The dark side of the nation : essays on multiculturalism, nationalism and gender by Himani Bannerji [Book review]

Abstract

With the help of anti-racist feminist marxism, Bannerji conducts a historical materialist review of multiculturalism in Canada. Bannerji tries to explain why this official ideology has been adopted by the Canadian state and with what consequences for non-white Canadians. Bannerji argues that Canada is a capitalist state, a liberal democracy and a white settler colony. In the 1970s, the government of the time introduced multicultural policies to mediate the fissures and ruptures created by the presence of multi-racial and multi-ethnic communities living in Canada. The state utilized the idea of multiculturalism to create a notion of a nation made up of multiple racial and ethnic communities living in harmony, with the state acting as an arbiter between them. This ideology legitimizes the Canadian nation state formation at home and abroad. This book helps draw attention to the fact that discourses that might appear transformative in their conception and implementation might in the end be helping to consolidate the hegemonic hold of certain groups, resulting in the marginalization of others. [Excerpt]