Civic and Judicial Multiculturalism of Canada: A Critical Assessment of the Canadian Model of Diversity for South Korea

Canada has been credited as one of the leading countries for embracing multiculturalism not only in its national policy but also in everyday social discourse. A question that has been raised in many parts of the world is whether Canadian multiculturalism can be a model for them. However, some people argue that the Canadian experience of multiculturalism may be restricted to Canada’s unique historical and geographical conditions. For example, the rationalization of the immigration system in the late 1960s has resulted in a diversification of the ethnic composition of the nation. Canada’s isolated geography has also prevented a massive influx of migrants, particularly from poor countries, and the existence of the two founding ethnic groups has historically fostered a politics of accommodation of the minority. In this paper, we first examine the nature of Canadian multiculturalism, particularly focusing on its civic and judicial characteristics. Then we argue that despite the unique situations of Canada, the Canadian multiculturalism has some transferrable features and essences, such as embracing diversity and upholding human rights protection, that may have important implications for Korean society, which is currently experiencing a rapid ethnocultural diversification.