Racism in the United States and Canada

[MKristensen908]

As I am working now for a company that has operations both in the states and Canada, I was wondering about something my coworkers and I were talking about. Is there "more" racism in the States than Canada?
I remember when I was going to college, I saw a bunch of kids in Kingston taunting an asian delivery man. While I wasn't man enough at the time to stop them, it got me thinking; for all we say about Canada's culture of tolerance, is it really any better than the states?

[cape_royds]

Racism is as widespread in Canada as it is in the USA, and by no means only among "whites." Multicultural communities feature an interesting matrix of tolerance along with multiple racisms.

For example, in my Vancouver neighbourhood, I see a remarkable ability to get along day-to-day, but sometimes hear startling remarks from some of the same people I find so tolerant in their routine affairs! I have seen Hong Kong people sneer at Chinese mainlanders and vice-versa, while both look down on non-Chinese (more than once I've heard guai loh muttered under the breath in my presence, and many of us "barbarian freaks" in Vancouver know what that phrase means!). Meanwhile, I've seen Japanese sneer at Chinese for being "dirty," Sri Lankans sneer at Filipinos for god-knows-why, and of course nowadays everyone hates the Arabs unless they're thoroughly Westernized--and suitably grateful for such a "blessing."

Canada's large cities are the very model of a cosmopolitan community in our globalized 21st century!

However, while I think that while racism is probably as widespread in Canada as in the USA, I might suggest that the worst of the racism in the USA is worse than the worst of racism in Canada. The USA still labours under the weight of the legacy of its former institutions. For example you don't get things like the "Rodney King" riots here.

Canada, for its part, is still trying to deal with its own main institutionalized racism, i.e. with the Indians. This involves some tense incidents such as Oka, Gustafsen Lake, etc., but so far we've been both smart and lucky, and few lives have been lost. Fortunately, this legacy affects a smaller percentage of the population than the incubus of black/white relations in the USA.

If you go into a room full of Canadians most will hotly deny that their country or their people are racist. It is a good sign that to be known as a racist is itself seen as a serious stigma in this country.

Having racially and culturally diverse communities does not in itself free us from the problems of racism. Instead, an intricate matrix of attitudes, such as the one I mentioned above, tends to develop. Such multicultural communities as Sarajevo might go along peacefully for generations, but still shatter along ethnic lines even after groups have co-existed for a long time.

Hopefully Canada's experiment in multiculturalism will turn out better than the Ottomans'.

[MKristensen908]

If you go into a room full of Canadians most will hotly deny that their country or their people are racist. It is a good sign that to be known as a racist is itself seen as a serious stigma in this country.

I'm just curious if you've met Canadians who deny this and then reveal themselves to be racist.

[smilingassassin]

I'd say the racisim is just as rampant in Canada per capita as the U.S.

The U.S. simply has much larger groupings of "minority's" than Canada due to its much larger population.

Everybody is racist in some form through either ignorance or intolerance.

[Canmoore]

Every country has racism, even Canada. People like to look at the past, and use the under ground railway, as a way of showing that Canada is less racist than America.

That may be all fine and dandy, however, the black man was to early America, as the Chinese man was to Early Canada.

Canadians are just as racist as Americans.

[dave lukins]

Canadians are just as racist as Americans.

Or Racist are just as Racist as Racist

[MKristensen908]

i'm curious about some of the racist situations you guys have all encountered in the states or elsewhere.

[Deioces]

Well here in souther california there arent that many hate crimes as some other places, but alot of them sem to be geared against the blacks. and the blacks are a big source of jokes for alot of people as well. ive encountered some racism as well but i delt with it accordingly.

[dave lukins]

Well here in souther california there arent that many hate crimes as some other places, but alot of them sem to be geared against the blacks. and the blacks are a big source of jokes for alot of people as well. ive encountered some racism as well but i delt with it accordingly.

Good on you!!I have often wondered what happens when a Racist,say White against Black, if, a close relative requires instant life saving treatment and the only person is a black doctor...what happens now!!!!?Remember your son/daughter is dying.........Answers Please!!

[Archer]

Good on you!!I have often wondered what happens when a Racist,say White against Black, if, a close relative requires instant life saving treatment and the only person is a black doctor...what happens now!!!!?Remember your son/daughter is dying.........Answers Please!!

Come with a bucket of white paint!

[teddymandrake]

"I'm just curious if you've met Canadians who deny this and then reveal themselves to be racist."

I have and more than once. Interestingly, after they realized my boundary for racism does not extend beyond quality humor they all backtracked and said basically the same thing. "I'm not really racist. Although the blacks do make me nervous."

Racism is an offshoot of survival instinct. As long as we are on the top of the food chain there is no reason to be racist.

[Canmoore]

"I'm just curious if you've met Canadians who deny this and then reveal themselves to be racist."

I have and more than once. Interestingly, after they realized my boundary for racism does not extend beyond quality humor they all backtracked and said basically the same thing. "I'm not really racist. Although the blacks do make me nervous."

Racism is an offshoot of survival instinct. As long as we are on the top of the food chain there is no reason to be racist.

I am surprised that you linked Racism to a survival instinct. In many cases, we are afraid of what we do not know. A different culture, that behaves and acts completely different from our own set of norms, can be very unnerving.

Education I feel is the most powerful tool to combat Racism, we can education people about foreign cultures and there ways of doing things, so that new races no longer make us feel uncomfortable.

However, Education can go both ways. When racism is engraved into your brain via education, then it can be very difficult remove. In some places, as in past generations of our own society, racism was just apart of life, that was passed down from generation to generation.

Ill give you an example:

My grandparents are not fond of visible minorities. Does not mean that they are mean people, they were just raised in an era where other races were looked down upon.
(That is one good thing I can say about Trudeau's multiculturalism, it has created a more tolerant society)

I could only imagine the expressions on my grandparents faces, when my mother became engaged to a Japanese-Canadian!! Now, my grandparents hold no ill-will towards asian people! My grandfather adores my stepfather, and my stepfather emulates my grandfather!!

Education can break down so many barriers in this world, if we can only learn to use it.

[T_igger_cs_30]

A very sad case but I know of one landlord in Medicine Hat that will not rent his houses to anyone other than "white folk" point blank refuses no matter how often he is told that he is breaking the law, being racist etc etc his reply is .........."aint breaking my law" so far he has not been taken to any court or tribunal.........interesting point this man lives on Curry and Kebabs...his two favourite foods

[teddymandrake]

double post

[teddymandrake]

"I am surprised that you linked Racism to a survival instinct. In many cases, we are afraid of what we do not know. " SORRY, I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO QUOTE ANOTHER MEMBER. This was originally posted by Canmoore.

Exactly. If you will indulge me, I’d like for you to consider this scenario:

1. It’s a world where all humans live in peace and harmony together.
2. The climate is such that humans don’t need clothes.
3. The climate is also such that humans don’t need shelter so we all live outside.
4. Pterodactyls are at the top of the food chain and humans are number two.

Pterodactyls will acquire a preference for a certain type of human (pink) and will target those (pink) humans more often. Once humans recognize the (pink) trait the pterodactyls prefer they will keep a distance from the (pink) humans who carry that (pink) trait by fight or flight. It’s racist, but it is also survival.