Seems like we're going the way of Paris, with the old City of Toronto populated by mostly those of European-origin, and with the suburbs populated with those of Asian and African origin. As for Brampton, I suppose it's not often referred to as Bramladesh without merit.
It is often referred as such out of pure ignorance. The "nickname" comes from the ignorance of some looking at the number of brown skinned south asian people in town (which is a significant group but still under 40% of the population) and assuming that all brown skinned people are from the same place and throwing a "cute" nickname around it.
Having lived in Brampton for 41 of my 51 years what I can tell you is that it is, and was, a city of first generation of immigrants. In the 50's, 60's and very early 70's the bulk of that first gen. immigration were Brits, Italians and Portugese. In the mid 70's up to the end of the 20th century the wave of immigration fueling the city's growth was primarily south asian.....but within that group there are Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankans and people from Africa and the Carribean who happen to be of Indian decent. It is, though, so much simpler to just group those people into a single entity and name the place Bramladesh (and I can assure you, that name is never used without a negative tinge as if, somehow, that wave of immigration is somehow less worthy of being here).
It even discards the fact that since the south asian wave of immigration started about 40 years ago, a very large number of the brown skinned/south asian looking people that live in Brampton are 2nd or (even) 3rd generation that were born right here in town and, even if they did not before, have every right to refer to themselves as, get this, "Canadian".
One of the biggest issues in this city is an underlying racial tension which, sadly and frankly, is largely eminating from the white/euro folks in town. I can't tell you how often I bump into people I have not seen since high school (or earlier) and they tell me they now live in Georgetown or Caledon (and wonder why I don't) because "it is more like the Bramalea/Brampton that they grew up in"....and the oozing of codespeak is easy to spot.
Take a minute to read any of the stories in the local paper about this home or any other discussion of the mult-families that live together and it does not take long for someone to tie the issue to the south asian community.......if you try to move the discussion away from race you are unsuccessful....no one wants to here talk of the 3 generation portugese family that moved out the house next door to be replaced by the 3 generation indian family. If the Portugese family is doing it they are just showing respect for family values and tradition but those indian folk are just ripping off the tax system and shifting a burden to the rest of us.
Sorry to pull out your quote and get on a soap box......but the anti-south asian sentiment that is sometimes seen here just drives me nuts.....and often just gets used as an "excuse" for some of the city's legitimate issues.
The first story in the local paper on this house actually saw someone tying this story to a recent trip by city officials to generate investment from India (the line was along the theme of "tear it down, charge them the cost and add to it the cost of the Mayor's trip to India"). I am no geneologist, but this fella's name did not sound to Indian to me. More Arabic/North African to me....but what do I know.
Just from walking around and living here I sense that we have actually moved into another wave of immigration and i get the sense that the fastest growing language in town is Spanish as a large number of South Amercian (Chilean, Argentinian and Urugayan mostly) immigrants are finding affordable and decent housing in Brampton.
