Multiculturalism in Canada in the context of "French Canadian"

Canadian nationalism (French: Nationalisme canadien) has been a significant political force since the 19th century and has typically manifested itself as seeking to advance Canada's independence from the influence of the United Kingdom and United States. Since the 1960s, most proponents of Canadian nationalism have advocated a form of civic nationalism that seeks to equalize citizenship for Canada's multicultural society. In particular, proponents seek to unite English-speaking Canadians with the Québécois and other French-speaking Canadians, who historically faced cultural and economic discrimination and assimilationist pressure from the English Canadian–dominated federal government. Canadian nationalism became an important issue during the 1988 federal election that focused on the then proposed Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement, which Canadian nationalists opposed on the basis that it would in their view lead to the inevitable assimilation and domination of Canada by the United States.

During the 1995 Quebec referendum to determine whether Quebec would become a sovereign state or remain in Canada, Canadian nationalists and federalists supported the "no" side while Quebec nationalists supported the "yes" side, resulting in a razor-thin majority in favour of the "no" side.

The culture of Canada embodies the artistic, culinary, literary, humour, musical, political and social elements that are representative of Canadians. Throughout Canada's history, its culture has been influenced firstly by its indigenous cultures, and later by European culture and traditions, mostly by the British and French. Over time, elements of the cultures of Canada's immigrant populations have become incorporated to form a Canadian cultural mosaic. Certain segments of Canada's population have, to varying extents, also been influenced by American culture due to shared language (in English-speaking Canada), significant media penetration, and geographic proximity.

Canada is often characterized as being "very progressive, diverse, and multicultural". Canada's federal government has often been described as the instigator of multicultural ideology because of its public emphasis on the social importance of immigration. Canada's culture draws from its broad range of constituent nationalities, and policies that promote a just society are constitutionally protected. Canadian policies—such as abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and cannabis; an emphasis on cultural diversity; significant immigration; abolishing capital punishment; publicly funded health care; higher and more progressive taxation; efforts to eliminate poverty; and strict gun control are social indicators of the country's political and cultural values. Canadians view the country's institutions of health care, military peacekeeping, the national park system, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as integral to their national identity.

Canadian identity refers to the unique culture, characteristics and condition of being Canadian, as well as the many symbols and expressions that set Canada and Canadians apart from other peoples and cultures of the world. Changes in demographics, history, and social interactions have led to alterations in the Canadian identity over time. This identity is not fixed; as Canadian values evolve they impact Canadians' social integration, civic engagement, and connections with one another. In Quebec, identity is strong and there is a French Canadian culture that is distinct from English Canadian and Indigenous identities. Nonetheless, as a whole, Canadian multiculturalism, is in theory a cultural mosaic of regional ethnic subcultures and diverse areas including ethnic enclaves, with nearly nine in ten (87%) Canadians being proud to identify as Canadian, with over half (61%) expressing they were very proud.

The question of Canadian identity was traditionally dominated by two fundamental themes: first, the often conflicted relationship between English Canadians and French Canadians, stemming from the Francophone imperative for cultural and linguistic survival; secondly, the close ties between English Canadians and the British Empire, and the gradual political process towards complete independence from the "mother country". As political ties between Canada and the British Empire weakened, immigrants from various regions shaped Canadian identity.

Canadian values are the perceived commonly shared ethical and human values of Canadians. The majority of Canadians believe they share specific values, with a plurality identifying human rights, respect for the law and gender equality as collective principles. Canadians generally exhibit pride in equality before the law, fairness, social justice, freedom, and respect for others; while often making personal decisions based on self-interests rather than a collective Canadian identity. Tolerance and sensitivity hold significant importance in Canada's multicultural society, as does politeness.

Canadians typically tend to embrace liberal views on social and political issues. In Canada the idea of a "just society" is constitutionally protected, with government policies—such as publicly funded health care; higher and more progressive taxation; outlawing capital punishment; strong efforts to eliminate poverty; an emphasis on cultural diversity; the legalization of same-sex marriage, pregnancy terminations, and euthanasia—being social indicators of the country's political and cultural values.