Canada is a country that likes to pride itself on the inclusion of many races and ethnicities, to lean on the pillar of multiculturalism, and to fete cultural communities in numerous festivals around the country. This week's events have resurfaced the roots of Canadian prejudice which started right after Confederation with the Chinese Exclusion Act (1885), the "Natal Act" which excluded Japanese immigrants (1900), and the blatant barring of certain immigrants based on race -- East Indian (1906) and Africans (1911) , or religion -- namely Jewish (1939).
First, the remarkably monochromatic political advert of the provincial party currently leading in the Quebec polls showcases a sea of Caucasian faces -- hardly the cultural mosaic of "a nation open to the world." The only split-second frame exposing the "designated black guy," Maka Koto, has the candidate standing at the back of the bus, undetectable to the naked eye. The whitewashed image does not mirror what Quebec society is, but how the quintessential xenophobe wishes it to be.
The Parti Quebecois' social engineering platform is reminiscent of the racial hierarchy favoured by 1869 Immigration Minister Clifford SIFTON, who used bigoted stereotypes to rank Caucasian immigrants of American, British, German, Scandinavian, and eastern European origin over perceived inferior ethnicities such as "southern Europeans, blacks, and Orientals," who he actively discouraged from coming to Canada. The PQ has established a hierarchy of languages (English being the inferior one), ethnicities (Purelaine Québécois being at the top of the food chain), and religion (with Catholism trumping all else, including in the National Assembly), in a bid to take their nation back. The slogan, "À nous de choisir " (translation: "It's up to us to choose") might refer to their achromatization of diversity rather than making choices at the voting booth.
The frightening trend was endorsed publicly by Mayor Jean Tremblay of Saguenay, QC, who derided a woman with 20 years of active participation in Quebec society as a "recent arrival whose name I cannot pronounce," followed by Trois-Rivières Mayor Yves Levesque's ringing endorsement.
Suddenly, there are to distinct classes of citizens: Quebecers and those who aren't real Quebecers; those who are welcome to participate in the societal discourse and those who are to remain quiet; those who are one of "us," and those who are one of "them." A small step for Quebec nationalism, a giant leap backwards for multiculturalism and values which were at one time considered national.
The xenophobia spilled over to the ROC (Rest of Canada) today when it was revealed that the Bank of Canada, our country's central bank, chose to carve out all hints of diversity from its one hundred dollar bank note after heeding to discriminatory judgements from focus groups.
One person in Fredericton commented: "The person on it appears to be of Asian descent which doesn't rep(resent) Canada. It is fairly ugly."
One wonders if Canada should return Olympian Carol Huyhn's medal since her Asian heritage, according to some intolerant minds, does not represent Canada. What to make of former GG Adrienne Clarkson, Senators Vivian Poy and Yonah Kim-Martin, or Jack Layton's widow Olivia Chow?
Suddenly, Canadians of colour, numbering over five million, are "deemed unsuitable" to represent Canada in certain circles. Capitulating to thinly veiled racism and bigotry, the Bank of Canada replaced "Asian" features with what they call a "neutral ethnicity." Naturally, Canadians should expect the "neutral gender" to be male, but the jury is still out on what the Bank's "neutral religion" would be.
As Canadians born with names a rural Quebec mayor cannot pronounce, with facial features unfit for a Canadian bank note, with an "un-neutral" skin tone that continues to lag behind multi-generational Caucasian Canadians in employment , representation in elected office, and earnings it is high time Canada acknowledge its long legacy of divisiveness and address its ugly remnants in order to move forward to the pluralistic vision of our beloved Canada we have yet to fully achieve.
Follow Rachel Décoste on Twitter: www.twitter.com/racheldecoste
I'm not 'joking' in this comment---how many of us do have the ability to 'own' $100. bills---certainly not people on welfare or low income pensioners--or other low income families--of which there are several millions in 'our' country.
The mayor of The Saguenay, Quebec was reactive in a defensive manner to a suggestion that Quebecers sacrifice their identity. His use of the term "Real Quebecers" is best represented by the emotions and heritage of the roman-Catholic faith as part of the fabric of being "Les Quebecois." It is not meant to offend, but as a reflection of his pride in his faith and heritage. The same pride that a Hindu has for his faith, or a Muslim, etc. will have for their faith and culture.
As for the $100 Asian Lab Tech. Yes, a member of the focus group said something that seems off-colour. Their words could be out of context, misspoken, or perhaps lost in translation. The manner in which the findings that were passed to management may not have reflected the exact comment either, but rather than question the findings and likely with an interest in not offending anyone, including the Asian population, they made a decision.
This is NOT racism, this is life, we can all learn from these foibles and MOVE ON.
They are intent on making money to send back to their own country,forming large support groups of their own ethnicity and bringing more of their countrymen over to Canada.
It is indeed the ethnic quilt and not the mixing pot .
When there are crimes committed within their groups they do not co-operate with the police. They buy up store franchises and hire their own ethnic group to work in them.
You will go into a kentucky fried chicken store,gas stations,oil change places,restaurants and the staff will be all east indian or whatever.
Future shop near me has just about all east indian sales staff.
I don't think they worry about ethnic fairness and diversity at all .If anyone complains about this they are deemed racist .
I doubt anyone even cared at all. Someone somewhere freaked out upon hearing people thought she looked asian and then demanded it be changed to something more generic...which generally means "white".
I live in a city where less than 50% of the population is white. I live in a middle class townhouse complex. My next door neighbours are from the Phillipines, my neighbours across from me are a Chinese studenr and her Chinese grandmother who has a limited amount of English but we share our plants and pleasantries. I look forward to seeing her every morning and sharing a wave, smiles and greetings, In this complex there are people from all over Asia, from Russia, from Iran and we all get along famously.
I taught in schools where immigrants from all over the world made up a sizable portion of the student and faculty population, where students from all backgrounds worked together,created friendships and daily added their perspectives and enriched discussions of personal, national and international topics.
I feel blessed that I have had the good fortune to live in an area of the world where diversity is accepted, where the nations of the world are represented and where there an obvious pride in the country we were either born in or made the choice to become part of.
Multiculturalism isn't determined by symbols and beauracrats but how we live our lives and interact.
Canada already bends over backwards for every minority, while the 25/30 have to figure out how to pay their own way. I really don't see the issue. If Quebec wants to keep their culture bully for them. I wish more culture's would keep their culture. Something people never get about Canadians is we love different cultures and we want to appreciate them, but you can't appreciate something that doesn't exist because it gave it up to be "multicultrual"
I ask: What did the smoke signals say when Europeans came by the Americas to say a friendly Hello?
Immigrants have to buy overpriced land and are blamed for inflating property prices by those who sell and make a bundle!
As for being mean spirited, guilty as charged. I guess Ms. Decoste's accusatory blather has a way of bringing that out.