Being Canada's national citizen: difference and the economics of multicultural nationalism

Abstract

This paper examines the ambivalent positioning of difference in western multicultural nation-states in the neoliberal moment. It does so by analyzing the multiple and contradictory ways that the figure of Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, a Chinese Canadian woman, was utilized in the service of Canadian nation-building. Much heralded as the first racialized minority (and second woman) to be appointed to the highest public position in the land, Clarkson was chosen to represent and define the Canadian nation to itself and to the international community because of, and not in spite of, her difference. Drawing on media and government texts, this paper highlights the narratives that shaped the meaning of Clarkson's appointment as well as the narratives that were negated. The author emphasizes how gender, in addition to class, race and ethnicity, was central to Clarkson's appointment by analyzing how the disassociation between women and Asian capital was key to her ability to speak for us as one of us. In addition to Canadian government and corporate elite courting of Asian capital, gender was also key to the other narratives that could not be spoken, Clarkson's interracial marriage and discourses of miscegenation.

Racialization, colonialism, and imperialism: a critical autoethnography on the intersection of forced displacement and race in a settler colonial context

“…Despite the reality that some migrants, particularly those from the Global South, have their own histories of colonialism and genocide, they often arrive in Canada with the illusion that fairness and equity are rooted in the values of the nation, when in fact, a history and legacy of colonialism and racism shows the opposite. Moreover, model minority theorists show how the construction of Asians as the desirable immigrant subject dismisses and delegitimizes the political claims of Indigenous peoples and non-conforming racialized others in the Global North (Park, 2011 ; Ku, 2012 ; Ngo, 2016a , b ). Within the model minority discourse, Asian peoples' successes are attributed to their “culture” which comprises hard work, self-reliance, and a focus on educational attainment.…”

Bodies at Borders: Analyzing the Objectification and Containment of Migrants at Border Crossing

“…Despite the reality that some migrants, particularly those from the Global South, have their own histories of colonialism and genocide, they often arrive in Canada with the illusion that fairness and equity are rooted in the values of the nation, when in fact, a history and legacy of colonialism and racism shows the opposite. Moreover, model minority theorists show how the construction of Asians as the desirable immigrant subject dismisses and delegitimizes the political claims of Indigenous peoples and non-conforming racialized others in the Global North (Park, 2011;Ku, 2012;Ngo, 2016a,b). Within the model minority discourse, Asian peoples' successes are attributed to their "culture" which comprises hard work, self-reliance, and a focus on educational attainment.…”

Media, Symbolic Violence and Racialized Habitus: Voices from Chinese Canadian Youth

“…As Park (2011) argues, Asian countries today are recognized for their rising economic and political power, but at the same time "represent a threat to the national and global world order to an extent that other racialized minorities and non-Western regions do not" (647). The Western media's hostile attitudes towards China are also reflected by some media commentators' biased critiques of Chinese athletics, which either disparage their aspirations to win gold medals or attributes their excellent performance to unethical training.…”