Almost half of Canadians feel racism on the rise
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By Derek Abma, Postmedia News
Canadians are split on whether racism is a growing problem in the country, according to a new survey by the Association of Canadian Studies and Canadian Race Relations Foundation.
Also published in
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The survey, exploring experiences with racism in Canada, shows contrasting views.
For example, 65 per cent of Canadians in this survey said whites and visible minorities are treated equally in their workplaces. However, Canadians were almost evenly split on whether racism is a growing problem in the country.
This survey, of about 1,700 Canadians taken in September, showed 46 per cent feel racism is on the rise. Slightly less ? 45 per cent ? disagreed. The results were considered representative of the Canadian population within 2.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Asked if they'd witnessed a racist incident in the last year, 38 per cent of Canadians in this survey said yes.
Ayman Al-Yassini, executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, said such results reflect a heightened awareness among Canadians about racial issues.
"The reality is that Canadians are more aware of the whole issue of racism and discrimination than other countries," he said.
Jack Jedwab, executive director of the Association of Canadian Studies, agreed. He pointed out that while results from a U.S. version of the survey showed the same proportion feeling racism is a growing problem, the breakdowns within different ethnic categories produced some interesting variations between the countries.
Canadians in this survey were categorized as English, French or allophone, the last of which would be most likely to include visible minorities. Half of English Canadians thought racism was a growing problem, while that proportion was at about 40 per cent for both francophones and allophones.
In the U.S., people were categorized as whites, blacks or Hispanics. Among blacks and Hispanics, more than 55 per cent saw racism as a growing problem, while just 44 per cent of whites did.
Jedwab said this part of the survey showed how Canadians view racism as it is outside their own personal experience, while Americans view the issue more subjectively.
"In the United States, it's more those groups who are expressing the phenomenon through the lens of how they feel they're affected through those groups," he said. "As opposed to in Canada, you're seeing an assessment being made on the part of English Canadians about what the situation is, not so much as whether they're affected by it individually."
He said the response on this question by allophones in Canada showed that visible minorities see this country "as a reasonably tolerant place." On the other hand, Jedwab said French Canadians might be defensive about being labelled as racist for their views and subsequently downplayed racism as an issue.
Demographic breakdowns in the poll also revealed some differences between age groups in Canada.
For example, those in the middle ranges of the working population were most likely to say that all races are treated equally in their workplace; the proportion was 70 per cent or more in every grouping between 25 and 54. However, just 51 per cent of those 65 and older felt this was true, and it was 61 per cent for those 18 to 24.
The youngest age group questioned ? 18 to 24 ? was also most likely to report having seen a racist incident in the last year at 58 per cent. The other extreme of the age categories, at 65 and older, were least likely at 19 per cent.
On the other hand, the youngest age groups contained the lowest proportions of people saying racism is a growing problem ? 38 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 37 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds. Those 65 or older had the most, at 53 per cent, saying racism is on the rise.
Al-Yassini said such results show that younger Canadians tend to be more aware of racism ? they see it in situations where others don't ? but are also more optimistic about where society is headed in this regard.
PEACE
| |
By Derek Abma, Postmedia News
Canadians are split on whether racism is a growing problem in the country, according to a new survey by the Association of Canadian Studies and Canadian Race Relations Foundation.
Also published in
Canada.com
Ottawa Citizen
Vancouver Sun
Montreal Gazette
Windsor Star
Leader Post
StarPhoenix
The Province
Calgary Herald
Times Colonist
Edmonton journal
Nanaimo Daily
Global Montreal
The survey, exploring experiences with racism in Canada, shows contrasting views.
For example, 65 per cent of Canadians in this survey said whites and visible minorities are treated equally in their workplaces. However, Canadians were almost evenly split on whether racism is a growing problem in the country.
This survey, of about 1,700 Canadians taken in September, showed 46 per cent feel racism is on the rise. Slightly less ? 45 per cent ? disagreed. The results were considered representative of the Canadian population within 2.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Asked if they'd witnessed a racist incident in the last year, 38 per cent of Canadians in this survey said yes.
Ayman Al-Yassini, executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, said such results reflect a heightened awareness among Canadians about racial issues.
"The reality is that Canadians are more aware of the whole issue of racism and discrimination than other countries," he said.
Jack Jedwab, executive director of the Association of Canadian Studies, agreed. He pointed out that while results from a U.S. version of the survey showed the same proportion feeling racism is a growing problem, the breakdowns within different ethnic categories produced some interesting variations between the countries.
Canadians in this survey were categorized as English, French or allophone, the last of which would be most likely to include visible minorities. Half of English Canadians thought racism was a growing problem, while that proportion was at about 40 per cent for both francophones and allophones.
In the U.S., people were categorized as whites, blacks or Hispanics. Among blacks and Hispanics, more than 55 per cent saw racism as a growing problem, while just 44 per cent of whites did.
Jedwab said this part of the survey showed how Canadians view racism as it is outside their own personal experience, while Americans view the issue more subjectively.
"In the United States, it's more those groups who are expressing the phenomenon through the lens of how they feel they're affected through those groups," he said. "As opposed to in Canada, you're seeing an assessment being made on the part of English Canadians about what the situation is, not so much as whether they're affected by it individually."
He said the response on this question by allophones in Canada showed that visible minorities see this country "as a reasonably tolerant place." On the other hand, Jedwab said French Canadians might be defensive about being labelled as racist for their views and subsequently downplayed racism as an issue.
Demographic breakdowns in the poll also revealed some differences between age groups in Canada.
For example, those in the middle ranges of the working population were most likely to say that all races are treated equally in their workplace; the proportion was 70 per cent or more in every grouping between 25 and 54. However, just 51 per cent of those 65 and older felt this was true, and it was 61 per cent for those 18 to 24.
The youngest age group questioned ? 18 to 24 ? was also most likely to report having seen a racist incident in the last year at 58 per cent. The other extreme of the age categories, at 65 and older, were least likely at 19 per cent.
On the other hand, the youngest age groups contained the lowest proportions of people saying racism is a growing problem ? 38 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 37 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds. Those 65 or older had the most, at 53 per cent, saying racism is on the rise.
Al-Yassini said such results show that younger Canadians tend to be more aware of racism ? they see it in situations where others don't ? but are also more optimistic about where society is headed in this regard.
PEACE
