This collection of essays considers the representations of minorities in the cultural space of Canada: the national news media; advertising, school and university curricula; and museums, art and entertainment. In this mirror reflecting Canada to itself and the world, how are the visible minorities seen? The contributors – writers, educators, filmmakers, and journalists – argue that these minorities are often excluded or marginalized, and their images are often distorted or trivialized, though benign neglect, ignorance, or outright or systemic racism. The youth – the future of this country – are undoubtedly influenced by this treatment. At the same time Canada is professed as a tolerant, accommodating nation. These essays, therefore, also report on and examine the paths taken by groups and individuals for extending the artistic space and the story of Canada, and propose ways for achieving fairer and more enlightened representations of the diversity that makes up this nation.

Contributors included: Sharon Morgan Beckford, Robin Breon, Mazen Chouaib, June Chua, Tarek Fatah, Cecil Foster, Chelva Kanaganayakam, Alnaaz Kassam, Karen Kew, Rozena Maart, Arun Mukherjee, Michael Neumann, Fraser Sutherland, and Rahul Varma