Racism in Canada

First the fact: Canada is one of the less racist countries where there is a significant population of new immigrants.

There are primary 7 races (VARNA system) in Canada: White (European), Black (African), Yellow (Far east Asian), Brown (South Asian), Muslims, Latinos (Central and South American) and Native Indians. There are numerous subclasses within each groups: English, French, Western or Northern European and East European, for instance. Whites in general (and anglo sexons within whites) are universally accepted as the top tier (except by French and Germans). All the other classes believe themselves to be the second tier or a part of the second tier.

It is interesting to observe interactions between persons from different groups: (i) Whites (Anglo sexons, more specifically) and other races (ii) Non-whites (including also Eastern Europeans) from different races. Mixing with whites makes non-white assimilated and mixing with non-whites makes white liberal minded. To see subtle flavours of racism, one must look into white-to-white and non-whiteto-to-non-white interaction.

 

Honour Killing

In today’s world, notion of killing someone for honour, especially one from family, sounds barberic. From where came such tradition?

Not all societies in the world were/are individualistic. In those societies people were identified by their families or clans. People’s identity were tied to the status of their families. They were respected or insulted based on the image of their family.  Families were not so mobile and it was very difficult to move to a new place and start again with clean slate. Society knew history of families, for generations. Status, fortune, honour were not easy to achieve, it took each member of the family, for a few generations, to work hard and follow all the social norms to build status. One bad apple was enough to malign the image of the whole basket, sometime the whole farm. One bad act of a family member was enough to ruin social, marital and economic future of the whole family.

However men and women were not rqually tied to the honour of the family. Man was the chief of the family and any misstepping by a women from family was symbol of his lack of ability and control, therefor a cause for bigger stigma.

English Language

English people went to many places in the world and never adapted any native language but here in Canada immigrants are always urged (with pressure) to adapt English Language. By the way, there are French people in eastern part and, English and French do their best not to learn each others languages beyond what is absolutely necessary. Canadians forget that all the immigrant kids are learning English in schools. They forget that all the adults looking for work have to have some knowledge of English language to succeed. They demand that also the old grand parents who came as dependent, should master English language to prove their loyalty. Even the Canadians with non-English ancestors are convinced that their foreparents were fluent English speakers before they landed here. Poor Canadians are not aware that many parts of the world has already adapted English language willingly because of the scientific and technological development happening in English language and they need not be paranoid.

Canadian accent in English language is another can of worms. I am yet to see a native English speaker able to speak any other language without accent but they insist on “absence of accent” from immigrants. Parheps they do not know that Canadian people speak English with Canadian accent. Parheps they do not know that English is spoken by multiple countries around the world and each place has its own accent, including British accent for people in UK – the country where English language was born. Even in UK, if one looks closely, different regions have their own accent. When same English people immigrated to various place in the world, they developed different accents. So even if the whole world will start speaking English, people from different region will have different accents.

Canadian Values

New immigrants are always preached to adapt Canadian values. Basically liberal democratic values are accepted as Canadian values but it is important to put “Canadian” label. Canada as a country stands between Europe and America. Canadians always feel little insecure about their identity so such labels help Canadians to feel better. Now, how much liberal democratic are Canadian values is a separate story.

Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is a bit controversial subject in Canada. Institutionally it is accepted but individually many have doubts. Higher the feeling of insecurity, bigger is the doubt. French people should be thanked for multiculturalism in Canada, or rather English. In the beginning when French and English came here, they were able to get rid of natives but couldn’t get rid of each other. Both had to compromise to live together, and multiculturalism was born.

Now when the new immigrants come here, they are preached to adapt Canadian culture, which in essence is French in French Canada and English in English Canada. French and English couldn’t accept anything from native culture, neither they accepted each other but new immigrants, you must adapt the great Canadian culture!

Indian Racism

Description in matrimonial advertisements, people’s preference for lighter skinned spouse, fairness creams for dark skin, all these point to racism in India, right? Wrong.

Firstly, dark skinned people do not face discrimination in schools, in workplaces, using public transportation or dealing with police. In other term, disadvantages for dark skinned people in India are same as those of obese people in North America/Europe.

Secondly, Unlike North America/Europe, dark skinned people and light skinned people are not two different races in India. In general, as you go south, skin colour gets darker but one can find variety of complexions everywhere, even within the same family. Remember, in Europe/North America main issue is race, skin colour only helps to distinguish races. In India the issue is skin colour but it is not about race.

Secularism in Canada

By and large, Canada is a secular country. Individuals are allowed to practice any religion, build religious place, etc. At collective level, Christianity is the first among equals. Government’s support for Christianity is clearly visible in two instances:

Public funded, religion based (one must be a Christian to take advantage), Catholic school board with army of schools as big as public school board.

Statutory holidays are declared only on Christian religious days – Easter and Christmas.

Arranged Marriage

Imagine a patriarchal society based on agrarian life style; grand parents, parents, children all living together as an extended family and sons following father’s occupation/business from teenage years. Imagine a culture where premarital celibacy and marriages at immature age was a norm.

In those marriages girls were moving to her in-laws house and lived together with her husband’s extended family. Couple did not used to move in an independent place and start a new family but girl was becoming a part of an existing family. Obviously, selection of the daughter-in-law mattered not only to son but also to the entire family. Understandably, parents had an important say in the marriage.

Circumstances have changed and keep changing. Children choose different careers and career forces late marriage. Career also forces relocation. Now Parents act more like a matchmaker and counselor while final decision is left to children. Arranged marriage and forced marriage are not same.

Visible Minority

Visible minority is an ethnic group native to only one country in the world – Canada. Canada has 3 major ethnicities – aboriginals, white and visible minority. English dictionary says aboriginal means “people inhabiting a region from beginning or earliest time”. Well, people living in England, France or Germany are not called aboriginals so either all the European aboriginals are extinct or perhaps, aboriginal word only applies to people who are conquered and reduced to insignificance. Second ethnic group is white i.e. people with more or less European ancestry. The last one is known as visible minority. Now these visible minority people may have different skin colour, physique, feature, culture, etc. but basically all are same inside – visible minority.