Abstract
The term “integration” is commonly used in Canada’s immigration discourse to refer to the desirable way by which newcomers should become members of the receiving society. Policy-makers, immigration critics, and academics adopt different languages and conceptual tools to articulate integration, but the subtext of their discourse is similar. This paper deconstructs the integration discourse in policy statements, immigration debates, and academic writings. The analysis shows that the discourse endorses a conformity model in assessing immigrants and a monolithic cultural framework that preaches tolerance in the abstract but remains intolerant toward cultural specificities deemed outside the mainstream. The subtext is unequivocal: Becoming similar to Canadians is integration and maintaining cultural difference is opposite to integration. The paper advocates a more inclusive approach toward integration.
Résumé
On utilise couramment le terme d'intégration dans le discours de l'immigration canadienne pour se référer au moyen souhaitable par lequel les nouveaux arrivants devraient devenir membres de la société d'accueil. Responsables des politiques, critiques en matière d'immigration et intellectuels adoptent un langage et un outil conceptuel différents pour exprimer leur point de vue, mais le sous-texte de leur discours reste le même. Le but de cet article est de démanteler ce discours dans les énoncés de politiques, les débats sur l'immigration et les écrits théoriques. L'analyse montre que le discours adhère à un modèle de conformité dans son évaluation des immigrants et qu'il impose à ceux-ci un cadre culturel monolithique qui prêche la tolérance de manière théorique mais qui dans la pratique reste intolérant envers les spécificités culturelles considérées comme étant à l'écart des courants dominants. Le sous-texte est sans équivoque: devenir semblable aux Canadiens, c'est l'intégration et maintenir une différence culturelle, c'est le contraire de l'intégration. Cet article préconise une approache plus globale vis à vis de l'intégration.
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Li, P.S. Deconstructing Canada’s discourse of immigrant integration. Int. Migration & Integration 4, 315–333 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-003-1024-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-003-1024-0