Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
openness to diversity, the charge of racism trumps most others. It is a charge
that demeans, that identifies a deficient standard of citizenship. As such it
establishes a moral and political high ground, superiority in citizenship
practice that disqualifies competing discourses and their claims for political
endorsement, thereby favouring one's own. Accusations of racism may be
employed as a potent tool in political rhetoric.
At the same time one must avoid the dangerous risk of dismissing racism
altogether. There was no ambiguity about the existence of racism in the case
of attempted arson at a building site in the Westside district of Arbutus
Ridge in 1996 when a home under construction for a Hong Kong family
was damaged and spray-painted with highly offensive graffiti; nor was there
any lack of clarity of intent in the daubing of racist graffiti on parked cars
the previous summer (Bolan 1996). Surveys of immigrants in Canada have
thrown some additional light on their experience of disadvantage, with evi-
dence from the 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey (Government of Canada
2003; Reitz and Banerjee 2007). Some 20 percent of 'visible minorities'
reported that they had 'sometimes' or 'often' experienced discrimination or
unfair treatment in the previous five years because of some ethno-cultural
characteristic. Another 15 percent had endured such treatment, but 'rarely'.
Chinese-Canadians fell just below the average for all visible minorities.
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'Race' or skin colour was by far the most common distinction attributed by
them for such treatment, and typically the incidents occurred in the work
place. In contrast ten percent of other Canadians reported such an experi-
ence. The inclusiveness of the broad category of perceived 'unfair treat-
ment' might inflate responses but nonetheless they underscore the existence
of discrimination proceeding from ethnic and racial difference experienced
by over a third of visible minorities.
We heard enough stories among returnees from Canada in Hong Kong
to substantiate these findings.
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Typically, negative episodes in Canada were
concentrated at work or at school, though no one suggested they were per-
sistent or profound enough to motivate emigration. In response to a ques-
tion about feeling 'a full and equal member of Canadian society', some
focus group members reviewed unsettling events:
So during the first two years, I had a strong impression that the excuse of
everyone who wouldn't hire me was that I had no Canadian experience. It was
a big bias.
Once in the workforce, some respondents felt there was a ceiling to career
achievement.
I think there is still discrimination, especially if ethnic minorities want to
obtain higher positions… I have experienced this and have heard similar
stories, so I definitely believe discrimination exists.
