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Degrassi Junior High
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Degrassi Junior High (1988)
In July, 1988, Canada became the first country to enshrine its multiculturalism policy in legislation. The purpose of the new Act is to preserve and enhance multiculturalism in Canada. The Multiculturalism Sector of the Department of the Secretary of State has developed many programs to ensure that all Canadians may share in the resources and opportunities afforded by our rich, pluralistic nation.
Television figures profoundly in the shaping of national identity and it may play an important role in helping Canadians to better under¬stand the nature of the vibrant diversity in which they live. In this context, the Multiculturalism Sector has established the Multi¬culturalism Award, presented annually to a Canadian English¬language television program that best reflects the country's multicultural and multiracial nature. (An award for French-language programming is also given at the Prix Gemeaux.)
This year the winner is "Degrassi Junior High." The series admirably captures the diversity of the Canadian mosaic, without moralizing. Members of ethnic and visible minorities play parts that are not stereotypical. The series portrays teenagers from many cultural and racial backgrounds in situations typical for young people of that age anywhere. It celebrates their common humanity.
"One of the things that's most exciting about Canada is the variety of people
who live here;' says producer Linda Schuyler. "We try to be true to that excitement
by casting kids whose families have backgrounds rooted all over the world. We've
got kids in the cast who were born as far away as Laos, Nigeria and Cyprus. And
we've got kids whose great-grandparents were born in Toronto of British stock.
It's all part of the mix.
"When Playing With Time, Inc., began to produce "DegrassiJunior High;" in 1986, an entire school's population needed to be represented, so extensive formal auditions were held. Notices were sent to the media about an open call for young teenagers, and the press release was picked up by the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun and a number of small publications; it was, for example, translated into Korean in that community's newspaper. From the more that 500 applicants, 300 teens were auditioned.
"What we look for first is something special in the eyes, a spark that will show up on screen;' says producer Kit Hood. When his partner, Schuyler, first came to Toronto from London, Ontario, she taught at an inner¬city school just like Degrassi Junior High. She adds, "Our aim is to reflect the reality of a downtown school - and that means kids of every shape, size and colour. We do make an effort to choose kids who represent the diversity of a real school, but that spark is most important: we look for that quality and don' t just use kids from visible minorities in the background - that would simply be tokenism.
"The jury feels that "Degrassi Junior High" most successfully fulfills the mandate of the award and presents it with enthusiasm to the producers. The jury would also like, this year, to commend for honourable mention "Home to Buxton;' the half-hour documentary about the 150-year-old black community in Buxton, Ontario. The program meets the criteria for this award with great distinction.
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