So far, the 21st century has had quite the eventful beginning. With all these drastic events in mind, some still worry about Canada being, having been or becoming a racist society. The arrangements being formed, the images being portrayed, the misconceptions being said and media’s contradictory role all play a part on the current status of racism. On the bright side, this country is definitely heading in the right direction and doing almost all that it can. A few changes and improvements can be made and the possibility of eliminating racism will arise.
To start off, it must be proven that racism exists in Canada. The simple fact that there are organizations to get rid of racism in Canada as opposed to only preventing it, is proof enough. This demonstrates that this issue is not yet solved and is still causing problems coast to coast. Two worthy examples would be the National Anti-Racism Council of Canada(1) and Stopracism(2). These restless groups seem to be constantly concentrating on specific problems occurring nationally and creating new methods to inform and educate the population as effectively as possible. In addition to the above mentioned organizations, there is always a random article that appears in the daily newspaper about a racist incident or even reminding the public about racism’s unfortunate existence in Canada. Whether this is done with altruism or simply to make things interesting, it is something that can be avoided and is absolutely uncalled for.
Next, the general misconception of a “pure canadian”. The fact that all cultures, ethnicities and races are all accepted in Canada is an extremely big deal yet fails to be mentioned at the most important times. When citizens are asked to describe their idea of a “pure canadian”, the same traits are always listed: beaver, maple leaf, hockey, cold, accent, etc. The same trait is always skipped: multicultural. Some may blame this on forgetfulness or ignorance but in the end it is all linked to racist tendencies whether they are conscious or not. Canadians should be proud of being closely linked to multiculturalism. Although the acknowledgement of multiculturalism is not yet fully accepted, there are worse situations and incidents that exist around the country. Laws, by-laws and public policies are in place to prevent any unacceptable acts but serve only as a reduction towards the openness of racist individuals. On the other hand, media’s active role in society has shifted to spreading the word and advertising multicultural events instead of the old fashioned way of prioritizing other topics.
While media’s role has not always been the most helpful, it is important to remember that racism is a two-way street. Societies, communities and basically the word of mouth played a big part in producing and spreading the more than unfortunate hate crime. Racism is not native to Canada, it is a strong belief for some all over the world. A whopping twenty percent of born canadians are foreign(3), coming from all four corners of the world, all bringing with them their personal morals and values. An underlying problem that is exemplary for a two-way racism that has been unsettled for the longest time is between caucasians and native-americans. The situation is more than complicated because of Canada’s past, ownership rights, tax laws, etc. It is an impossibility to have everyone equally satisfied, if satisfied at all. In these particular circumstances like many others, misinterpretations are very frequent. For example, Stephen Harper made a recent apology of some sort to the native-american public of Ontario and did so with nothing but good intentions. Despite the good intentions of the prime minister, the message that was delivered rooted more revolts and angry people than necessary.
Beyond any doubt, racism does exist in Canada. Strictly speaking, Canada is not a racist society notwithstanding a number of racist individuals, groups and incidents. Preventing should be the concern, not abolishing. Hopefully the general view of a “pure canadian” will be re-shaped and Canada’s multicultural perspective will be more evident to its residents. Racism helps nothing. Abraham J. Heschel once said,“Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.”
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