Aliens & UFO's: Mexican Immigrants as UnI.D.entified Foreign Objects

      Although she maintains that multiculturalism has become an integral part of Canada’s self identity, Eva Mackey’s article titled “Managing the House of Difference: Official Multiculturalism” addresses the issue of one way accommodation in Canada where the cultural and linguistic assimilation of multicultural individuals and their families is made at the expense of losing their identities. Accommodation is a process that must be shared by everyone, but all too often are ethnic minorities made to be the victims of institutionalized discrimination and prejudicial practises. Similar to Michel Foucault who tells us that our task is to examine how the truth is produced, the discourse of Canada as a multicultural nation based upon a bilingual framework must be put into question (Mackey, 2002). For it is this ideology and discourse which influences the ideas that are put into practise and used to regulate the conduct of others (Leroux, 2010 slides).

      For example, take into consideration the Canadian news coverage regarding the Arizona Senate Bill 1070. Under the provisions of this bill, the U.S. federal law requires individuals to register with the U.S. government and to have registration documents in their possession at all times. Meanwhile, this act also makes it a state misdemeanor crime for an individual to be in Arizona without carrying the required documents, therefore permitting state law enforcement to detain individuals based on “reasonable” suspicion that they are illegally present in the U.S. (Reagor, 2010). Not only is this an example of how we as Canadians know a great deal more about issues pertaining to the U.S., but it is also a clear instance of racial profiling. How can law enforcement personnel use race or ethnicity as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement, after all what does an illegal immigrant look like? Read more>>