The Overt Forms of Racism Evident in Canada

Discrimination towards ethnic minority continues to find its way in our country. Unfortunately, the subject of racial profiling remains a part of Canada, as officers ignore individual behavior and instead, rely on race in police investigations. According to Katheryn Russell (as cited by Amy Hackney & Jack Glaser, 2013) racial profiling is defined as “The use of race or ethnicity by law enforcement officials as a basis for judgement of criminal suspicion” (Russell, 1998). Racial profiling within our country can be exposed through Canadian history, surveys and interviews from those treated unjustly. All of which stakeholders attempt to remedy for the victimization of the innocent.

In this research paper, I will be explaining how western colonialism and racism destroyed the reputation of aboriginal peoples in Canada. The reason why I chose this topic because it shows the strong relationship to anthropology and after taking aboriginal studies 30, it also shows that I have a clear understanding about the history of aboriginal peoples in Canada, the struggles they have been through over the past decade and the challenges they still face today in modern day society. I’ll be addressing these issues in a couple of paragraphs on the discrimination and the inequalities of these “minorities” and how they had to assimilate into European culture, leaving their way of life behind them.

There has been a significant body of literature which has attested to the veracity of the argument that black Canadians are victimized via racial profiling. For example, the Commission of Systemic Racism in the Ontario Criminal Justice System found that the majority of black respondents surveyed had been treated unfairly by the Canadian criminal justice system (Wortley and Owusu-Bempah, 2011, p.133-134). Furthermore, Canadian research studies have consistently revealed that blacks are more likely to come into negative police contact compared to Caucasians (Wortley and Owusu-Bempah, 2011, p. 135). Alarmingly, suspected black offenders are also more likely to be shot and experience use of force by Canadian law enforcement personnel than their white counterparts (Wortley and Owusu-Bempah, 2011, p. 138).

In the eyes of many Canadians our country is viewed as a historically racially-inclusive society. This idea is false, and there is very limited evidence to support the contrary. Many events in Canada’s history have shows that it is guilty of promoting racial hierarchies and cultural insensitivities. Throughout Canada’s development there has always remained an emphasis on promoting the supremacy of the white race, and Anglo-Canadian culture.

Racial Profiling can be described as an individual being suspected of a crime solely on the grounds of their race or ethnicity. Racial Profiling goes against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom, and takes away an individual rights. Racial profiling is wrong and ineffective. It affects both the community and it misshapes the democracy of our country. Racial profiling is caused by stereotyping certain minority groups. Racial profiling targets innocent people who are wrongfully accused because of stereotyping, while those who have commited the crime may face no consequnces because of inadequate searches. Victims who sufer from racial profiling have their rights stripped, causing them to question their freedom in a democratic country. Racial profiling has affected many people of colour in Canada. Rangings from African Americans to muslims and people of Arab decent and even Canada’s very own aboriginal people. Racial profiling in its lowest form tends to cause overpolicing or under policing of certain communities. Racial Profiling has been a serious issue in Canada for years. Racial profiling not only lead to imprisonment, it can sometimes even lead to death all because of stereotyping. This paper will discuss, what are the effects of racial profiling within minorities? How this leads to crime?

In this paper the role of the HCPs, in regards to not providing ethically safe care to AP will be explored. As the literature was reviewed there were many themes that came to the surface. For the purpose of this paper I will discuss the three themes, which I found throughout the literature which give a bit of historical context as to why HCPs may have an implicit bias towards AP, the emotional burden it puts on AP, and its impact on health within this population.

Hate crime in Canada, until recently, wasn’t covered frequently in the media. The most recent Statistics Canada report displayed a downward trend in hate crime (Allen, 2015, p. 4). Hate crime is still an issue that needs more attention; specifically right wing groups who are responsible for it. This paper will initially cover Canadian statistics regarding trends and figures about hate crime in Canada and then progress into discussion about how hate crime initially starts. Two theories that do a through job at explaining hate crime, in regards to right wing extremists groups, are social identity theory and strain theory. Afterwards, this paper will progress into a discussion about a specific type of hate group, Neo-Nazi’s in Canada; facts, ideologies,

Othering is where a group of people are treated intrinsically differently to maintain the social prominence of the ‘in group’, Caucasian Canadians in Nova Scotia treated African Nova Scotians differently to allow themselves to still have control over African Nova Scotians. Though slavery had been abolished there was still segregation, racism and discrimination happening to African Nova Scotians. The othering method in Nova Scotia resulted in the mistreatment of Africville civilians, racist stereotyping and education being withheld from African Nova Scotians. Racism is the belief that all members of a specific race share the same characteristics that are unique to that race, it is used to establish a races superiority or inferiority from another.

“You’re nothing but a dog… not a thing but a dog" (Hughes, 1944). Comparing a human life to a mutt was the reality for many that were enslaved in Canada. In comparison to Canada's southern partner, The United States, we are seen as a community that has always contained equality; but this ideology could not be more distorted. Canadians are blindly following this misconception that racism is not prominent in Canada; although the history of the nation evidently shows that this unjust practice was inflicted upon multiple ethnic groups. Naturally, there are specific groups that are burdened by this issue more than others. Such as the African Americans who migrated to British North America, hoping that they would be granted freedom and equality.

Racism has brought about many challenges in our society and it has changed in a negative way because every day as the Aboriginals, Blacks, Asians, Middle Easterners increase in Canada, so are the most racist people. It has undergone very little positive change in the society. In fact, we are doing way worse than our ancestors did because we cannot just function without being backward minded prejudiced people and this is very bad. By doing this, we are telling our children that it is okay to be racist against their Aboriginal, Black, Asian and Middle Easterner classmates.

Focusing specifically on race or ethnicity, Black people are generally the most targeted. Black people account for 2.5% of the Canadian population and it is important to view a report by Lewis (1992) on race relations to determine the prevalence of anti-Black sentiments in Canada, as well as the general effect of racism towards this racial group:

Racism can affect an individual’s mental health and well-being (Hyman, 2009). In Canada, visible minorities and immigrants who experience discrimination and unfair treatment are more likely to experience emotional/mental problems that manifest as feelings of sadness, depression, and loneliness (De Maio & Kemp, 2010). Moreover, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and low self-esteem are a few mental health conditions that have been linked to racialized immigrants in Canada (Nestel, 2012). For example, Afghan immigrant youth in Canada can experience low self-esteem, fear, and anxiety due to regular racism and Islamophobia (Nestel, 2012). More specifically in BC, there is evidence that racial discrimination against immigrant parents can have negative effects on

According to Collins Dictionary Online defines, “racism” means belief in or doctrine asserting racial differences in character, intelligence, etc. and the superiority of one race over another or others. Historically, there has always been many conflict of racism among ethnic groups in Canada; for example, the conflict between French and English Canadians and immigrants and Canadians.

Racial Profiling the assumption that someone has committed a crime based on their physical appearance and the stigma that surrounds that culture or group. Racial profiling, therefore, affects everyone in society as it is about humanity and social justice. We can all agree that everyone deserves the chance to be free of stereotypes and even those who aren’t amidst racial profiling should realise that they are affected as those who are guilty may not belong to said stereotyped racial group or those who are not guilty may be profiled without actions to warrant so. Growing evidence has shown that in a study conducted by the Canadian government “participants who identified themselves as a visible minority felt that they had been the target of racial profiling over the last four years compared to non-minority participants (20% vs. 6%). When asked the extent to which racial profiling occurs unofficially, 20% of the participants felt it happened "all the time" and 62% felt that it happened "sometimes".” (Canadian Department of Justice). These statistics illustrate that even in a country where it is claimed that we are equal and without a biased system people still are treated as if they are something they are not and due to their ethnic background. The article “Ottawa teen claims he was a victim of police profiling” featured on CBC news will only further serves as a real-life example to help justify these sociological theories that a police officer assumed him a criminal and

One of the largest and most prevalent social issues in Winnipeg is the prejudice and racism directed towards the city’s indigenous population. Maclean’s magazine has gone as far to claim that Winnipeg is the “most racist city in Canada”. Unfortunately, there are many facts and events to support this claim. One particular instance would be the case of Brian Sinclair. The 45-year-old man waited 34 hours in hospital before s doctor saw to him, but by that time he was already dead.