Canada is well known for being a multicultural and democratic country, and many people from countries around the world immigrate there. Human rights are respected here and reasonable living conditions have been well recognized by many. However, intolerance and racism have increased in the past of couple of years, ironically as a consequence of a heterogeneous society.
Racism is a very difficult and confusing subject to discuss. According to Merriam-Webster’s English dictionary, the definition of racism is, “A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race”. In other words, it is a consequence of power imposed on other people with different characteristics such as skin colour, language or even place of birth.
Meanwhile, there is also prejudice, a big factor on racial issues. It is the belief that you’re superior to another person because of a judgment you pass on them not based on reason or actual experience. Power and prejudice together is what we call racism.
20% of the Canadian population are composed of immigrants, and according to the Statistics Canada website, 4.3% are Aboriginal, but less than half speak their original languages. Not only that, but there is a considerably high rate of unemployment among Aboriginal peoples.
Canada has different kinds of racism that affects immigrants’ ability to find jobs or to fit in with the rest of society. There is discrimination against religions, skin colour and culture, which is very controversial considering the image that Canada has.
In Canada, there still exists a hidden racism in which people try to show how tolerant and receptive they are, but people who migrated have a different opinion. At the Huffpost Canada, it is possible to see many stories of people who thought skin colour and other factors would not be a problem but they were wrong. The history of racism is long in every country, but a place like Canada is supposed to have changed people’s minds. Immigrating to Canada it is not easy Many people are willing to do that for many personal reasons, but even after they finally got their citizenship, they have still had to deal with discrimination problems.
Many movements have been created against some kinds of discrimination. The most famous one is Black Lives Matter, which has been recognized in all countries that have experienced racial conflict. The main idea behind this movement is to break down preconceptions and stereotypes of black people in politics and society. Many incidents that have been caused by power and prejudice have begun during friction between police officers and people of colour, resulting in the deaths of black men, women and children, mostly because of hasty decisions and lack of training.
As a response to BLM, some white people created the movement All Lives Matter”, a protest against a protest, ostensibly an intended extension on their statement, but in effect just a protest against black people’s rights.
Islamophobia, the discrimination against Muslims and their religion, has been a much discussed topic. A lot has been happening to stop attacks against Islam in Canada. The problem is bad enough that Bill M-103 was passed in Canadian Parliament in March 2017, condemning Islamophobia and religious discrimination
Photo by Fibonacci Blue
There are many kinds of discrimination happening, and the problem is much bigger than many think. Even though Canada is a very multicultural and diverse country, it does not take the necessary measures to teach its own people about tolerance and respect, at least not all of them. It is important for the population to learn how to live with other people from different cultures, otherwise the country will never be what it claims to be. The acceptance of immigrants is all well and good, but Canadians should be more receptive as well. Respect for other cultures has become a cliché, but it is the main problem that explains why this is all happening.
Photo by Stacie DaPonte
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