Canada's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook

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.

School Library Journal

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.