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I recently read your interview "Land of Welcome?" which caught my attention.

On the one hand, I fully agree with you that it is necessary to talk about the past and historical mistakes in order to avoid repeating them and learn from them.

Additionally I believe it is important that you address these aspects of Canadas past since many are unaware of them.

However, I have the impression that due to the past of Canada you perceive the achievements in immigration and multiculturalism less valuable.

Which isn't fair, in my opinion.

Canada views immigration as a strength rather than a problem. Immigrants are not seen as outsiders instead are socially integrated, achieve economic success, and reach a high level of education.

But most importantly immigration is perceived as something positive in comparison to many European country's.

To put it in a nutshell, remembering the past and learning from past mistakes is crucial. But instead of letting the past overshadow the achievements of Canada. Canada can be proud of theirsuccess in multiculturalism and immigration.

Kind regards,

Livi

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Dear Ms Décoste,

I found your perspective on Canada‘s immigration history very intresting, especially the way you question the common narrative of Canada always being open and welcoming to immigrants and refugees.

I found it very important that you explained that Canada was not always open and fair to immigrants. Your examples about the treatment of Asian immigrants or Jewish refugees show that many people were treated unfairly. This helped me understand that the idea of Canada as a always welcoming country is not completly true because even though in the present they are a very open nation you explained very well that this wasn‘t the case in the past.

Your point about the need to confront the past is, in my opinion, especially important. Germany has gone through a long process of acknowledging its history, particularly regarding the Holocaust, but discussions about immigration are still on going. I believe that both Canada and Germany must continue to critically reflect on their histories in order to create fairer and more inclusive societies.

However, I also think its very important that the present situation in Canada should be considered. Today Canada is a very open country when it comes to immigration and refugees. Compared to many other countries, Canada supports Multiculturalism and gives many people the chance to start a new and better life. I strongly believe that Canadians can be proud of this positive development and it should be highlighted.

Overall, I think it is important to remember the past, but also to recognize the progress Canada has made in the present.

Kind regards

Marina

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Dear Ms Décoste,

just recently I read the interview you gave,

talking about Canadas immigration history.

I was surprised when I read your negative attitude towards this topic.

First of all, I strongly agree with you about having to deal with the past. Every country has to acknowledge its actions in the past, or as you put it: "wrestle with our past". Not many people know a lot about Canadas history, therefore your interview is very useful.

However, you make it sound as if Canadian immigration/multiculturalism today are worth nothing, just because of their history. Moreover, you claim that Canadian personality is "made up of fairytales".

As I see it, that is an exaggeration and I have to disagree with you there: Today, Canada is indeed a welcoming country and diversity is their strength. More than 20% of Canadian population are immigrants, there is Canadas multiculturalism day, and immigrants in Canada achieve economic and educational success much easier than in most european countries. Furthermore, immigrants in Europe have to fulfill national expectations to really belong to a country. As a result, they are often perceived as ´others´ and struggle with social integration.

All of that is not the case in Canada.

For this reason, I am convinced that the way you only focus on Canadas history is not the right way to deal with this topic. I believe that you should always consider history as well as the presence before judging the values of a country. I am certain, that concerning immigration, Canada has achieved more than most countries and can surely be proud of that.

Kind regards

Carolin

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Dear Ms Décoste,

I've listened to your interview about Canadas dark past.

Imma be honest, your knowledge struck me.

Never have I thought that Canada would have such a bad past.

Although I agree with you on the point that Canada should reconcile for their past, I do believe that the change they have gone through is astonishing and incredible.

It is akin to a murder changing his life from killing to saving people.

From Zero to Hero you could say.

The past should not define Canadas present image and society.

I believe Canadians can be proud about their country and achievements. Especially when it comes to their migration policies and multicultural society.

Kind regards

Muhammed Taha Bilican

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Multiculturalism in Canada and the situation of immigrants in Germany

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Multiculturalism in Canada and the situation of immigrants in Germany

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Dear Mrs. DéCoste,

I recently listened to your interview in which you talked about your view of Canada as a country of immigrants. Therefore I want to comment on your statements about that topic and also give some comparisons from my home country Germany.

First of all, I was quite suprised, when you firmly disagreed with the theory that Canada always has been a welcoming country for immigrants. To reinforce and clarify your disagreement, you explained the poorly known history of Canada‘s immigration policies towards the African-American, Jewish and South Asian refugees during the 1900s. Moreover, you mentioned something that stood out to me the most. You said that the Canadians should “wrestle with [their] past“ and that ”it‘s time to reconcile“. I really wonder what more do Canadians have to do to get the reconciliation with the immigrants. Canada already has a national day for multiculturalism, one fifth of Canada‘s population consists of immigrants and compared to the US, immigrants have the same economic, social and political opportunities as Canadians. Therefore I disagree with your opinion on that. Nevertheless, while you Canadians have managed to create a functional system to coorperate with immigrants in Canada, there are countries in Europe that still are figuring out to find a solution with migration policy. For example Germany. Since the influx of refugees from Syria in 2015, the number of immigration has ascended massively, so much so that more Germans feel less motivated to coorperate with immigrants. Primarily because European countries have a stronger sense of cultural identity than Canada. Immigrants are requiered to adapt to the German culture, values and traditions. Thus the lack of coorporation. In Canada however, immigrants are not requiered to integrate to the Canadian culture, which leads them to being less seen as “others“ than in western Europe.

To put my comment in a nutshell, I found it very important that you clarified the truth of Canada‘s history regarding to immigration policies and I hope you learned a little bit about the situation of immigrants in other countries like Germany.

I‘m looking forward to receive your own opinion on that.

Kind regards

Enis Kamberi

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Dear Ms. Décoste, I read your interview about Canada's history with great interest. While I agree that we must not ignore past discrimination, I believe your view focuses too heavily on history. It is true that we need to learn from the past just like we try to do in Germany. However, this does not mean that Canada isn't welcoming today. In fact, society has changed significantly due to multiculturalism. Moreover, compared to European cultures Canada is much more open. In contrast to Germany, where immigrants often face difficulties, Canada is a role model for integration. Therefore, I think we should acknowledge the history, but also appreciate the progress Canada has made.