RACISM TODAY-HOLDING US BACK FROM MOVING FORWARD

Rachael Crutchley and Danielle Lyver

WHAT IS RACISM?Racism is defined as:

“Prejudice, discrimination or antagonism directed against

someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s

own race is superior” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2016).

“The belief that all members of each race possess

characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race,

especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to

another race or races” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2016).

JUST THE FACTS...• 1 in 3 Canadians believe that Aboriginal Peoples and Muslims are the

targets of discrimination • In 2010, 1,401 incidents of hate crimes took place in Canada.• 29% of hate crimes were motivated by religion,16% were motivated by

sexual orientation• Blacks were the most commonly targeted racial group in 2010 with 271

incidents of hate crimes.

(UFCW, 2013)

HISTORY OF RACISM IN CANADA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYmDzeonoUE

RACISM IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA TODAY:• The Ontario Human Rights Commission defines communities facing

racism as “racialized.” Race is a communal concept. This means that society formulates thoughts of race constructed on geographic, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors, as well as physical traits (OHRC, 2016)• Racism can be amenably exhibited in racial jokes, slurs, along with

hate crimes. It can also be more intensely engrained in attitudes, standards, and stereotypical beliefs. In many cases, individuals do not even recognize that they have these beliefs (OHRC, 2016)

5 TYPES OF RACISM· Aware/Blatant Racism: intention acts of racism to minorities · Aware/Covert Racism: When racists are being racist but just not saying it. · Unaware/Unintentional Racism: “With the best of intentions, the best of educations, and the greatest generosity of heart, whites, operating on the misinformation fed to them from day one, will behave in ways that are racist”· Unaware/Self-Righteous Racism: “The ‘good white’ racist attempts to shame anyone different from themselves· Internalized Racism: Stereotypes and attitudes

(Yamato, 1991)

WHAT IS AVERSIVE RACISM?Aversive racism is a type of contemporary racism that exhibits at the singular level. Compared to the traditional type of racism, aversive racism operates, often unintentionally, in subtle, and unintended ways (Oswald, n.d.). An individual being subjected to aversive racism expresses attitudes that embody equality, while along instantaneously feeling uncomfortable when being around another individual from a particular group (Oswald, n.d.). Examples….. a person of African American background around a group of Caucasians. Prejudice can be described as having previously decided what an individual of another race is meant to be like based on slight, or no experience with such people.

AN EXAMPLE OF PREJUDICE Canada’s historical website shares a very interesting, and effective example of prejudice. In Nova Scotia it was understood that black people attending movies should not sit on the central floor level. The main level was reserved for whites only, therefore to guarantee that would be the case, various rates were charged for tickets. An African-Canadian visiting from business ran into some car problems, and needed a repair therefore decided to pass the waiting time in a movie theatre. She originally bought a ticket that was meant for black people, but having left her glasses in the car, she decided to sit on the main floor to see

PREJUDICE (CONT’D)When people found out, she was ordered to leave the theatre, because she had paid the “Negro” rate, but was sitting on the main floor. Even though she offered to pay the difference, the woman was arrested, all while being not allowed to consult a lawyer (Historica Canada, 2016

IF THE NUMBER OF MIXED RACED COUPLES ARE GROWING THEN WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?• Over the past few decades, the percentage of mixed-race couples in

Canada has nearly doubled, from 2.6 per cent in 1991 to 4.6 per cent in 2011

• Vancouver’s mix race couples is 9.6 %, making them the most color blind city in Canada

So what is the problem? • The problem with racism is it still exists in our society through music,

politics, amongst our youth and adult populations. • 81% of Chinese and South Asian descent living in BC report they’ve

experienced some type of discrimination as a result of their ethnicity (CBC News, 2014).

ABORIGINAL RACISM IN CANADA• Residential schools: children were taken from their parents and taken to

schools where they endured physical, sexual and emotional abuse• The aboriginals were relocated to reserves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpvMwbWSTBw • The Aboriginal population increased by 232,385 people between 2006 and

2011In 2016 aboriginal people are still not treated fairly • There have been over 600 murdered and missing aboriginal woman *(CBC,

2013).. What is being done to stop this issue?• Aboriginal people are stereotyped as being unemployed, alcoholics and

self abusive (CBC, 2013)• Poorest group in Canada, as a result of no employment options, no chance

for moving up in the workplace and are paid far lower wages (Hutchings. 1998)

• Over crowded reserves and poor housing

AFRICAN AMERICAN RACISM IN CANADA• 3.9% of the provincial population and the third largest visible minority.• In Ontario, Black Canadians reported the most hate-crimes with 271 incidents in

2010.• Black Ontarians were 7x more likely than the average to be the victim of a hate crime• They feel discriminated against by police: A study by the Toronto Star conducted in

2010 revealed that black people are 5x more likely to be stopped and questioned by the police than white people

• People throw around the N word as if it has no significance in our history of racism towards black people

• “Black Canadians continue to struggle with racial discrimination in Canada, even though promised a better life where everyone is equal. It is our job as citizens to educate ourselves on this problem and to fix it” (king, 2015)

(King, 2015)

RACISM IN CANADIAN MEDIA• Our perceptions of reality, how we see people within the world

and the certain behaviours are heavily influenced by the media: newspapers, radio, television and the Internet • “N bombs” are used frequently through rap music and in movies• Teenagers are referring to each other as N*****, because of these

influences• “Ethnic minorities in Canada do not see themselves mirrored in the

media, and this perpetuates feelings of rejection, trivialises their contributions, and devalues their role as citizens in their nations” • Stereotypes are often used in movies for humour but its offensive

(Uhríková, 2010)

THE AUTHORITATIAN PERSONALITY THEORY•We decided to relate Adorno’s authoritarian personality theory. He proposed that prejudice is the results of an individual’s personality type. They developed a questionnaire, which they called the F-scale (F for fascism), and Adorno argued that deep-seated personality traits predisposed some individuals to be highly sensitive to totalitarian and antidemocratic ideas and therefore were prone to be highly prejudicial (McLeod, 2014).

AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY TYPE:According to Adorno's theory, the elements of the Authoritarian personality type are:

• Blind allegiance to conventional beliefs about right and wrong• Respect for submission to acknowledged authority• Belief in aggression toward those who do not subscribe to conventional thinking, or who

are different• A negative view of people in general - i.e. the belief that people would all lie, cheat or steal

if given the opportunity• A need for strong leadership which displays uncompromising power• A belief in simple answers and polemics - i.e. The media controls us all or The source of all

our problems is the loss of morals these days.• Resistance to creative, dangerous ideas. A black and white worldview.• A tendency to project one's own feelings of inadequacy, rage and fear onto a scapegoated

group• A preoccupation with violence and sex (McLeod, 2014)

“”

RACISM IS STILL WITH US. BUT IT IS UP TO US TO PREPARE OUR CHILDREN FOR WHAT THEY HAVE TO MEET, AND, HOPEFULLY, WE SHALL OVERCOME.

Rosa Parks

“”

NO ONE IS BORN HATING ANOTHER PERSON BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN, OR HIS BACKGROUND OR HIS RELIGION. PEOPLE MUST LEARN TO HATE, AND IF THEY CAN LEARN TO HATE, THEY CAN BE TAUGHT TO LOVE, FOR LOVE COMES MORE NATURALLY TO THE HUMAN HEART THAN ITS OPPOSITE.

Nelson Mandela

REFERENCES

CBC News. (2013). Canada's treatment of aboriginal people faces global scrutiny. Retrieved from

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/canada-s-treatment-of-aboriginal-people-faces-global-scrutiny-1.1328794

Historical Canada. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.blackhistorycanada.ca/topic.php?id=146&themeid=5

Hutchings, C. (1998). Canada’s First Nations: A Legacy of Institutional Racism. Retrieved from http://www.tolerance.cz/courses/papers/hutchin.htm

King, S. (2015). Prejudice against Blacks in Ontario. Retrieved from https://inequalitygaps.org/first-takes/racism-in-canada/prejudice-against-blacks-in-ontario/

McLeod. (2014). Theories of personality. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/personality-theories.html

Ontario Human Rights Commission. (2016). Retrieved from http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/5976/Aversive-Racism.html

Oswald. (n.d). Retrieved from http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/5976/Aversive-Racism.html

Oxford Dictionaries. (2016). Racism. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/racism

UFCW. (2013). By the Numbers: Facts about Racial Discrimination in Canada. Retrieved from

http://ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3324%3Aby-the-numbers-facts-about-racial-discrimination-in-canada&Itemid=6

&lang=en

Uhríková, D. (2010). Racial Stereotyping in the Canadian Media. Retrieved from

http://www.perspectivesmagazine.sk/news/racial-stereotyping-in-the-canadian-media1/