Philip Prendergast

Like other forms of identity, the Canadian national identity is transient and continues to evolve in our ethnically diverse cities. Using mixed data sources, this paper attempts to examine the extent to which people of British Origin, South Asians, and Chinese living in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area are likely to associate with the Canadian national identity. Using the extant literature, census data, and GIS the study critically examines the concepts of social distance and social status; two factors which contribute to spatial assimilation. Aggregated results from the Ethnic Diversity Survey are used to examine civic participation and the resulting impact on the strength of belonging to Canada. The study found that even though the British Origin ethnicity was more spatially assimilated, had spent more time in Canada, and experienced higher levels of civic participation, a stronger sense of belonging to Canada was observed in visible minorities, specifically South Asians. It was concluded that recent immigrants are transitioning away from traditional immigration models and achieving higher social status due to initial economic prosperity and voluntary segregation. Although comprehensive, this study ultimately needs to be conducted by qualitatively to alleviate issues related to ambiguous data.