Not just a pretty face

In many ways,

Richmond is the face of Canadian multiculturalism - and whatever its imperfections, it's a face we can be rightfully proud of.

Richmond has the highest proportion of foreign-born residents of any municipality in Canada (nearly 60 per cent).

No doubt that huge influx of new immigrants has presented challenges. It has also afforded opportunities.

Immigration has come a long way since its origins in the mists of human history.

The first immigrants were nomads looking to expand their range.

They enslaved or killed everyone who got in their way or ended up having the same done to them - and they didn't have to fill out any forms.

The toll taken by all of this enslaving and killing must have been high enough that this Palaeolithic version of mutually assured destruction eventually gave way to trade in place of confrontation.

Immigration - now so much more civilised - is as much part of the Canadian identity as Tim Horton's and universal health care, touching almost every aspect of our public and private lives.

Its impact on Richmond in particular, is monumental.

There are two points of view when it comes to immigration.

Stripped to the basics, the first says that immigration is a privilege we extend to those less fortunate.

Wherever they came from, they'll never have it as good as they have it here.

As such, we expect at the very least gratitude and a willingness to become Canadian as quickly as possible, which means leaving the home country behind completely - its beefs and squabbles, its language and its value system.

Multiculturalism? Bah! 'Those people' came here because they want what we have, our values and lifestyle.

Multiculturalism only compromises those things. We do like those ethnic restaurants, though.

We may find the brashness or stridency of that point of view kind of un-Canadian, but it can't be dismissed out of hand.

It speaks to what makes Canada a desirable place - always No. 1 or thereabouts on the UN's list of liveable countries.

The second says that we need 'those people' to help us sustain and improve our lifestyle.

We face shortages in a number of critical skilled areas - doctors (particularly those willing to serve as GPs in rural areas), nurses at all levels, caregivers to see to our increasingly ageing population - and all those 'intellectual property' types, without whom the number one question in our economy will become, 'Do you want fries with that?'

And as part of this symbiotic relationship with immigrants, we honour their presence among us by acknowledging their values and customs.

Multiculturalism? Yessir!

Integrating 'those people' has made this country one of the most vibrant, successful, and progressive countries in the world.

I think that's equally hard to argue with. Canadian culture isn't a static thing. It evolves by allowing (bit paternalistic, eh?) people to see themselves reflected in not only our choice of restaurants, but in our bylaws, popular culture and public debates, changing bit by bit in the process.

Take the debate in Richmond about monster houses lowering property values, and destroying neighbourhoods and the salmon fishery - or whatever else they were accused of.

When the reflex taking-of-sides subsided, a discussion began about how large houses accommodate the multi-generational needs of the occupants, which then shifted from aesthetics and property values to the bedrock cultural values of raising children in a multi-generational environment.

The debate about whose side should yield, assimilation/adaptation versus integration, is a debate about what kind of Canada we want and the role immigrants should play in either conforming to it or shaping it.

In future columns, I'll continue to look at the interplay between immigration and the face of Canadian culture, through the lens of life in Richmond.