Immigration has played a major role in building Canada. Until the 1960s, the majority of immigrants originated in Europe or the United States. In the decades since, Canada has opened its doors more widely. As a result, we are now one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world.

The increasing diversity of Canadians has brought with it new challenges, but also new opportunities - for defining ourselves, developing new standards of common citizenship, and fostering belonging. The willingness of Canadians to grapple with these issues has earned Canada a reputation worldwide as a pluralist society that works. The Canadian diversity model is of interest to the peoples of Africa and Asia as well as Europeans.

CPRN has argued that finding a balance between competing claims within a liberal democratic system of governance is both the major challenge and the major accomplishment of the Canadian diversity model. Our ongoing research builds on this insight.