N EIGHBOURHOODS AND D IVERSITY IN THE M OSAIC AND M ELTING P OT Association for Canadian Studies and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation January

D EBATING R ESIDENTIAL P ATTERNS IN C ANADA AND THE U NITED S TATES Residential patterns helps us understand what motivates persons identifying with certain groups to live in a particular neighborhood. Presumably, the models of multiculturalism and/or the melting pot respectively have some bearing on where members of minority groups choose to reside. The former model associated with the Canadian approach is often charged with encouraging members of the same ethnic or racial groups to live alongside each other so as to preserve their cultural heritage. Since residential patterns can be an obstacle to the interaction between members of diverse communities, the message of c prevents integration with the majority culture.

M ULTICULTURALISM AND R ESIDENTIAL P ATTERNS Critics of multiculturalism argue that the message indirectly steers immigrants and their children into neighborhoods where members of the same group live side by side. The outcome is described as a form of self-imposed segregation or “self-segregation”. By no means is the spatial concentration of racial and visible minorities unique to societies that advocate multiculturalism. Such patterns of concentration are present in many urban centres in the United States which rarely describes itself as such.

A SKING P EOPLE WHETHER THEY P REFER TO L IVE It seemed fitting to put the question to them as to type of neighborhood in which they prefer to live. Specifically whether they prefer to live in an area with a high concentration of members of their community. To this end, in August and September 2010, a public opinion survey was administered to approximately Canadians (ACS Leger Marketing) and 1050 American (ACS-Caravan) respondents found that people in the U.S. are more likely to prefer residing in ethnically and racially homogenous neighborhoods than Canadians.

A D IFFERENT QUESTION IN CANADA AND THE U NITED S TATES In Canada we tested on the basis of language identification (i.e. English, French or other) as the assumption was that language was the more important basis for measuring residential patterns and that the other or allophone group would help us identify the ethnic identity as the question in Canada focused on the ethnic background of the neighbourhood. By contrast in the United States the focus was on the racial background as the assumption was that race and Hispanic origin were dominant markers of identity and hence with a question focused on the racial composition of the neighbourhood better captures the manner in which the issue of residential concentration is debated in the United States

T HE R ESULTS

Q UEBEC FRANCOPHONES AND WHITE A MERICANS MOST LIKELY TO FAVOR LIVING IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE PERSONS SHARE THEIR E THNIC AND / OR RACIAL BACKGROUND Most people in my neighbourhood share my ethnic background (Canada) United States Canada Most people in my neighborhood share my racial background (United States) White Black or African- American Hispanic/Spa nish/ Latino descentFrenchEnglishAllophone Strongly agree26.5%16.7% 15.2%39.4%16.7%6.9% Somewhat agree33.9%24.4% 31.8%31.6%35.7%15.2% Somewhat disagree19.2% 24.2%17.2%25.7%37.9% Strongly disagree11.0%28.2% 18.2%9.1%15.8%32.8% Don't know/Prefer not to answer 9.3%11.5% 10.6%2.7%6.1%7.2%

Q UEBEC FRANCOPHONES AND WHITE A MERICANS PREFER LIVING IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE PERSONS SHARE RACIAL BACKGROUND I prefer to live in a neighborhood where most people share my ethnic background (Canada) United States Canada I prefer to live in a neighborhood where most people share my racial background (United States) White Black or African- American Hispanic/Spanish/ Latino descentFrenchEnglishAllophone Strongly agree15.5%7.7% 16.7%20.9%8.8%5.7% Somewhat agree34.0%23.1% 24.2%31.9%28.2%17.5% Somewhat disagree25.1%32.1% 25.8%29.5%35.0%49.0% Strongly disagree12.5%19.2% 22.7%13.9%23.6%24.6% Don't know/Prefer not to answer12.9%17.9% 10.6%3.8%4.5%3.2%

M ETHODOLOGY In Canada, the survey was conducted by the firm Leger Marketing via web panel with 1707 respondents and fielded from September 4-7, An equivalent telephone survey would have a margin of error of 2.9 points 19 times out of 20. In the United States, the survey was carried out by the firm Caravan via web panel with 1048 respondents and fielded August 30-31, An equivalent telephone survey would have a margin of error of 3.9 points 19 times out of 20.