As the nation celebrates Canadian Multiculturalism Day on Wednesday, a new survey finds that anglophone and francophone Quebecers hold very different views on how newcomers should integrate, and particularly on whether female police officers should be allowed to wear hijabs.

While a majority of both groups said they held positive views of immigrants, francophones were more likely to respond in the affirmative when asked whether immigrants should give up their customs and traditions, or if the influx of non-Christian immigrants posed a threat to society.

The findings came as part of a series of surveys conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies and the Quebec Community Groups Network, looking at the difference and similarity in views between Quebec francophones and anglophones. Previous surveys looked at opinions that the two linguistic groups (determined by the question, “What is the language you first learned at home in your childhood and that you still understand?”) held of each other, and about each groups’ attachment to Quebec.

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