On the constitutive dimensions of citizenship
This study analyzes the different conceptions of the duties and obligations of a host society with regard to racial minorities. Our first goal is to show that the main voices speaking on behalf of these minorities do not seek to bypass the integration process envisioned for them by the so-called pure laine Quebecers. Our second objective is part of a broader endeavour that seeks to conceptualize and (re)negotiate citizenship in the Quebec context. For this, we turn to a period in Quebec history during which the “reasonable accommodation” for immigrants was the subject of intense public debate: the period between 2007 and 2008. In particular, we examine the briefs submitted by associations representing racial and religious minorities to the Bouchard-Taylor Commission, a commission mandated by the Quebec government to examine public sentiment on these issues.