Synopses & Reviews
Ethnic elites—the influential business owners, teachers, and newspaper editors within distinct ethnic communities— play an important role as self-appointed mediators between their communities and “mainstream” societies. In Ethnic Elites and Canadian Identity, Aya Fujiwara examines the roles of Japanese, Ukrainian, and Scottish elites during the transition of Canadian identity from Anglo-conformity to ethnic pluralism. By comparing the strategies and discourses used by each community, including rhetoric, myths, collective memories, and symbols, she reveals how prewar community leaders were driving forces in the development of multiculturalism policy.
About the Author
Aya Fujiwarais a former adviser in political affairs at the embassy of Japan in Ottawa. She has a PhD in Canadian history and teaches at the University of Alberta.