Racism in Vancouver

I really want to think that Craiglist Vancouver's rants/raves section doesn't honestly reflect how Vancouverites view multiculturalism in this city and country, but now I am starting to wonder. An example I can draw from is the Idle No More movement---it has brought out as much intense hate towards aboriginals as it has intense support. I overheard three "white" people the other day on the SkyTrain state that Canada should bring back residential schools. What the hell are people thinking? What the hell have we learned from our society, our families, our schools? I hear in public places and private homes people openly hate Chinese, Iranians, East Indians, French Canadians... when (of course) none of the above are in one's presence. It's sad. Many (not all) people there think their jobs are being stolen at the hands of immigrants or that English is a foreign language in this city. How ignorant. The woman I love and her family are immigrants and they are prouder Canadians than those born and raised here. I've learned her language fluently and she speaks mine perfectly. I don't reflect any of the above, but I am scared that I'm in the minority now because I chose not to hate. :(

29 Comments

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Jeff

Jan 17, 2013 at 11:42am

Do yourself a favour, and don't read comments posted to idle no more stories on the cbc, globe and mail, or anywhere but the Georgia Straight. The level of racism tolerated in this country is disturbing.

Got a clue

Jan 17, 2013 at 11:58am

Racism goes both ways . I'm in a non-white household and hear a lot of bad talk about whites. We are different , end of the story. I have more respect for an honest racist then I do for someone who pretends to see no color at all.

Here's how I see it

Jan 17, 2013 at 12:10pm

All of us in Canada - unless we are full-blooded aboriginals - are descended from immigrants (or are new immigrants).

Nobody is better than anyone else. End of story.

haha

Jan 17, 2013 at 12:29pm

as a white male visitor, my experience has been the reverse. i went to grad school here, and found people generally extremely careful to not offend, yet I received a lot of racism from first nations people, guys on the bus screaming at me, aboriginal colleagues and a faculty member at the university seemed to be combative... there is plenty of funding in BC for first nations academics..as long as someone shows they are the victim.

ernold same

Jan 17, 2013 at 12:33pm

I feel that the people with racialized ideologies belong and accociate with cliqued behaviour.Walk into any campus,hospital,workplace or mall and you see people only socializing with thier own kind,except for inter racial couples.To truly try to foster good relations,one must make friends with the other,and not assume theyre the enemy.The biggest problem is that the various groups just dont know eachother.They are complacent under polite racism.

gaylorrd

Jan 18, 2013 at 8:10am

you should see how it is in redneck alberta.. you havent seen nothin in vancouver

Rolf

Jan 18, 2013 at 10:11am

I certainly agree with the OP... I am white but my wife is Chinese and the amount of open hostility we face especially when in bars or pubs is ridiculous. My wife has had white waitresses deliberately spill entire beers on her (happened more than once).

Steve

Jan 18, 2013 at 11:05am

Canada does well on race, despite individual incidents. It accepts large numbers of non-white immigrants and they are doing very well here, overall. Most importantly, all are equal under the law, with equal citizenship, which is not the case elsewhere in the world. The only racial group with privileges under law are aboriginals and so far that seems acceptable to the majority.

RUK

Jan 18, 2013 at 2:51pm

I don't hear that much stuff about minorities but maybe that is because I am one and they're being discreet.

It's nice of you, I guess, to be sensitive to racism. In my view, you are going about solving the problem in the only long term way that makes sense, i.e. hopping the colour line that used to be so important that there was a law against it.

As for Idle No More, I believe I understand the impetus for the movement. What I do not understand is how racialized thinking, a remnant of our colonial past, shoud persist - the Indian Act is an abomination

ManameIzEluuu

Jan 28, 2013 at 8:34pm

If Racism doesnt exsist in vancouver , why the heck does someone of a certain race when they spot me and want to converse and im fairly approachable start talking normally somewhat then progress into interrogating if i am of their race and then when i do so whatever race i am if different from theirs either theyll be assholeish or start mocking or if i am of their race they ll start praising their race and put down other races ..And talk their language , Seriosuly my source i still live here A GOOD MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE ANTI SOCIAL And DUM ..trust me CANADA ROCKS ,im moving to another province i can only hope i dont percieve what i experienced here

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