Roots of Racism

Exploring Roots of Racism

Learning about racism helps our:

• Awareness
• Information
• Self reflection
• Open dialogue
• Acknowledgement
• Repair and healing
• Recognition

Myth of Race

• There is no scientific basis of race. 99% of human genome is the same.

~ There is no biological basis for race and it can change over time, for political reasons and across geographic boundaries.

• Race was invented based on physical appearance and geographic origin.

Conclusion: “Race” is a social construct.

• It’s an idea that has been created and accepted by the people in a society.
• It’s a term used to classify people into groups based principally on physical traits, such as skin colour or facial features.

Race perceptions may be from society, people who you interact with, and media

Realities of race and how it influences us:

• We use “differences” to form assumptions each other
• View, treat and behave people
• Racism requires a social structure to use it

Understanding Racialization and Racism

Racialization: “the process by which societies construct races as real, different and unequal in ways that matter to economic, political and social life.” — Ontario Human Rights Commission

“Racism consists of ideas, beliefs, or practices that establish, maintain, or perpetuate the superiority or dominance of one racial group over another.” — Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards, 2019

• People are treated as not as normal and treated as stereotypes and are harmful and cause inequalities.

Examples

• In education: Stigma and stereotypes result in:
  • Increased scrutiny
  • Assumptions
  • Application of education policies
  • 42% of Black students are suspended at least once, versus 18% of White students in Toronto high schools
• In environment: racialized groups are more impacted
• In health care: indigenous people, low income, and social factors groups are more likely to have negative health outcomes

Unequal Access in History - Canada and Institutional Racism

• Colonialism in Canada - The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
• Government has exerted dominance over indigenous peoples
• Racist legislation and policies in Canada:
  • Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
  • Slavery in Canada
  • Destruction of Africville
  • Common Schools Act (Segregation)
  • Building CP Rail
  • Continuous journey Regulation (India & Japan)
  • Proposed Ban on Black Immigration
  • Chinese Exclusion Act
  • Antisemitic Immigration Policy
  • War Measures Act
  • West Indian Domestic Scheme
  • Residential School System
  • Indian Act
• Historical cases:
  • Jordan Principle - about Jordan, an indigenous child. The underlying Lack of access to in-home care due to governments arguing of who should provide him healthcare because of his indigenous status caused him to due in the hospital at 5 years old, never spending a day at his family home - a privilege for many non-indigenous children.
  • COVID-19 and Asian communities in 2020+
    • During the pandemic, some people used the media and social media to recklessly place blame on Asians for the virus.
    • What followed was a surge in physical violence towards innocent people.
  • Black racism:
    • Destruction of a Black community in Halifax
    • Black and White segregation of schools in Ontario
    • These racist ideas and actions were accepted by Canadian society over decades. Racialization of Black people is still common today.

Call to Actions

• Educate yourself and support others in education
• Have conversations with others about learning
• Be conscious of biases and asking unequal questions
• Ally with others and support them by listening, speaking up when discrimination occurs

References

1. Caswell, Estelle and Jenee Desmond-Harris. “The myth of race, debunked in 3 minutes.” YouTube, uploaded by

Vox, 13 Jan. 2015, https://WWW.youtube.com/watch?v=anKgffCZ7U

1. James, Carl and Tana Turner. Towards Race Equity in Education: The Schooling of Black Students in the Greater

Toronto Area. York University, 2017.

1. Porter,Jody. “Children of the poisoned river.” CBC News, edited by Andre Mayer, httpszl/WWW.cbc.ca/neW52/

interactives/children-of-the-poisoned-river-mercury-poisoning-grassy-narrows—first-nation. Accessed 16 Sept.

2. Lendsay, Kelly. “Indigenous Health Issues in Canada.” Express Scripts, 24 May 2016, https://www.express-scripts.ca/raising-health/lndigenous—Health-lssues-in—Canada

3. Video: “Jordan’s Principle - Youth PSA.” First Nations Child & Family Caring Society, uploaded February 2018,

https://WWW.youtube.com/watch?V:RachHmFd-M

1. Video: “This is What anti-Asian racism looks like in Canada.” CBC.com, uploaded April 2021, https://WWW.cbc.ca/player/play/1879595075652