identity revolution will remain latent until the authentic discord between the French and English is resolved. Such a stance is ignorant of the present and future of our country. Canada is not merely comprised of the French and English anymore, nor do Canadians view themselves as solely one or the other. The victory of Jean Charest’s Liberal Party in the recent Quebec elections, demonstrates clearly the irrelevance of narrow provincialism, when the provinces concerned, feel secure in the growth and development of their own uniqueness.

Canada’s identity, much like its history, is an organic entity. Canada’s identity is alive, breathing and pulsating with life. It is in a stage of perpetual growth and evolution. Yes, our history is of preeminent importance and must never be forgotten; however, simply dwelling on the ancient strife between the English and the French ignores the reality of Canada’s modern citizenry and slights the accomplishments of great men like Pierre Trudeau who strived so arduously to define neoteric Canadianism. Ms. Klein condemns the cultural enclaves which seem to dominate the downtown districts of the metropolitan cities such as Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. She refers to them as ‘walled-off ethnic theme parks’, which ‘help to disguise segregation’. Ms. Klein fails to realize that each of these enclaves constitute a tile of the mosaic that is Canada. In this instance segregation is being confused with multiculturalism.

Neil Bissoondath writes that the ‘individual must transcend their ethnicity and society must de-emphasize it’. This statement reflects the true future of Canadian identity. Although personal ethnicity should be de-emphasized for the purpose of social cohesion, it must not be disregarded or forgotten. Bissoondath elucidates his opinion by declaring that personal identity and public identity must be kept separate. However, this is impossible because the collective public identity is comprised of many personal identities. Detaching one from another essentially nullifies both of them. An appreciation of each unique private identity, regardless of how different it is from our own, must harmonize with the aggregate public identity in order for Canadians to experience a true sense of cohesiveness.

In reading Mr. Bissoondath and Ms. Klein’s articles, their frequent allusions to immigrants seem outdated. Ms. Klein’s references to exclusionist policies and discrimination against visible minorities may have affected the early immigrants, but for their succeeding generations, protection against such racism is guaranteed in the Constitution of the country. These bona fide Canadians experience a level of education and standard of living that is unheard of in his/her land of origin. Canada has become a Utopia for those who have faced racial, religious, political, and gender discrimination in the countries from which they have emigrated.

In order for true equality and unity to be achieved, the Canadian population must be discussed employing unorthodox terminology. Words such as ‘majority’ and ‘minority’ must be eradicated from our vocabulary. With equality being such an intrinsic principle, a minority cannot exist in our political and socio-economic climate. Heterogeneous components are blended into one populace. I believe that this is the future of our nation and Canadian identity. Canadians will be able to identify their external differences, but these differences will become irrelevant. Canadian law and government policy are molding the identity of Canada towards a direction in which excellence of achievement is held in higher esteem than social class, race, religion or sex. Creating such a national identity cannot occur instantly. Evolution towards an objective of absolute equality is often a painfully slow process. The enactment of the Charter was a leap forwards and many more such leaps are to follow before Canadians can present a truly collective identity.

A recent poll on The New Canada done by the Centre for Research and Information and reported in the Globe and Mail attempts to portray the ‘face of the nation.’ The survey discovered that Canadians of the 21st century ‘ assigned premium value to tolerance, social inclusiveness and independent thinking.’ While we are a nation made up of many cultures, each one encouraged to retain its uniqueness, our national identity is a constantly evolving one. A belief in the peaceful resolution of conflict, addressing ecological concerns, welcoming political refugees to the shores of this country, universal health care and a high standard of education for all, are some of the facets of this evolving identity. The institutions of a nation and the principles it abides by are true indicators of the identity of that country.

The term ‘mosaic’, coined by Trudeau, best depicts the social composition of Canada. Aesthetically, we may appear different; Canadians come in all different shades and colours. However, these separate elements pin together to form the fabric of our cultural identity. Contemporary Canadian identity is comparable to the various colours of the light spectrum. Each colour is unique and stalwart in its own right. When these colours are passed through the prism of a modern social vision they synthesize into one efficacious beam of brilliant light. The true strength of our nation is its diversity. The fact that all races, religions, sexes and creeds are able to fuse into one powerful citizenry, is emblematic of our potency as a nation. Canada does not try to assimilate its citizens into a singular, contrived definition. There is no stereotypical Canadian. Rather, Canada allows its people to form their own respective identities based on their unique perspectives of life in this great nation.