the ongoing anti- racism, anti- oppression thread

[Winsor_Pilates]

Racism in the US vs Canada is not even remotely close.
Racism to Natives in Canada vs other minorities isn't even remotely close.

Racism is alive and well, but exaggerating it or downplaying it are both damaging. Like most things, the dialogue needs to be nuanced and specific to achieve positive changes.

[Violator]

Police Called Over ‘Racist’ Brownies

https://www.snopes.com/news/2016/06/...acist-brownie/

[Slava]

Originally Posted by driveway

Are you white or a person of colour? I would like to know from which perspective you're making this statement.

Yeah I'm a white person, so I guess that isn't a fair comment. I just feel like in Calgary (and I would think most of the larger cities) that racism isn't that prevalent. I don't mean to suggest that everyone should roll with it and "stop complaining" or anything like that, just that it's not as large an issue. I know that having lived in Lethbridge there is more outward racism towards natives, and I understand that is the same in Winnipeg. I guess I just compare this situation to the US in particular, where race is still a large and looming issue, and we just don't have that.

[CliffFletcher]

We can recognize there's still racism in society, while also recognizing the dramatic progress we've made in the last 60 years, can't we? That there's a difference between an under-representation in super-hero movies and not being allowed in restaurants. Or that a society where 15 per cent of people are not okay with their child marrying someone of a different race is a very different society from one where 85 per cent of people are not okay with it.

There's a reason Canada is regarded, globally, as the best model we have for tolerance and racial integration. So yes, let's be vigilant about where we're falling short. But we don't have to deny the obvious reality that we're doing a lot right, and have been doing a lot right for a long time now.

[firebug]

Here's a happy ending:

Halifax police officer makes bigoted comment online. Local resident asks not to shame him, but to meet and try to dispel his hateful attitude.

http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/...hobic-comments

[DownInFlames]

Police Escort Black Hockey Player to a Playoff Game After Threats

https://nyti.ms/2G1aVTc

[Red Slinger]

I'm curious as to how many people here have faced direct racism in their lives. I'd be very interested in hearing about some of your experiences.

I'm Jewish but I don't have a Jewish sounding surname and I don't look particularly Jewish so I haven't faced any direct racism myself. However, I've heard lots of comments, jokes and slang directed towards Jews in my presence like 'getting jewed'. I imagine it's much, much worse for visible minorities. I've also heard similar slang for Arabs, Asians, Blacks and Aboriginals.

I find personal stories are often the most powerful agent when it comes to advancing difficult conversations.

[Fuzz]

When I visited Egypt we got off at the wrong transit stop in Cairo. We got chased through the streets while local teens threw rocks at us, I'm assuming because we are white. I'm not sure if that was them being racist, or just dicks.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Racism in the US vs Canada is not even remotely close.
Racism to Natives in Canada vs other minorities isn't even remotely close.

Racism is alive and well, but exaggerating it or downplaying it are both damaging. Like most things, the dialogue needs to be nuanced and specific to achieve positive changes.

I think racism against natives in Canada is close to as bad as racism in the US. If the top of the racism scale is police murdering citizens then we are Iggy up there. Is only been about 20 years since the starlight tours were exposed in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. They were an unspoken widely spread way of handling drunks.

Looking at the Boushie reaction when it happened there was a strong sentiment of that one less Indian that wasn't limited to random racists on facebooks but included elected officials.. (I referring to the original incident and not the reaction to the verdict.).

The racism against natives in Canada is gross.

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

I'm curious as to how many people here have faced direct racism in their lives. I'd be very interested in hearing about some of your experiences.

I'm Jewish but I don't have a Jewish sounding surname and I don't look particularly Jewish so I haven't faced any direct racism myself. However, I've heard lots of comments, jokes and slang directed towards Jews in my presence like 'getting jewed'. I imagine it's much, much worse for visible minorities. I've also heard similar slang for Arabs, Asians, Blacks and Aboriginals.

I find personal stories are often the most powerful agent when it comes to advancing difficult conversations.

Im Jewish. I have encountered racism, but most of it didn't really matter. Usually just dumb comments about Jews. Had a guy fired once for hating Jews though.

One occasion that did matter was when I was physically attacked by someone that knew I was Jewish for being Jewish. Another time involved middle eastern men who literally ambushed us (in Calgary!) and fortunately several police on bikes appeared out of no where. Had encounters with Hezbollah before, here in Calgary, and they made it very clear violence was what they were after.

Jewish students on university campuses across North America have been under assault for years. It is only getting worse. What we have allowed on campuses is pathetic.

Jews in France and Germany (and basically the rest of Europe) are increasingly under threat of violence. Middle eastern anti-semitism is spreading with immigration and with useful idiots all around us.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/saudi-...-intel-report/

In general though, in my professional work environment, racism probably exists, but is very minimal. Let's not pretend either that racism only exists from white to other groups, there are all kinds of groups that don't like each other, from all parts of the world.

Unfortunately, for Jews, there does not appear to be any movement in the overall population that really cares that much. The left is no ally and the far right is no ally. Old anti-semitism is back and getting worse. You can see it everywhere.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

When I visited Egypt we got off at the wrong transit stop in Cairo. We got chased through the streets while local teens threw rocks at us, I'm assuming because we are white. I'm not sure if that was them being racist, or just dicks.

Neither. They thought you were American.

[snootchiebootchies]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

I'm curious as to how many people here have faced direct racism in their lives. I'd be very interested in hearing about some of your experiences.

I'm Jewish but I don't have a Jewish sounding surname and I don't look particularly Jewish so I haven't faced any direct racism myself. However, I've heard lots of comments, jokes and slang directed towards Jews in my presence like 'getting jewed'. I imagine it's much, much worse for visible minorities. I've also heard similar slang for Arabs, Asians, Blacks and Aboriginals.

I find personal stories are often the most powerful agent when it comes to advancing difficult conversations.

The most hateful racist incident that's ever happened to me personally as an adult was over two decades ago. I was dating a white girl at the time and we were in a Dairy Queen in Calgary just sitting there enjoying our treats. A white man with two young daughters were sitting at a table next to us and he started telling his daughters not to be like my girlfriend when they grew up, that my girlfriend was disgusting for having relations with a chink. He was saying this at a volume clearly meant for us to hear. It didn't bother me too much -- heck, I grew up in Calgary during the 70's and had heard much worse. But I could tell my girlfriend was livid. The guy was smoking, and this was during the time when no smoking signs were put up in places like Dairy Queen but nobody really enforced them. So I told his daughters that they should avoid being like their father and that he was disgusting by being addicted to smoking. The white guy pointed at me and told me not to talk to his daughters. And nothing more deevloped after that. I think he realized I was willing to confront him and he didn't want to push things any further.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by snootchiebootchies

The most hateful racist incident that's ever happened to me personally as an adult was over two decades ago. I was dating a white girl at the time and we were in a Dairy Queen in Calgary just sitting there enjoying our treats. A white man with two young daughters were sitting at a table next to us and he started telling his daughters not to be like my girlfriend when they grew up, that my girlfriend was disgusting for having relations with a chink. He was saying this at a volume clearly meant for us to hear. It didn't bother me too much -- heck, I grew up in Calgary during the 70's and had heard much worse. But I could tell my girlfriend was livid. The guy was smoking, and this was during the time when no smoking signs were put up in places like Dairy Queen but nobody really enforced them. So I told his daughters that they should avoid being like their father and that he was disgusting by being addicted to smoking. The white guy pointed at me and told me not to talk to his daughters. And nothing more deevloped after that. I think he realized I was willing to confront him and he didn't want to push things any further.

That's disgusting. On a positive note, though, this guy surely got his ass kicked sooner or later (probably sooner) for speaking like that.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Had a few incidents growing up in Calgary.

-One time a guy through my resume out right away saying he's never hire someone with an Indian name. My white friend was already working there and this happened in front of him right after I walked out; he quit the next day.

-Driving into a Superstore parking lot once, when a women was yelling at a couple muslim women about something. As I parked, she randomly turned her aggression to me screaming at me to stop treating her country like a doormat and go back where I came from (which is Calgary, so that's difficult).
Told her to F off and walked into the store. When I came out, she had vandalized my car and broke my windshield wipers.

-When we were selling our house once, some neighbours taped up a sign on our for sale sign saying "go home pakis". That was a kid though, so just a dumb child with dumb parents. Not sure how much animosity I can hold against a 12 year old.

-The old always getting turned away from bars was a known race issue in Calgary when I was 18-22 as well.

The thing with all of these though, is we're talking about 2-3 stupid people in 23 years growing up in the city during the 80's & 90's. The crazy lady at Superstore very likely had mental health problems now that I look back on it.

While I think it's important to acknowledge that these things do still happen, nothing has ever prevented me from have a successful life, making great relationships with all kinds of people and getting ahead in this world.
I'm sure for minorities growing up now, things are even better as Calgary has grown and diversified further.

When I see the issues facing natives in our country and blacks/hispanics/muslims in the US, I'm in no position to play victim. Would rather people focus on those serious systemic problems than join in to be part of a pity party.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

I'm curious as to how many people here have faced direct racism in their lives. I'd be very interested in hearing about some of your experiences.

I've been called a nip, #### and half breed many times, I usually just answer "yeah but the white in me gave me the big dick" with a grin

The world needs more comedy when facing racism

[meritmat]

Originally Posted by GGG

I think racism against natives in Canada is close to as bad as racism in the US. If the top of the racism scale is police murdering citizens then we are Iggy up there. Is only been about 20 years since the starlight tours were exposed in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. They were an unspoken widely spread way of handling drunks.

Looking at the Boushie reaction when it happened there was a strong sentiment of that one less Indian that wasn't limited to random racists on facebooks but included elected officials.. (I referring to the original incident and not the reaction to the verdict.).

The racism against natives in Canada is gross.

On the Boushie reaction,most of that sentiment was there’s one less criminal, st lest that’s how I looked at it. Race was irrelevant.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Neither. They thought you were American.

This was back in 2000, I'm not sure they hated Americans back then?

[Pizza]

Originally Posted by Slava

Race is really a non-issue in Canadian society,

I feel envious of the person who can make such a naive statement

[jayswin]

Our blind spot for the level of racism our Indigenous population faces in Canada is absolutely astounding.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

This was back in 2000, I'm not sure they hated Americans back then?

The US has been meddling in middle east politics since the end of WW2, so I’d pretty much guarantee they hated Americans just as much then as now.