Blog Post 9: What type of racisms specifically target Asians and people of the Middle East?

Hyunh (2014) discusses the notion and approach of studying Asians in Canada. The author states that the idea of 'Asians' as 'model minorities', and an 'invading' foreign labour force stereotypes those that are seen as Asian to their ability to work and privileging the group because of it. Minority groups are unable to speak out against racism because it is seen as the racialised group unable to solve their own issues, as multiculturalism in Canada is conceptualized as ideal and equitable. Hyunh also argues against Bonilla-Silva's (2009) tri-racial models of race relations, where some 'Asians' are 'honourary Whites', as it advantages some groups of Asians, while ignoring those who are not advantaged. Hyung also points out the higher-skilled workers are recruited from White, or White settler-states, while low skilled workers are brought in from Asia-Pacific region and Central and South America.

Philipupillai (2014) discusses the role of education in colonialism, through analyzing how children who were on the MV Sun Sea, a vessel that transported Tamil refugees across the Pacific Ocean to Burnaby, British Columbia. While children were under illegal detention, Teachers from Burnaby provided instruction on how to conduct themselves in Canadian society. The B.C. teachers magazine put a positive spin on the work done by their teachers, stating 'The children were housed with their mothers', when they will illegally detained, essentially normalizing violence against children and families by Canada through Canadian educators. The teachers were essentially patting themselves on the back for a job well done in 'improving' the behaviour, demeanour, and obedience of the children, as well as the positive reception from students and teachers (voiced by the teachers, not the children or their families). Philipupillai calls for anti-racist and anti-colonialist pedagogy to intervene to combat the notions of white supremacy and the white settler state, starting with community-oriented social and political change or actions in educational institutions.

Marcotte (2010) summarizes findings from a study on Muslim women in Canada – how Islam is manifested and how Canadian women's experiences are shaped. The author makes it evident that Canadian Muslim women must negotiate their religious, ethnic, gendered and national identities in the Canadian context while constructing their own identity. Full integration of Canadian Muslim women can be achieved through exchanges with Canadian Muslim men and Canadian society. Muslim communities and Muslim women are diverse, and to fight ignorance, we need to celebrate the diversity of all.

This week's readings made me think of a post I came across months ago: The Schrodinger's Immgirant; The one who lazes around on benefits whilst simultaneously stealing your job. It is important to understand my position in this topic – I came to Canada as a refugee with my family from Sri Lanka in 1989. Through my years of formal education I found myself losing my 'Tamil' identity, and forming one that was more inline with the West. Once I was about 19 or so, I began to realize how problematic this was and wanted to learn more about my roots. That being said, going through the education system as a student and with my limited experience as a classroom teachers, I find the system focuses on behaviour of non-White students, and on learning the colonizers' language, raising identity concerns. Tamil is the minority language in Sri Lanka, and one of the reasons for the crisis was language rights. The irony is that while fighting for language rights in Sri Lanka, Tamils arrived here, only to forget their language and lose the Tamil 'identity'. This is a result of colonization, where even in Sri Lanka, where the British ruled until 1948, English was seen as a means to success, and that has translated to the West, where to get ahead, we must learn the colonizers language and way to behave.

I agree with Hyunh and Marcotte that we cannot group all Asians together and all Muslims. We live in a world where each person has their unique experiences and ideals. We must celebrate the diversity. In response to this week's question, Asians and people of the Middle-East are targeted with racisms as the 'Other', those that have difficult integrating into 'Canadian' society, those that hold different values and ideologies, those who can only be employed in certain areas.

Question:

How can we, as anti-racist and anti-colonist scholars, help newcomers to Canada negotiate their linguistic and cultural identity?

References:

Huynh, K. (2014). To speak, know, live and feel 'Asian': For an anti-racist appraoch on the study of Asians in Canada, p. 149-161. In. Dei, G. & McDermott, M. (Eds). Politics of Anti-Racism Education: In search of strategies for transformative learning. New York: Springer.

Marcotte, R. (2010). Muslim women in Canada; Autonomy and empowerment, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 30(3), 357-373. DOI: 10.1080/13602004.2010.515816

Philipippillai, G.G. (2014). You make ourlives better: Education and the detention of Tamil refugee children, p.. 111-120. In. Dei, G. & McDermott, M. (Eds). Politics of Anti-Racism Education: In search of strategies for transformative learning. New York: Springer.

Blog Post 8: Is Multiculturalism Anti-Racism?

Yawching writes of a personal incident that occurred in multicultural and diverse Toronto, downtown, near the University of Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, bustling traffic, and countless people, and high end shops. The author uses the experience to showcase the realism of the city – where 'traditional Canadian' would never reveal their true thoughts in public spheres, but when given the opportunity to be anonymous, their true colours come out. Yawching writes that this may be a result of 'traditional Canadians' not having attention brought to their concerns. Rather than be politically correct, the author concludes that we have conversations and educate the population.

O'Connell argues that celebrations of rural whiteness sustains and approves of the frontier narratives, where the homogeneity of rural areas re-affirms the myth that White European settlers were the original inhabitants of Canada. The author states that even though ethnic groups exist, rural White communities feel they have limited knowledge or experiences in dealing with diversities. The article focuses on The Redneck Games, essentially a celebration of White, Canadian culture, and how it is used to further the Canadian settler myth. The term 'redneck', was used to identify White working class or poor people who have rural and southern U.S. roots. Those who support The Redneck Games state that the term 'redneck' is transformed into pride, by embracing, instead of rejecting the label. This celebration of White, Canadian values is linked to a hate-crime committed near Minto, and the assault of Asian-Canadian anglers.

Yawching shares an experience all to common in the urban Ontario (Toronto), while O'Connell researches the going-ons in rural Ontario (Minto). Many people would brush off Yawching's experience as a 'one-off' incident – a singular bad apple, in an otherwise good batch. I would argue otherwise. I was walking downtown Toronto with a friend an Asian friend a few years ago, when we got into a discussion on whether Toronto is truly diverse as it makes it seem. We discussed how very rarely, do we come across a diverse group of friends.

Reflecting on that conversation, allowed me to recall a conversation with a White friend of mine. I asked him if he wanted to come to the Caribana festival, to which he replied, every White person in the city leaves when Caribana roles around. My friend said it in jest, but there was a lot of truth to his words. For all it's diversity, Toronto has ethnic pockets in the city – Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Italy, Little Portugal, Little Jamaica, and so forth.

In rural Ontario, areas that were once just as diverse as urban settings, Whites have essentially driven out the other groups. While reading about The Redneck Games, I was at first intrigued – it sounded like any other cultural festival I've gone to: interesting games, some songs and dance, food, drink, and so forth. What irked me was how the games were looked at by attendees as “good clean Canadian fun”. I bolded and italicized the word 'Canadian'. What about bobbing for pig's feet is Canadian? I don't know any Canadians who toss toilets, or serenade people with their armpits. Maybe they should refer to it as 'good clean rural fun'.

I somewhat disagree with O'Connell drawing links from The Redneck Games to crime against minorities. I feel I should hate myself for saying this, but it felt like more of a random hate-crime, then a byproduct of The Redneck Games. Making connections like these implies there is hate-mongering going on at this event – and I cannot fathom a Klan rally taking place without something major happening. And the term 'redneck', I agree with the sentiment of attendees, where they felt proud of the term, taking it back for their own use, reminded me of Black people taking back the n-word.

Urban or rural, the same problem exist – non-Whites are yet to be accepted into 'Canadian' society. We are seen as stereotypes, the Other. Yawching and O'Connell state that we should not simply accept this, but hold conversations, challenge the histories we are taught, and become better educated on the issues. I think the best way to do this, is to learn about each other through actual multiculturalism. Go to various events celebrating different cultures, make friends and interact with people of various cultures, get different viewpoints, and most importantly, have an open mind. In this regards, I think that multiculturalism is anti-racism, or at the very least, a start.

Questions:

I have an idea of what the answers for these questions would be, but...

What IS White, Canadian culture? What are White Canadians really celebrating?

Why is it difficult for people to celebrate those who are different?

Sorry if the blog post seems like more of a ramble. There were a lot of thoughts going through my head, that I wanted to get down, and hopefully, get across. All this being said, I may check out The Redneck Games in the near future, mainly for entertainment purposes, and some educational reasons as well.

References:

Yawching, D. (2013, October 27). The silent racism of 'post racial' Canada: Canada's multicultural rhetoric is skin-deep illusion. The Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/10/27/the_silent_racism_of_post_racial_canada.html

O'Connell, A. (2010). An exploration of redneck Whiteness in multicultural Canada, Social Politics, 17(4), 536-563

Blog Post 7: How are the New Racisms challenges?

Song argues that we should keep the term 'racism', but we must more clearly differentiate 'racism' from individual concepts of racial prejudice – by using different terminology to define various instances of racial hostility. Song draws upon various examples, questioning whether the actions were racist or acts of racial hostility – in sports and in politics. Omi and Winant (1994) argue that for something to be racist, it must draw upon racially essentialist categories (beliefs about racial differences and stereotype) and create or reproduce structures of domination based upon these racial categories and generalization. Rattansi (2007) argues against the binary of 'racist' versus 'non-racist'.

Perez discusses the history of racism in comedy. The article states that humour was used to force immigrants to 'Americanize' through ridicule of language and customs. I would like to discuss this statement in particular. This reasoning probably makes sense to many researchers. The practice is still evident in various television sitcoms and animated shows – The Big Bang Theory, American Dad, Family Guy, The Simpsons, the list goes on. Minorities are still being ridiculed through comedy. Have we not reached the point where we assimilation is complete? Moreover, do we not live in a globalized world, where people are no longer seen as the 'Other', and diversity is real in many parts of the West?

Perez writes that it was during and after the civil rights period that ethnic and racial minorities began to openly engage in anti-racist comedy, or 'reverse discourse as a form of resistance to oppression. For years, we've had to endure ridiculous portrayals of minorities, but I think we are finally starting to see minorities fight back against these portrayals. Aziz Ansari, Mindy Kaling, Alan Yang are the new generation of comedians, taking ownership of their culture and changing the ways minorities are portrayed in Hollywood.

References:

Song, M. (2015, March 4). Challenging a culture of racial equivalence, DiscoverSociety, 6. Retrieved from http://discoversociety.org/2014/03/04/challenging-a-culture-of-racial-equivalence/

Perez, R. (2013). Learning to make racism funny in the 'color-blind' era, Discourse and Society, 24(4), 475-503.