Checklists and good intent are not enough: immigrant-conscious best practices for cultural competency training In the public sector

Cultural competency practice seeks to promote effective and impartial interactions within the public sector. However, as the Canadian workforce and constituency have become increasingly diverse, there remain questions as to the value, validity, and paternalism of traditional cultural competency principles. This intersectional analysis explores existing literature on the subject with a focus on discerning best practices within a multicultural and immigrant-focused Canadian context. While the value of cultural competency training is regularly acknowledged, many instructors have expressed uncertainty about how they should incorporate these topics into their teaching. To this end, I conclude this paper with a simple resource to support the effective introduction and education of these topics.

Keywords:  cultural competency, cultural humility, virtue ethics, immigration.