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Charter
groups are groups that are usually distinguished by ethnic identity and those that have
played a pioneering role in the opening and development of new territories and immigrant
societies.
For a long time, French and British immigrants accounted for the
largest part in this migration. In 1867, the date of Canadian Confederation, about 90% of
the entire population belonged to the so-called charter groups, i.e. descendants from
immigrants from France and Great Britain , since then known as the “founding
nations”. This group settled mostly in Eastern Canada : the inhabitants of French
origin mostly in Québec, and those of English, Irish, or Scottish descent in all parts of
pre-Confederation Canada . English-speaking colonists, also referred to as United Empire
Loyalists, immigrated from the newly founded United States of America at the end of the 18
th century. They settled in what is now southern Québec , Ontario and the Maritime
Provinces .
In Canadian society three main axes of ethnic differentiation are identifiable: the
relationship between natives and non-natives, between English and French and between the
colonizing (or "charter") groups and other immigrants and their descendants.
These distinctions are relevant not only to the private experiences of individuals but
also to public issues, eg, aboriginal rights and land claims; linguistic rights;
IMMIGRATION POLICY; PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION; and MULTICULTURALISM."
Theories and findings from the social psychology of language have important implications
for second language learning by members of Canada’s two charter groups learning the
other official language, as well as for immigrants learning either of the two charter
languages.
New Zealand is a nation of migrants built upon the tribal base of its indigenous Maori
population. Not only is the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840) viewed by Maori
and Pakeha as the most important event in New Zealand history and as defining
relationships between the country’s two charter groups, it is also seen by some as
Aotearoa’s first documented immigration policy.
Maori and Pakeha as New Zealand’s charter groups were most likely to agree that the
extent of multiculturalism is “about right.” This was also the case for Chinese.
However, Samoan, Indian, Korean and British youth (46-72%) were more likely to favour an
increase in multiculturalism. |
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