This thesis offers a window into the lives of married inter-racial couples in the
Lower Mainland area. I argue that the processes of racialization, that is, the process of
the social construction of race, is reflected in the experiences of inter-racial couples. In
addition, I argue that inter-racial relationships represent a test of the acceptance attitudes
of a multicultural society. In a multicultural society that promotes itself as accepting
other cultures into a Canadian "mosaic", an inter-racial marriage represents a model of
inclusion. Two distinct cultures have joined and exist as one, thus reflecting the
ideology of cultural pluralism. Compared with many other nation-states, Canada is
widely distinguished for its "acceptance" of cultural differences and social equality as
part of our collective vision (Fleras, 1989). Does this acceptance picture reflect reality
for those individuals involved in an inter-racial marriage? I highlight two central issues in
this thesis. The first issue explores the theoretical aspect of race as a social construction
and the practices of this racialization process through the lives of inter-racial couples.
The second issue examines the degree of acceptance, tolerance or intolerance toward
inter-racial couples in a "multicultural" society.
Using Vancouver as a geographical setting, I examine these two issues by
interviewing Chinese-Canadian/European-Canadian married couples. I investigate,
through their eyes, the process of racialization through analysis of their experiences, and
how these experiences demonstrate commitment (or lack of commitment) to
multiculturalism as an ideology and social reality. I present data from interviews with
couples to understand 1) What are the experiences of an inter-racial couple living in a
multicultural society? 2) How is race socially constructed in Vancouver in 1995? 3) Are
the experiences of married Chinese-Canadian/European-Canadian couples reflective of a
culturally pluralistic society? I draw from relevant literature on "race" and
Multiculturalism in Canada, and from previous sociological studies on inter-racial
relationships.
I suggest that the experiences of inter-racial (Chinese/European) married couples
will show the powerful impact of the processes of racialization and reflect the resistance
and biases that result from a society which promotes acceptance and yet practices, at
best, a form of tolerance. This suggests that surface appearances of cultural inclusion
hide realities of non-acceptance and exclusionary practices. Although the subjects
interviewed in this thesis do not represent all inter-racial couples, the thesis offers a
Canadian perspective which complements existing literature in this area.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/4237 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Yee, Lili Anne |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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