The persecution of visible minorities within contemporary Canadian society has been a longstanding and shameful tradition, that has occurred throughout Canadian history. While history has shown overt and institutional forms of racism, such as legislations that clearly inhibited the rights of Aboriginal peoples within Canada. Racism within contemporary Canadian society is often much more hidden, and usually is manifested through stereotypes and other forms of individual and undercover racism (Cole, 2015). However, this doesn’t mean that violent and blatant persecution of visible minorities doesn’t occur. We see this form of persecution in a case that took place at the University of Alberta.
The University of Alberta has faced a scandal; as
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The Criminal Code of Canada outlines that “Every one who, by communicating statements in any public place, incites hatred against any identifiable group where such incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace is guilty of an indictable offence” (Criminal Code, 1985). The Alberta Human Rights Act also states that “No person shall publish, issue or display… before the public any statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem, or other representation that indicates discrimination or an intention to discrimination against a person or a class of persons” (Alberta Human Rights Act, 2000). Furthermore, the Edmonton Police Service defines a bias crime as “a criminal offence committed against a person or property that is solely based upon the victim’s race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, or sexual characteristic” (Disproportionate Harm: Hate Crime in in Canada, n.d.). In this case, the posters incited hatred towards individuals that are apart of minority racial, religious, and ethnic groups. Therefore, the act of placing these discriminatory posters across the campus not only classifies as a crime under the Criminal Code, but also infringes upon the human rights outlined in provincial legislation, as it incites hatred towards a group of visible minorities. This act can be considered a hate crime under Canadian legislations and policies, as it definitively and overtly persecutes a group visible minorities. The question know is what level of government is responsible for handling this hate
The case of R. v. Krymowski was around hate speech against the Roma people, also known as the “Gypsies”. A protest was staged by 25 neo-Nazis and other people in front of the motel where the Roma refugees were staying when they were allowed into Canada in 1997. These groups of individuals held up signs in order to gain support from the whole community to extradite/get rid of all the Gypsies who have immigrated. They eventually started getting assistance from a large group of people including public officials, police officers, members of the press and etc. Along with this were newspaper articles which were being published criticising the Roma people saying how they treated their wives and even their daughters unequally compared to the men in the family. They also believed that the Roma’s educated their children how to steal. About 3 weeks into the whole debate, the protesting began which last approximately over 2 hours. The Neo-Nazis held up some horrifying signs around the hotel where the Roma refugees were staying. Some signs stating “Honk if you hate Gypsies”, “Canada is not a Trash Can”, “You’re a cancer to Canada” and “G.S.T – Gypsies Suck Taxes”. However, there were no direct situations towards the Roma people during the whole period of the peaceful protest. Approximately 4 months after the protest had occurred; the police force entered numerous homes of individuals after extreme public lobbying by pressure groups. A number of people were charged with wilful promotion also known as hate crime. The Crown attempted to prove that the people that took place in the protest violated the Criminal Code by having hatred towards an identifiable group of people and tried to establish that the Neo-Nazis along w...
A Critical Analysis of Racism in Canadian Law and the “Unmapping” of the White Settler Society in “When Place Becomes Race” by Sherene H. Razack
This quotation is taken from a Hollywood film, but has a tendency to ring true in legal disputes in Canada involving minority groups. Racism as a component in the Canadian societal context has prevented the realization of truth and justice throughout history. For instance, Donald Marshall Jr. endured a wrongful conviction as a result of racism in the criminal justice system. While this dilemma has proved to be most difficult for minority groups to overcome, critical race theory, as implemented by defence lawyers in R.D.S. v. The Queen, has allowed for the realization of racism as truth in Canadian society and provides a tool for minority groups in future legal battles.
Palmer, Howard. Patterns of Prejudice: A History of Nativism in Alberta. Toronto, Ont.: McClelland and Stewart, 1982. Print.
...between them and the “Others,” though after 9/11 this “innocences” of living in an harmonious world was no longer due to the actions of the ‘terrorists’ (Street, 2003). The inquiry report on racial profiling from OHRC was serving a purpose to demonstrate anti-hegemony which delineates as the refusal to give permission to all that is wrong, encourage the knowledge of different cultures, and oppose to a single powerful group from ruling the system (Stand, 2014). Informing Canadian’s on racial profiling is a great start to raising consciousness, however knowledge is not everything. Knowledge without answers is only awareness and in order to change racial profiling individuals need direction. Perhaps OHRC could present a new report with answers to end racial profiling or at least where to begin, because with proper guidance racial profiling can be modified and destroyed.
In the article “Point: Racial Profiling in Law Enforcement is Unjust”, Adele Cassola determines that racial profiling is an extensive problem in policing across Canada. She identifies that racial profiling is based on stereotypes of race, ethnicity, and cultural background with African-Canadians, Arab-Canadians, and Aboriginal Canadians being targeted most frequently. Racial profiling is not unique to law enforcement and immigration, Cassola asserts, “it is a wide spread problem within other institutions and establishments as well” (2009). She discovered a survey that showed Toronto's African-Canadian secondary school students were stopped four times more frequently and searched six times more frequently than their non-black classmates. In an article from the Toronto Star newspaper in 2002, Cassola notes that African-Canadians were subject...
Systemic discrimination has been a part of Canada’s past. Women, racial and ethnic minorities as well as First Nations people have all faced discrimination in Canada. Policies such as, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, provincial and federal Human Rights Codes, as well has various employment equity programs have been placed in Canada’s constitution to fight and address discrimination issues. Despite these key documents placed for universal rights and freedoms Aboriginal and other minority populations in Canada continue to be discriminated against. Many believe there is no discrimination in Canada, and suggest any lack of success of these groups is a result of personal decisions and not systemic discrimination. While others feel that the legislation and equality policies have yet resulted in an equal society for all minorities. Racism is immersed in Canadian society; this is clearly shown by stories of racial profiling in law enforcement.
According to Petrosino (2003: 10) hate crimes can be defined as "..the victimisation of minorities due to their racial or ethnic identity by members of the majority. " (p. 4) Hate crimes are also known as bias-motivated crimes because the crimes are motivated by a bias towards a person or persons including but not limited to those of a different gender, ethnic background, religion, or sexual orientation. Hate crimes are quite serious and have severe and long lasting-effects for the targeted victims. Due to the severe nature of the crimes many countries have strict laws in place to punish offenders. Hate crime is not widely discussed in Canadian society because it has not been a prominent issue until now. “..The extent of the problem in Canada was limited to a small number of persons, such activity could create a climate of malice and destructiveness to the values of our society (Cohen Report, 1966:24). As a result of the committee’s efforts, Parliament amended the Criminal Code in 1970, thus rendering hate propaganda as a punishable offence (Law Reform Commission of Canada, 1986:7)
Neylan (2013) suggests that the Aboriginal women of Vancouver have perhaps experienced a similar and lingering attitude to those of the colonists. As well, it seems the Canadian justice system has also retained some of the same cruel and biased ideologies as its earlier colonialists. Neylan identifies a parallel here, explaining both colonists and the current justice system treat natives in a demeaning manner, disregarding the value of human life because of an indigenous lab...
No community in Canada comes into conflict with criminal justice system officials more disproportionately than Aboriginals (Dickson-Gilmore, 2011, p.77). Indeed, Aboriginal Canadians are often subject to both overt and unintended discrimination from Canadian law enforcement due in large part to institutionalized reputations as chronic substance abusers who are incapable of reform (Dickson-Gilmore, 2011, p.77-78). One of the more startling contemporary examples of this is the case of Frank Paul; a Mi’kmaq Canadian who was left to die in a Vancouver alley by officers of the Vancouver Police Department after being denied refuge in a police “drunk tank”. Not surprisingly, this event garnered significant controversy and public outcry amongst Canada’s Aboriginal population who have long been subject to over-policing and persistent overrepresentation as offenders in the Canadian criminal justice system (Jiwani & Dickson-Gilmore, 2011, p.43 & 81).
Do you know that despite Canada being called multicultural and accepting, Canada’s history reveals many secrets that contradicts this statement? Such an example are Canadian aboriginals, who have faced many struggles by Canadian society; losing their rights, freedoms and almost, their culture. However, Native people still made many contributions to Canadian society. Despite the efforts being made to recognize aboriginals in the present day; the attitudes of European Canadians, acts of discrimination from the government, and the effects caused by the past still seen today have proven that Canadians should not be proud of Canada’s history with respect to human rights since 1914. First, is because of the attitudes of European Canadians towards aboriginals, which were mostly cruel and inhumane.
Many theorists lay blame for the perpetuation of racism in Canadian society on the mainstream news media, arguing that racist preconceptions are reflected and reinforced through the use of racialised discourse in news-casting. For example, Augie Fleras and Jean Elliott, in their analysis of multiculturalism in Canada, note that the treatment of people of color, aboriginals, immigrants, and refugees in Canada ranges from mixed to deplorable, arguing that the news media frames non-whites as criminals and social nuisances.1 Similarly, Mikal Muharrar, in his analysis of racial profiling, notes that news media categorises non-whites as criminals through the use of subtle stereotypes and profiling techniques, and that this negatively impacts on how society perceives people of colour. 2 Moreover, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, in a government brief, identifies the mainstream media as playing a fundamental role in the perpetuation of racism due to its inability "to prevent racist misconceptions … in defiance of existing human rights legislation." 3
Canada is perceived by other nations as a peace-loving and good-natured nation that values the rights of the individual above all else. This commonly held belief is a perception that has only come around as of late, and upon digging through Canadian history it quickly becomes obvious that this is not the truth. Canadian history is polluted with numerous events upon which the idea that Canada is a role model for Human Rights shows to be false. An extreme example of this disregard for Human Rights takes place at the beginning of the twentieth-century, which is the excessive prejudice and preconceived notions that were held as truths against immigrants attempting to enter Canada. Another prime example of these prejudices and improper Human Rights is the Internment of those of Japanese descent or origin during the Second World War. Also the White Paper that was published by the government continues the theme of Human Rights being violated to the utmost extreme. All these events, as well as many others in history, give foundation to the idea that “Canada as a champion for Human Rights is a myth”.
To begin with, the role of Critical Race Theory provides us with the idea of “racial realism”, the idea that racism, the normalcy of white supremacy is part of the everyday life of an ‘other’, in other words, racial or indigenous minorities in Canada (Slides on Critical Race Theory). The Critical Race Theory gives an understanding of the power that can be given to a definition such as ‘race’, and how
Toronto, Canada: Canadian Scholars' Press, 2000. 167-186. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secon Ogawa, Brian K. Color of Justice: Culturally Sensitive Treatment of Minority Crime Victims. Allen and Bacon: Needham Heights, MA, 1999. Saleh Hanna, Viviane.