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.
No comments:
Post a Comment