Canada's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook

by John M. Bumsted

Overview

From Canada's profound racism in the 19th and early 20th centuries to its radical shift in immigration policy in the 1960s, this one-of-a-kind reference explores the past 1,000 years of ethnicity in Canada.

In 1867 Canada was established as a political nation with two general ethnic cultures, yet more than 191 ethnic groups currently reside there. Canada's Diverse Peoples gives students of Canadian history, sociology, anthropology, and history a unique opportunity to understand the tensions, conflicts, and cooperation between Canada's indigenous and immigrant populations.

In this comprehensive reference, Historian J.M. Bumsted takes readers on a chronological tour of Canada's ethnic history from aboriginal society and the French and English "founding cultures" to the "Alien Menace" of World War I and the influx of refugees after World War II. From the botched storming of the ship Komagata Maru and its forced returban to India to Quebec's separatism, Bumsted explores one of the most important themes in Canadian historical development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781576076729
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/17/2003
Series:	Ethnic Diversity Within Nations
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

J.M. Bumsted is professor of history at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

Editorial Reviews

This title is from the ABC-CLIO series Ethnic Diversity Within Nations . . . The author has provided primary documents, timelines, illustrations and maps, and bibliographies with each chapter . . . This is highly recommended for academic ethnic studies and history collections.” —American Reference Books Annual

“A superbly researched, exhaustive account of the dynamics that have driven the development of Canada's multicultural identity. . . . Appropriate for the advanced study of Canadian history, this is an intriguing account of the country's successes and failures in dealing with the challenges of cultural diversity.” —School Library Jourbanal

From the Publisher

Gr 10 Up-A superbly researched, exhaustive account of the dynamics that have driven the development of Canada's multicultural identity. Bumsted ignores the traditional starting point of 1492 and delves further back into the history of the New World, stating that cultural diversity in northern North America was already an established pattern before the coming of the Europeans. He explores the changing theories of how the Americas were first populated and challenges the traditionally held perception of white villainy in the Europeans' settlement of the New World. The book is divided into chapters under "Early History" (pre-1867), "Recent History" (1867-1960s), and "Contemporary Issues and Situations" (1960s-present). It traces the movement of people into and throughout Canada and discusses how events and the environment help shape regional cultural adaptations. Bumsted begins with the French and the British, Canada's first European settlers, then widens his focus to consider all of the nation's immigrant groups, making this work a comprehensive treatment of the country's ethnic populations. This clearly organized work is heavily supported by supplementary aids. Each chapter ends with a short description of significant people, places, and events as well as primary-source documents and a time line. Numerous maps, tables, and black-and-white photographs lend excellent visual support to the text. Appropriate for the advanced study of Canadian history, this is an intriguing account of the country's successes and failures in dealing with the challenges of cultural diversity.-Robyn Walker, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal