Genes: The Role Of Multiculturalism In Canada

People are predisposed by their genes to act in different ways, but how exactly these difference manifest themselves depends greatly on the context that people are raised in. Genes that make a person more slightly more adverse to interactions with outsiders, in a society where tensions with nearby outsiders are low, is going to be effected than someone with the same genes in areas of high conflict. Multiculturalism allows for the exposure of genes to new cultures, especially by the second generation.
In the 1970s, the Federal Government undertook an official policy on multiculturalism that was based on the understanding that, “…there cannot be one cultural policy for Canadians of British and French origin, another for the original peoples and yet a third for all others. For although there are two official languages, there is no official culture, nor does any ethnic group take precedence over any other.” (Trudeau 1971) If Canada were to establish policies on official cultures, cultures that people must integrate into, the effect would be to increase feeling of alienation in minority communities by creating barriers to entrance. By actively promoting these different cultures, so long as there is a collective will for the
The genes-culture interaction increases the probability that while these differences originally were prominent, there is a chance that they will decrease as integration continues. Canada is known internationally as a multicultural country, one where people of different races, ethnicities and religions can come and live together, and more, be accepted. The policy of Official Multiculturalism allows for the new immigrant to Canada to feel welcome while gradually working, or not working towards