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Bicultural Leaders
The International Migration report suggests that by the year 2040, 40% of the population of Canada, the United States and Europe will be Immigrants. The severity of the statistic shows the growing popularity of immigrants in the workplace. Bicultural employees provided an added advantage to companies compared to mono-cultural employees (Abadir 1). The ever-increasing need for bicultural employees in organizations necessitates the need for employing bicultural managers. Bicultural leaders provided an opportunity for the company to grow and reach various population targets. Analysis of the leadership of Barrack Obama and Justin Trudeau presents wonderful insights on the leadership of the countries, the comparisons between Canada and the United States, and how well biculturalism has served the nations.
Barrack Obama was the 44th president of the United States and was the first Black-American individual to be elected as president. The election of Barrack Obama displayed a hug step in America’s democracy maturity. The citizens were willing to elect an individual with bicultural heritage to become the leader of the most powerful nation. Analysis of Obama’s heritage shows that he was of both Kenyan and American descent and interacted with the Indonesian community while growing up (Chin 152). The three cultures served a fundamental role in his leadership style and the principles that he believed.
As president, Barrack Obama had many policies that championed the rights of the minority in society. Such thinking was dispelled by the ideas and exposure that he got when he visited Kenya. Barrack Obama did not care about social standards or racial color. He wanted to promote the best life for all US citizens regardless of race, culture, or heritage. During his terms as president, Barrack Obama actively reduced the racial and social discrimination that existed in the country. He accepted gay marriages as part of US social culture and promoted liberalism in the government.
However, Barrack Obama raised controversy when he reinstated relations between Iran, Cuba, and the US. The move raised controversy since the United States had explicitly cut off ties with the two nations owing to problems that had resulted from World War II (Chin 153). The action showed that the president was willing to work out differences between the nations. As a bicultural leader, he inspired hops and confidence among the nations making it easy for the nations to come to an agreement and start relations. Sadly, after coming out of the office, the next administration made things harder. The unique heritage of Barrack Obama made it possible for him to conduct his leadership liberally, something that angered many Americans that were not culturally liberal.
On the other hand, Justin Trudeau ascended into office as Canada’s prime minister n 2015. The prime minister is of French Canadian and Scottish descent, thus making him a bicultural leader. Under his leadership, Canada was transformed into liberal views similar to what Barrack Obama Had done. Trudeau apologized to the LGBTQ community for the oppression that the government had done before his ascent into the office (Bobak &Bobak 1). Additionally, Trudeau also apologized for t the minority families that were displaced from their original ancestry homes showing that he deeply valued culture and religion. In 2019, the Prime minister was elected for a second term despite different controversies coming up over his past behavior before embarking on Politics.
Analysis of Canada and the United States shows the similarities and differences that exist between the two nations. Both Canada and the United States are large countries in terms of geographical size. The two countries also host a huge population of nationals. The two countries share a wonderful relationship, especially since they border each other. However, the two countries have different views when it comes to leadership. A democratic government heads the United States of America while a Federal Monarchy heads Canada. The president is the highest political figure in the US, while the Prime Minister is the highest political figure. The Canadian Prime Minister answers to the queen of England.
Canada accepts biculturalism as part of its heritage since it recognizes French and English as the official languages in the land. Canada has no policies against the use of French or English in parliament. The liberal thinking makes it possible for the country to support individuals from either cultural heritage. On the other hand, the US recognizes English as the only official language for use in the land. The country, however, allows the use of Spanish in owing to the large Hispanic community in the US. However, Spanish is not recognized as an official language in the US.
Canada’s aboriginal culture was also influenced by an amalgamation between French and English culture owing to the citizens that the country had at the time. The merger between the two cultures has largely influenced the form of art and social relations that exist in the country. Canada’s film making industry, theatres, and arts culture borrow huge emphasis from the two cultures. The two cultures are individually practiced in the northern and southern parts of the country. French individuals occupy Quebec and New Brunswick regions while the other parts of Canada hold individuals from other cultures.
The United States culture originates from western culture, thus showing that the country has never entertained bicultural societies in the land. The culture was largely shaped by Native Americans who inhabited the country. Over time, other cultures have migrated into the state, making it have a multicultural society. The country has gradually accepted some of the culture brought by the immigrants slowly reshaping the US culture. Nowadays, it is easy for a US individual to enjoy Tai or Chinese delicacies or even prepare them in their homes. The citizens have diversified the general outlook of the US culture. Lastly, Canada has an official policy that promotes a bilingual culture in the land, while the US does not have any similar policy. However, the US government has passed bilingual education policies to ensure that US children learn both English and Spanish.
The two countries are set to cease the trend owing to the growing trend of multiculturalism in the countries. The rates of immigrants in countries have drastically increased while the citizens have slowly accepted other cultures as part of the national culture. However, there is a concern for Trump’s administration owing to the views that he holds on multiculturalism. Canada could continue with the bicultural trend if it finds a way to t address multiculturalism in the land. Quebec and New Brunswick are currently being phased out as French states owing to the growing influx of immigrants in the land.
Works Cited
Abadir, Sameh, et al. “Bicultural Managers Leading Multicultural Teams within Agile Organizations.” Available at SSRN 3484875 (2019).
Bobak, H. R., and M. I. Bobak. “PRACTICAL MANIFESTATION OF BILINGUALISM AND BICULTURALISM IN THE SPEECHES OF JUSTIN TRUDEAU.” Young 63.11 (2018).
Chin, Jean Lau. “Introduction to the special issue on diversity and leadership.” American Psychologist 65.3 (2010): 150.