DCHP-2

multicult DCHP-2 (November 2016)

• adj. — Ethnicities, abbreviation, informal, dated

  multicultural.

  The abbreviation had currency for some time in the 1990s and early 2000s, yet has been declining in use since. Despite COD-2's labelling of the term as "Cdn informal", we find no solid indicator that the short form is indeed Canadian (see also Chart 1, where .ca does not stand out in any clear manner).
  The long form, multiculturalism, however, has become federal policy and later law in the Multiculturalism Act of 1985, a piece of legislation striving to accept the cultures of all Canadians regardless of their backgrounds. That policy is Culturally Significant (Type 4), yet the same cannot be claimed for the short form multicult.

  See also: multiculturalism  

  • 1982  Of course, there's a bright side to it: all those critics of multiculturalism who insist that all the multicult boys in Ottawa do is hand out grant for folk-dancing now know there are some other less well-publicized activities. 
  • 1989  Racism's coat is not one of many colors: The writer suggested "Canada changers" and the "multicult menace" might soon tell people "to wear brown shorts. Or to get rid of their cats." Seeds of fear and rancor. 
  • 1991  However, Chengiah Ragaven, a professor of sociology at Concordia University, said that the idea of multiculturalism is just a sham, and he's marking the international day to eliminate racism by campaigning against the concept. To Ragaven, multicult, for short, is a government substitute for a real public effort to end racism in this country. 
  • 1996  When they asked the basic questions - "Who are we?" and "What are our roots?" and "What is our future?" - they didn't join a gang or go begging for Ministry of Multicult "identity" grants. 
  • 2008  You'll need a computer with a sound card, speakers or headphones, a web browser and a high-speed connection to the Internet. You'll also need either Real Player or Windows Media Player software. Obviously this can't replace Radio 2 on the drive to or from work. But when Radio 2 gets politically correct and goes all multicult/Cancon in what used to be Danielle Charbonneau's early evening slot, it makes a great suppertime alternative.