Reasons for Continuance of discrimination

Reasons for Continuance of discrimination

Introduction

Numerous news stories touching on racial discrimination in Canada have often angered groups and provoked government response. From asking children to remove their religious headdress to stopping members of minority communities, Canada is rife with racial discrimination. The is a thin line between overt and covert discrimination. Most discrimination meted against blacks is covert, and often known through reports by government agencies and non-governmental organizations. Most black people suffer discrimination on varied platforms from varied individuals and groups. The perpetuation of the discrimination is helped by social dynamics. Racial discrimination of blacks in Canada persists because of institutionalized or normalized discrimination, largely popularized cases of discrimination, and the tendency to seek and stick to black and African identities.

Reasons for Continuance of discrimination

Many people are at the receiving end of discrimination in Canada. About 23 percent of the people in Canada are victims of discrimination (Godley, 2018: 111). Discrimination based on race is one of the most prevalent discrimination and perhaps the indicator of prevalence. The most discriminated groups are blacks, Asians, and aboriginals are the most discriminated groups in terms of race. In terms of religion, Arabs, South and West Asians, and Aboriginals are the most discriminated groups, in that order (Godley, 2018: 111). Most discrimination is based on sex, age, and race (Godley, 2018: 111). Still, discrimination exists based on physical appearance, weight, and national origin.

Discrimination based on race is rampant because of high rate of immigration of foreigners. About 200,000 immigrants arrive in Canada each year. The nation is not welcoming for people of color (Wortley and Owusu- Bempah, 2012: 12). Most immigration policies favor white European immigrants. Discrimination policies have been adopted widely since 1950s due to anti-discrimination activism, with laws such as the 1971 Immigration Act welcoming many people of color. However, discrimination of minorities and blacks is still rampant. About three-fourths of recent immigrants in recent years are from visible minorities. In 2006, South Asians surpassed Chinese Canadians to become the largest visible minority group. About 1,262,900 South Asians lived in Canada in 2009 (Wortley & Owusu- Bempah, 2012: 12). Early anti-discrimination efforts were influenced by cross-border activism since the Civil Rights Movement in the United States was influential both domestically and internationally (Waters). African Canadians commonly preferred legislative mechanisms, particularly those that touched on accommodation and employment. They worked with advocates who were against racial discrimination.

Societies influence each other in terms of discriminative and anti-discrimination policies. The way people live is largely based on how people in nearby live. Cultures borrow traditions and norms from neighboring cultures. This can be evident in language in terms of borrowed words, phrases, sayings, proverbs, pronunciation, and word structure. It can also be evident in clothing, beliefs, myths. Some cultures influence cross-border cultures in a form of transnationalism. The anti-discrimination activism in Canada took this approach. Although it reflected local circumstances, it occurred in a global context. It was based on a feeling of change in other areas. Sometimes, societies can seek change simultaneously or even together. Yet, societies may not have similar circumstances or ways of doing things. For instance, there was overt discrimination in Canada before anti-discrimination activism, but it was not to the level of demanding segregation of facilities like the U.S. laws required (Waters). This shows that societies may engage in parallel change initiatives even though problems affecting them may not be affecting them in the same way.

In Canada, there is a high possibility of believing that racial discrimination of blacks is low because most people would mostly compare the nation with other nations. When compared to the United States, Canada appears to rank lower in terms of racial discrimination of black people. Yet, discrimination is considerably high, although not very visible. Racial discrimination of blacks thrives. It is evident through high suspension and punishment of black students, stopping and carding of black motorists, heavy surveillance of young black men, and labelling of black people by institutions (Bero). Incidents of such discrimination have been in the media in recent times, and they spread the idea of acceptable behaviors. Yet, many groups and relevant government agencies respond by condemning racist actions. There are consequences for labelling young black people in a negative limelight and finding most of them at fault.

Picking on black people is likely to present them as unruly, criminal-like, violent, and ungovernable. Such labelling by institutions can discourage admission of black people to schools and colleges, sporting teams, or other institutions. Indeed, racially-motivated traffic stops most likely leads to fault-finding and prosecution. It distorts statistics about violence and criminal intent. Yet, black people are likely to commit crimes, especially out of fear of punishment and deportation.

The question of where an individual comes from influences racialization processes in Canada, and it influences the identity of African-Canadians. Indeed, most of them create their identities based on this question (Creese). It affects second-generation African-Canadians in a significant way, and it means that new immigrants receive greater discrimination in Canada. In a study of African-Canadians who grew up in Vancouver, Creese found that these group developed their identities as African, black, and Canadian. Yet, the group had local accents, and place-based knowledge. Some of them questioned their origins because they did not believe they were local (Creese). This study reveals that black people might develop double consciousness or even multiple identities. The questioning of where another individual comes from triggers self-questioning of what own beliefs and origins are, and it can discourage integration of black people in Canada.

Thousands of black people entered Canada during the 19th century as they escaped Civil War in the United States, and found a less discriminative society. Many refugees escape harsh and relatively kind masters and had to endure cold, pain, hunger, dangers of wilderness, and recapture risks (Hendrick and McFarland, 2010: 23). In the United States, the average slave’s experience was horrible as most of them worked in under harsh conditions. They worked without pay or with little pay, and had to pay dues to their masters. Some were whipped and caned ruthlessly, sometimes in front of relatives, or even required to punish their relatives. Many of them did not have access to health care when they needed it. The desire to escape the United States was informed by stories of better life in Canada and other nations. Fugitives of war were shocked by the extent of discrimination in Canada. Canadians discriminated against Irish Canadians. The most discriminative groups, at least overtly, are English-speakers, and they were followed by French-speaking Canadians (Hendrick and McFarland, 2010: 17). Black fugitives arguably tolerated discrimination in Canada, because they compared it to the level of discrimination in the United States.

Canadians allowed black fugitives largely for economic reasons. In 1850s, black people in Canada were interviewed and they revealed why whites in Canada tolerated them. They were mostly needed for their labor. They served as fishermen, sailors, painters, carpenters, barbers, and teachers; some of them began farming, and their produce was needed (Hendrick and McFarland, 2010: 17). White people noted that black people did not save part of their earnings, and continued to suffer or died due to pneumonia and tuberculosis. However, some of them excelled, which would have been difficult in the United States (Hendrick and McFarland, 2010: 17). The fact that some excelled did not mean an end to discrimination.

Persistence of racial discrimination regardless of economic interdependence and social class, means that racial discrimination among diverse societies is inevitable and motivated by feelings of racial superiority and inferiority. Different racial groups are likely to view each other with some degree of spite. It appears that racial discrimination and competition is a natural phenomenon. When members of a racial group move out of a place, they are likely to encounter discrimination in a new place, when they interact with different racial groups. Some people argue that such discrimination exist largely due to competition for resources and the feeling that an incoming group is taking the economic resources of the old groups. While this argument is true to some extent, it does not explain why discrimination and prejudice exists between groups that stay in one place for long and relatively accept each other and recognize platforms of exchange. Thus, the argument that racial tension exists out of the natural need to fit a familiar concept of hierarchy makes more sense. White people are more likely to view themselves as superior. People of African descent are likely to view themselves as inferior and less deserving of opportunities and resources in regions dominated by other races.

Racial discrimination is normalized in Canadian society through a variety of ways. Bero illustrates that police officers and racially discriminative institutions such as schools enhance the practice. Creese argues African-Canadians try to know who they are, largely provoked by other people, and partly motivated by the need to get an identity. Whatever the motivation for discrimination or identity-formation initiative, many people think that discrimination creates a conflict, while some think that it serves a purpose. Those who think there is a conflict associate with the conflict perspective of sociology which holds that that communities or groups compete for material resources. Conflict theorists may still recognize that conflict differs based on frequency, duration, and severity (National Research Council). Conflict theorists are likely to believe that discrimination is destructive in terms of creating inequalities, causing a considerable degree of stress among victims of discrimination, and leading to negative health outcomes. many studies have actually led to such conclusions (National Research Council). More than 70 percent of the studies report poorer health among those who report discrimination (National Research Council). Negative bad outcomes might result from high levels of stress, deprivation, a lack of access to healthy food, water, and quality healthcare.

Structural functionalists are partly right in their view that racial discrimination serves a purpose. They are likely to make arguments in favor of racial discrimination and defend it as useful to individual groups and the whole society. Regarding groups, they would argue that African Canadians get a position within a hierarchical system, and then define themselves accordingly. Structural functionalists are likely to argue that racial discrimination makes groups at the top of hierarchy able to control and influence the use of resources. Concerning usefulness to a society as a whole, racial discrimination helps create a system of hierarchy and order. Different groups know their positions and level of access to society’s resources. Thus, they respond appropriately to new opportunities and seize opportunities accordingly. Also, members of different groups use their competitive advantages to exploit available, realizable opportunities.

Canadian society has legitimized racial discrimination through a variety of ways. While the National Anti-Racism Council of Canada has numerous initiatives to fight discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, racism persists. Racism cannot end with passing of punitive laws, or collaboration of non-governmental organizations. Racism is heavily entrenched in people’s behavior, and Canadians cannot agree to end racism completely. They are likely to continue racism although in reduced forms, at least in the future.

Conclusion

Racial discrimination of black is rampant in Canada, and it can be traced to the mid-1800s. Racial discrimination exists for many reasons, and thrives for many reasons. Racial discrimination of blacks in Canada persists because of largely popularized cases of discrimination, institutionalized or normalized discrimination, and the tendency to seek and stick to black and African identities. It serves a purpose, based on the structural functionalism perspective, but it can lead to disastrous consequences for victims of discrimination. Racial discrimination of blacks in Canada persists because of largely popularized cases of discrimination, institutionalized or normalized discrimination, and the tendency to seek and stick to black and African identities.