| Canada’s reputation as a successful multicultural society may be more of a myth than a reality, according to a new report published by the Montreal-based Institute for Research on Public Policy. The report, co-authored by University of Toronto sociologist Jeffrey Reitz and doctoral student Rupa Banerjee, found that second-generation visible-minority Canadians are less likely to feel Canadian and more likely to say they’ve experienced discrimination than their parents’ generation.
The report’s authors say there is a "potentially significant racial divide" in Canadian society, and policies to promote multiculturalism and diversity are inadequate. "Social integration into Canadian society for racial minorities is slower than it is for immigrants of European origin, partly as a result of their sense of exclusion, represented by perceived discrimination," says the report.
Teresa Woo-Paw, chair of the Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary, isn’t surprised by the report’s findings. She says many first-generation Canadians often feel "they had to pay extra dues to get equal citizenship." However, she says second-generation, Canadian-born visible minorities, are less likely to accept unequal treatment.
"This is the generation that was born here so they actually grew up within our school and social system. They have been taught the value and concept of equality and fairness. While those are Canadian values, they’re by no means the reality in Canada for minorities. As they interact with different sectors in society I think many of them might come to see and experience first-hand inequality and would be less receptive to just accept it than the first generation," she says.
Woo-Paw says second-generation visible-minority Canadians don’t see their ethnic background represented in various facets of society. "They don’t see themselves reflected in the school system where they spend the first 13 years of their life… and they enter into the (job market) and don’t see themselves reflected in the higher ranks so there’s stratification within the private sector. Socially and politically they don’t see themselves reflected in most of the decision making. In the media, again, they don’t see themselves reflected, so how can they feel they belong and have equal opportunity in a society that doesn’t show them reflected," she says.
Vilma Dawson, project manager of the Committee on Race Relations and Cross Cultural Understanding in Calgary, says second-generation visible-minority Canadians often have fewer opportunities than white Canadians due to discrimination in the workforce. She says, unlike their parents’ generation, they don’t face the hurdle of getting foreign credentials and qualifications recognized, yet they still experience barriers. She says often visible-minority Canadians who were born in Canada are asked where they’re from and aren’t treated like they’re truly Canadian. "Society doesn’t see them as Canadian and then it takes away their ability to feel Canadian and contribute as Canadians. I worry about how that’s going to play out," she says. Dawson is most concerned about Muslim Canadians who face discrimination due to the so-called war on terror.
Dawson says it makes no sense to deny opportunities to visible minority immigrants and their children given the current labour shortage. "Canada stands to not gain by continuing in this marginalized manner because we are actually marginalizing the best of the best. What will happen to our social programs in Canada if we don’t start utilizing skills that have come here, skills that are being gained here," she says. "If we’re not giving the next generation who are born and raised here and have got all the Canadian skills opportunities… as far as I’m concerned that’s racism."
Woo-Paw says if visible minorities feel alienated from Canada it affects "our social fabric." While many visible minorities are currently trying to bring about positive social change, she believes some others will inevitably become angry and frustrated and could resort to violence due to the inequalities they face. Dawson adds that visible minorities can also be recruited into gangs because of alienation from Canadian society and denied opportunities.
Progress, she says, is happening but "it’s at a fairly slow pace. I think there’s a lot more awareness and interest to address issues of inclusion and exclusion so that’s an improvement."
What’s required is a "much deeper look at all these barriers that are working against inclusion and diversity in our institutions and organizations," she continues, "and people have to understand the benefits of having an inclusive society and the costs of having a society where people feel like they don’t belong.
Dawson says Canada’s vision of itself as a successful multicultural society is "a wonderful dream, but whether we’re going to live it and have this society functioning as an inclusive society is something on my wish list. I don’t know if it’s going to be possible until we start to change individual attitudes." |
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