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The Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) are home to a wide diversity of ethnocultural groups. The original inhabitants—Blackfoot, Nakota (Assiniboine), Cree, Dakota (Sioux), Saulteaux, Dene, Ojibway, Ojibway-Cree and Métis—were joined by French, British, German, Dutch, Ukrainian, Scandinavian, Polish, Italian and Chinese settlers late in the 19th century. More recent immigrant arrivals from the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Portugal, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, El Salvador, Serbia and Bosnia further contribute to our cultural diversity. Contrary to popular belief, the Prairies represent a diverse ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural population as shown in the short film Ted Baryluk’s Grocery. Ted describes the people who live in his neighbourhood and how they “mix together, just like soup!” His description of Winnipeg in the 1960s still aptly describes the ethnocultural diversity today. The region is a place where many ethnocultural groups live side-by-side and contribute equally to their communities. This essay outlines two central themes in ethnic relations research, i.e., ethnocultural identity preservation and racism, as illustrated by two films, The Hutterites (1964) and Ted Baryluk’s Grocery (1982).

A central theme in ethnic relations research today is cultural preservation. How is ethnocultural diversity maintained and preserved in a multiethnic society such as Canada? There are many variations in how ethnocultural groups practise and preserve their culture, religion, language and heritage. Most groups aim to preserve some or all of their heritage after their arrival in Canada by using various strategies. Some groups are not very selective about the aspects of culture they preserve. Some may emphasize language, others religion. The success of maintaining tradition also varies from one group to another. For example, parents may strive to maintain their culture, religion and language, while their children and grandchildren may not put in as much effort. Others may not try to preserve their culture, language and religion at all.

In other words, while particular ethnocultural groups may possess a common identity based on perceived similarities, the day-to-day practice of culture, religion and heritage is not central to their existence. As a result, preservation and transmission of culture varies from family to family. Symbolic ethnicity is the term that sociologists use to describe ethnocultural groups who are selective about the forms in which their culture and identity are maintained, selecting some aspects of their own culture to preserve and selecting some aspects of Canadian culture to become their own. For the majority of the groups discussed in Ted Baryluk’s Grocery, symbolic ethnicity is the most popular way of expressing their culture. It is acceptable for those having more than one ethnocultural affiliation to practise symbolic ethnicity as it allows individuals to express multiple affiliations. For example, those calling themselves Filipino-Canadian, Chinese-Vietnamese and Indo-Canadian would be best described as expressing their ethnocultural identities in symbolic terms.
 
The Hutterites, on the other hand, exemplify what sociologists call “lived-in ethnicity”: persons for whom cultural, religious and linguistic preservation is central to their existence. They speak a different language (German), dress distinctively and design their communities to maintain their culture, religion and language. They do so by separating themselves from the larger society, by living in rural colonies and avoiding the influence of media such as television, radio and the Internet. Their ultimate goal is to preserve their way of life and transmit it to their children. All aspects of identity preservation are central to the lived experiences of the Hutterites and this encourages them to separate themselves from the influences of the dominant society. While segregation may not be the ideal solution for all ethnocultural groups, it has helped the Hutterites maintain their cultural practices.

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