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Actually, for the past 5 years the United Nations has called Toronto the most ethnically diverse city in the world. We have people from 169 countries, speaking over 100 languages, making it by far the most ethnically diverse city on the planet. I don't have time to look it up for you, but I assure you with a little Googling you'll find these facts.
So I'll say it again, Toronto is known for it's diversity more than anything else.
Sorry kkgg7, but you're just plain wrong on this one. Come up to Toronto and see for yourself if you don't believe me. To say Toronto is just like every other city is an insult to Toronto and its citizens.
"A popular urban myth has it that the United Nations rated Toronto as "the most multicultural city in the world". While the UN and its agencies are not in the habit of rating cities, it remains a fact that Canada is a nation of immigrants, and Toronto demonstrates this abundantly. A UN agency lists Toronto as second only to Miami as the city with the most foreign born residents, but Toronto's residents represent far more cultural and language groups, which is arguably a better measure of multi-cultural."
Toronto (http://www.triposo.com/ca-toronto - broken link)
I thought that people in Toronto stopped believing that. The UN does not even release a list naming any city the most diverse, that is why you will not be able to find this claim on the official UN website.
With that being said Toronto is known for its diversity, but it is hardly unique in that regard.
The only measure that people in Toronto use to prove its diversity is foreign both population. Yes Toronto has a higher foreign both population than NYC and London for example, but Miami has a higher percentage than Toronto so would that instantly make Miami more diverse?
To look deeper, you need to measure diversity in other ways:
Toronto: Ethnic Groups: 190
Languages: 100
London: Ethnic Groups: 250
Languages: 300
Los Angeles: Ethnic Groups: (I couldn't find a concrete number)
Languages: 180
New York City: Ethnic Groups: 217
Languages: 170
* Also keep in mind that NYC is home to over 900,000 people from Puerto Rico, who are classified as US born, not foreign.
Even in Paris they speak over 100 languages, and I can tell you from personal experience Paris feels much more multicultural and diverse than Toronto.
I don't think it's fair to say that Toronto or any other city is the same as the rest. What typical American city would you compare it to: Atlanta, Houston, Detroit? Everyone of them is different. Feel like you're reaching to make some point.
And who cares if a place is diverse or not or the proportion? Does that make it better? Most cities have some form of diversity as they're generally the landing place for people from elsewhere. Seems like you're trying to make a contest out of this as a measure of viability or a reason to discount aside a fantastic urban area.
This "being known for something" is mostly driven by culture, especially pop culture. Most people (including I would wager most Torontonians) have rarely if ever seen Toronto in a TV show or movie, read about it in a best-selling book or heard someone sing about it in a song.
And as others have said, I agree about diversity not being a bona-fide distinction. There are many diverse cities around the world, a few of which could be said to be more diverse than Toronto.
It reminds me of how some people like to say that Canada's national identity is precisely to have no easy-to-distinguish identity. I guess in that sense then Toronto would be the quintessential Canadian metropolis. Canada and Toronto deserve each other.
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