The Globe and Mail: Islam & the West. ⇒
6 June 2006, mid-afternoon
An online Q&A with Hussein Hamdani and (the fairly notorious) Aly Hindy. One question that irked me: I'm curious as to how many immigrants Mr Charles Raymond of Windsor Ontario comes across in his day to day life. He seems fairly confident that immigrants work hard to insulate themselves from Canadian society. I don't think I've come across an ethnic enclave in Toronto that I would call insular. (And there are plenty such enclaves in Toronto.)
This is a post from my link log: If you click the title of this post you will be taken the web page I am discussing.
“I don’t think I’ve come across an ethnic enclave in Toronto that I would call insular.”
Seriously? What’s your definition of insular?
by Ananthan on June 6 2006, 6:58 pm #
I can’t think of an area in the city that’s inhabited predominantly by a single ethnic group that I have felt shunned away from. That’s what I mean; I’m talking about places that are insular in the sense they insulate themselves from the outside world. You disagree I take it?
by ramanan on June 6 2006, 7:29 pm #
I desperately wanted to ask the same question, but didn’t feel like getting involved.
by rishi on June 6 2006, 7:40 pm #
Because I am shrill? And I take it you also disagree?
by ramanan on June 6 2006, 7:47 pm #
I can think of one – Rosedale. Or are white people not considered ethnic?
by Mahi on June 6 2006, 7:51 pm #
I wouldn’t describe you as shrill, but I do disagree with your statement. Of course, that’s not to say I agree with Mr. Charles Raymond of Windsor Ontario, either.
I think Cake qualifies as an ethnicity, but I don’t know if they would be considered immigrants in the context of this article/discussion.
by rishi on June 7 2006, 1:34 pm #
I really don’t. When we were in Highschool we might have been a bit out of place at Pacific or Market Village, but we were never really called out on it. Nowadays it is quite common to see people who aren’t Chinese at Pacific Mall and Market Village. I don’t think the Chinese community in the East end works to keep away those who aren’t Chinese. I would say this is even more true of the Downtown Chinatowns.
That said, I don’t think the Chinese community goes out of its way to attract people who aren’t Chinese; should it be required to? If people don’t want to make the effort to get to know a particular community, whose fault is that? Clearly language issues make it more tricky, but I don’t think they should deter people from exploring Toronto.
by ramanan on June 7 2006, 3:06 pm #