YorkRegion.com
Vaughan’s ethnic diversity is often trumpeted by local politicians as one of this city’s greatest attributes — and rightly so.
It’s a key part of what makes Vaughan a vibrant and interesting place to live and work.
But, from time to time, it can lead to friction as people from vastly different backgrounds brush up against each other.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
There are things we can do to bridge the gaps between the dozens of ethnic groups that make up this city. The Spirit of Community Dinner next month is an excellent example.
For eight years, members of Vaughan’s Italian and Jewish communities have recognized people who have generously given back to society. At the same time, they also raise funds to support Beth Chabad Israeli Community Centre, which provides a host of programs to serve the needs of Israeli immigrants in the GTA.
This year, Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman, Tony Di Battista, a founder of Moving Forward 2015 and the Klasner family, on behalf of the late Joe Klasner, will receive awards commemorating their selfless contributions.
The Spirit of Community Dinner also strives to promote mutual respect and tolerance among attendees.
This is exactly the type of event we would love to see happening more often in Vaughan.
While the city has sizable Italian and Jewish communities, there is also a growing number of South Asian, Russian, Polish and Chinese residents.
More than 70 different languages are spoken in Vaughan, according to the city’s website.
Unfortunately, as often happens in multicultural cities, many ethnic groups have become isolated from each other. And this can breed misunderstanding, suspicion or, even worse, contempt.
Fortunately, there are things we can do to forge bonds between disparate communities.
It can be something as simple as two or more communities teaming up to organize a fundraiser for the hospital or perhaps hosting a friendly soccer or other sports tournament.
Better yet, why not celebrate Vaughan’s diversity with a multicultural festival featuring fine food, drink and entertainment, such as what Human Endeavour has been putting on each year about this time to celebrate Southeast Asian culture.
These sorts of events help us get to know and better understand our neighbours. They also enrich our lives by introducing us to a variety of different languages, foods, music, beliefs and values that make up this city’s cultural mosaic.
We challenge you to do something to celebrate Vaughan’s diversity and build bridges between the city’s many ethnic and cultural communities. And be sure to tell us about it.