Reimagining Canada: The Influence of Racialized Immigrants and Indigenous Communities on Canadian National Identity

This scoping literature review critiques the manner in which Canada’s national identity has evolved, particularly under the influences of Indigenous peoples and racialized immigrant populations. While utilizing decolonizing Critical Race Theory frameworks, the study exposes systemic inequities faced by these groups, including land expropriations and colonial dynamics. The paper explores the complex interplay between place and identity, revealing how migration and displacement are pivotal in reshaping citizenship and national belonging. It focuses on Indigenous and immigrant populations as they transform Canadian national identity by challenging the established borders and settler-colonial spaces. The paper aims at dismantling systemic barriers by offering an in-depth account of the impact that racialized immigrants and Indigenous peoples have on Canada’s national imagination. The findings promote broader dialogues on immigrant and Indigenous perspectives, identity, and multifaceted experiences of these groups in Canada, with encouragement for further discovery of these nuances. Keywords: Indigenous populations, Immigrant populations, Canadian government, national identity