Our previous post mentioned Justin Trudeau and some acts that he had done in his past. Sadly, racism in politics has hardly come to an end. On Wednesday, Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the Federal NDP, was out at Atwater Market in Montreal. While being at this market, Singh was out speaking to citizens about the NDP, the election and voting. Unfortunately, he was met by a man who told him to ‘cut off his turban.’ 

Let’s backtrack. Singh is a Canadian Sikh. Sikhs are people who practice the Sikhism religion. They originally came / come from Punjab, India. As a result, many Sikhs speak Punjabi and are ethnically called Punjabi. This means that their culture is Punjabi. Like other religions, Sikhs can either be baptised or not. Sikhs who are baptised (and a small chunk who are not) wear a turban- men and women. Generally speaking, a turban is worn to showcase the Sikh faith. Underneath the turban, is long, uncut hair. Sikhs who are baptised are not allowed to cut their hair as it is thought that the human body does not need to be altered. I should note, which we will learn about later, that Sikhs are not the only religious group who wear turbans. 

Now, this man, told Singh to ‘cut off his turban’ which as we know would be a complete removal of his faith and identity as a Sikh. Similarly, his ‘advice’ to Singh was highly racist. 

Read the article here: 

https://globalnews.ca/news/5980241/jagmeet-singh-confronted-over-turban-montreal/

and watch Singh showcase his hair and speak about his turban: 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/singh-list-turban-questions-ndp-1.5284388

Now is your time to weigh in. What are your thoughts on what this man says to Singh? Do you think it is racist, or is he just ignorant/unknowing and doesn’t know the impact that his words will have? How do you think that Singh handled the situation?  What are your thoughts now learning about Sikhs and Sikh turbans- did you learn anything that you did not know before? Please write your responses in detailed, complete sentences. Again, please treat this matter with respect and compassion. Grade 5’s, your response should be roughly 20 sentences, grade 6’s yours should be roughly 25 sentences. 

As we are all aware of, the 2019 Canadian Federal Election has been well underway. The election is soon among us, on October 21st, to be exact! This is when Canadians from all around the country will head out to cast their ballot. 

In 2015, the Liberals won a majority, which was led by Justin Trudeau. Again, Justin Trudeau is running as the leader of the Liberal party and has been their leader since April, 2013. If the 

Liberals win, and if Trudeau wins his seat in Papineau, he will remain as the Prime Minister of Canada. The Liberals are associated with the colour, red. There are a couple of other noteworthy parties. “Choose Forward” is the slogan that the Liberals run with. 

Andrew Scheer is the leader of the Conservative party. They are usually associated with the colour, blue. Currently, they are sitting in second place. “It’s Time for You to Get Ahead,” is the slogan that is used by the Conservatives. Scheer has been the Conservative leader since May, 2017. His seat that he needs to win is in Regina. 

Next, there is the NDP or the New Democratic party which is led by Jagmeet Singh. (He is a big deal to us because his ‘seat’ is in the Burnaby South riding – Royal Oak area. These leaders also need to be elected or win their ‘seat.’ The slogan that the NDP uses is: In it for You. Singh has been the leader of the NDP since October, 2017. There are a few other parties that are also running like: the Bloc Quebecois, the Green Party and the People’s Party.    

As the Prime Minister of Canada, Trudeau has implemented many positive changes in government and in Canada. First, he has worked hard to increase gender equality. For example, our anthem became gender neutral and his federal cabinet has 15 men and 15 women (this was a first of any other government). Second, he has allowed at least 40, 000 Syrian refugees to come to Canada, and in 2018, Canada resettled more refugees than any other country in the world. Lastly, he has focused greatly on climate change and the reconciliation process with our First Peoples.

Take a look at this link for how elections work: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7RKzzoLK-g

This video explains how Canada’s voting system works: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr-93C176qI

In fact, he has been one of the most vocal Prime Minister’s that Canada has had regarding equality. BUT! Unfortunately, when an election is happening and every vote counts, unsettling stories surface.  For many, many years, White Male actors would play roles of Black characters. Instead of having a black actor play the role, or just doing away with the whole idea of colour/race/ethnicity, these actors would wear ‘blackface.’ Generally speaking, actors would take black coloured shoe polish and rub it all over their face to appear ‘black.’ Sadly, some actors would try to caricature (exaggerate) black features, like facial features or hair. In recent yea

rs, the West has stood heavily against these racist acts – at no point is something like this ‘funny’ or a ‘costume.’ In their college / high school years, a couple of American politicians wore ‘blackface’ and when their pictures surfaced in the media, they resigned. 

Take  a look at a Florida politician, who has yet to step down, named Anthony Sabatini. Clearly, he is dressed up as a racist stereotype- a Black gangster. 

Watch this news clip about blackface in Canada:

https://globalnews.ca/video/5928411/a-look-at-canadas-long-history-of-blackface

On at least a few occasions, Justin Trudeau dressed up in blackface and brownface. 

In the pictures on both the top left and bottom left, Justin Trudeau is wearing blackface. On the picture in the right, Trudeau is dressed up in brownface, wearing a turban and attempting to look like an Arab (Muslim) in his Aladdin costume. He says: In 2001, when I was a teacher in Vancouver, I attended a gala. The theme was Arabian Nights. I dressed up in an Aladdin costume and put makeup on. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have known better, but I didn’t and I’m really sorry.

Please read the below articles for more information: 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-brownface-arabian-nights-1.5289165

https://www.cbc.ca/news/justin-trudeau-brownface-blackface-1.5289259

So after reading through this all, it’s your turn, your first of the year, to weigh in on this. What are your thoughts on Trudeau’s actions? Do you feel that he is racist or that the acts of dressing up in blackface and brownface was/is racist? Or, was it like he said, a simple mistake that he didn’t know about at the time. Do you feel that as a politician, he should have resigned or is it fair for him to stay in power and run as the Liberal leader? Do you think that this sends a strong message to people that blackface and brownface is wrong, or will people still continue thinking that it isn’t that bad? What do you think this says about Canada to the rest of the world? Please respond in complete sentences, formal language and use of details. Grade 5’s your submission should be roughly 20 sentences, grade 6’s your submission should be roughly 30. Please feel free to write more than this, and remember to treat this issue with sensitivity and compassion!

Welcome to a brand new, fresh year! I am excited to get to know everyone and know that we will have a great year ahead 🙂 

Ever since I can remember, there has always been a colourful food guide. Your guys have seen it too- the colourful food rainbow one. But in January of this year, Canada’s Food Guide finally got an upgrade. 

Believe it or not, I know Matthew will enjoy this military stat – Canada’s Food Guide was first introduced in 1942 as a way of promoting health during wartime rationing. So yes, along the way, it has had some edits. 

 1942 version

But now, the new food guide has many edits. 

Left: old guide, Right: New Guide 

The new food guide has no emphasis on ‘food groups’ nor ‘servings.’ For more information, you can read the article below: 

https://globalnews.ca/news/4873598/new-canada-food-guide-2019/

The article below shows some of the Food Guides from around the world. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-food-guide-international-guidelines-1.4962611

So what are your thoughts on this new food guide? Do you like it or do you prefer one of the older versions? Were there any food guides from other countries that you liked? Why? What additions or removals would you add/remove from the new food guide? Do you think that the new food applies to all Canadians, people are various cultures/ethnicities, religions, social status (wealthy, middle and working class) and diet (vegetarian, vegan, or prescetarian). 15-20 sentences please!

 

 

In recent years, the LGBT community have made great progress in claiming rights and inclusion. I say this with a great deal of happiness but also sadness. In many countries, homosexuality is a crime that can be punishable by death. It is the reason why days like today are so very important in fighting for the rights and freedom of the people who identify as LGBTQ. Today is International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia & Transphobia! It is a day that people of all different backgrounds can stand in solidarity as allies with the LGBTQ community by being an upstander not a bystander. 

Just to clarify, here are some important terms: 

1. Homophobia: Negative attitudes, dislike and/or prejudice of homosexual (gay/lesbian people. 
2. Biphobia: Negative attitudes, dislike and or/ prejudice of bisexual people. 
3. Transphobia: Negative attitudes, dislike and or/ prejudice of transgender people. 
4. Gay: Males who are attracted to other males
5. Lesbian: Females who are attracted to other females
6. Bisexual: A person who is attracted or has romantic feelings for both males and females 
7. Transgender: A person whose identity & gender does not match with their sex. 

The United Nations recognises 193 countries in the world. Sadly, 69 of those countries criminalise same-sex relations. Imagine that for a moment. Imagine being told that you must be a certain way. You must follow everyone else even if that does not feel normal or natural for you.

Okay, let me try to relate this for you a bit more. Imagine if: 

-Tiya, Jemimah, Leah, Pei Yi or Amelia were told that they could not create any more artsy projects because they are…wrong! 

-Dennis, Kevin, Jeron, Lim, Mark, Jason, Billy or Arnav were told that they could not plan Fortnite anymore because it is SO wrong. Don’t even get me started on their WWF wrestling. 

-Matthew, Reilly, Daniel, Kenrich, Vincent or Harry were told that they could not be a part of Border Security because that is just plain…wrong! 

-Johnny, Bernice and Cece were not allowed to read because that is just so unnatural! 

-Hanaa & Kareena could not be sassy anymore because that is just completely wrong!

-Tamara, Milica, Amra, Beatrice were not allowed to dance because that is just so inappropriate. And yes, Frederick would certainly not be able to twerk either! 

For this blog post, please write down your thoughts about why you think that the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is important to take part in. Next, do a quick search on someone who identifies as LGBTQ or someone who is an ally of the community. Discuss who she/he/they are and what is important about them/what they do. Last, discuss any last point/information/stats/etc. that you think are important to know about this topic/area. 20-30 sentences, please !

 

Our lovely Hanaa,

We miss seeing your smiles, sass, smarts and humour. You are constantly in our thoughts… only the good ones, of course. We decided to showcase the many sides of Hanaa. Enjoy 🙂 

        

From, 

-Your wonderful class, DIV 5, and your EXTRA, EXTRA lovely teacher 🙂 

 

Do you shop at Walmart? Do you scrutinise what you buy in its entirety? Or do you just say, “woo, I got this ____! I’m so happy!” 

Well, you are not alone if this is so.  In Fresno, California, as shown on the map below: 

A man purchased a pillow with some French decor from Walmart’s online story. Sounds fine, right? Do you notice anything strange in this picture?

Read the article below and find out the story behind it. 

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article225535030.html

So now that you have read it, what do you think? Is Walmart to blame for selling such a product ? Or, is it hard to keep track of every single detail, of every single product that your large store sells? Is it the fault of the third party seller who perhaps produced the pillow, but definitely printed/sold the product to Walmart? How do you think an image like that could appear on a pillow?

As we learned today in class, Lunar New Year is a festivity which is celebrated by many different cultures in Asia! Please share with the class the top 10 most interesting facts about Lunar New Year (in sentence form) and any last thoughts or questions that you have about it!

In class, we have been talking extensively about racism, the repercussions it has and the negative legacy that is left behind. From mistreatment and severe abuse to derogatory words and stereotypes. We understand that, in order for us to never allow something like this to occur, we need to learn from historical mistakes.

But… not everyone feels this way. 

What do you mean? Well, this story takes place in Washington, U.S. A student, who is from 

Kentucky (see map), mockingly stood in front of an Indigenous Elder. The students, who go to an all-male, Catholic private school, were attending another march which relates to their personal/religious views. They came over to the Indigenous Peoples’ March and screamed things like, “Make America Great Again.” It is very clear that this student was aware of his malicious behaviour as he continues to smile while his terrible friends laugh and cheer him on. 

We have to applaud how Nathan Phillips reacted to this student. He remained calm and composed, and continued his chant. We could probably guess how: Lim, Mark, Berocious or Daniel would have reacted… enough said. 

You can watch the video clips and read the full article online here: 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/indigenous-march-student-mock-1.4985493

So, it is time for you to weigh in. What are your thoughts about this issue? How did you feel when you watched the incident? Try to think about this critically by asking questions like: who, what, where, when, why or how? For example, I thought: where was this student’s teacher?  Also, what are your thoughts about what Phillips says: “When I was there singing, I heard them saying ‘Build that wall, build that wall…this is Indigenous land. We’re not supposed to have walls here. We never did.”

UPDATE: This student came on t.v. and told his side of the story. You can view it and read what he claims to be what happened. You will notice a few differences in the article below as opposed to the one above. 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/19/us/teens-mock-native-elder-trnd/index.html

Of course, it is your time to weigh in. What do you feel about what happened? What do you think might have been what truly transpired on that day? Do you think that these students were being disrespectful or racist, or were they just messing around and were unaware of their conduct? Please provide detailed responses of at least 20 (grade 5) – 25 (grade 6) sentences. 

   

Welcome to 2019! 

Have you posted any pictures online ? Do you know where those pictures are going? Recently, I actually stumbled across a picture I took of some bracelets I have. I did a deeper search and noticed that that picture was being used on an online site to  sell some those bracelets. In fact, I noticed it in many other places. Not going to lie, it was kind of strange!

Well, forget bracelets! Justin Trudeau’s picture from Yukon was somehow stolen and used to advertise a canoe business. Apparently, a Facebook user saw the ad and spoke of it in French. Just recently though, a Reddit user posted a caption beside the picture which made it go viral. 

You can read the complete article here: 

https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/kentucky-canoe-outfit-borrows-photo-of-trudeau-family-to-market-business

So of course, it is time for you to weigh in. What are your thoughts about this issue? Do you agree or disagree that pictures posted online/when you do an internet search are fair game to be used for your personal use? How would you feel if somehow you noticed that there was a picture of you posted on something large, like a billboard, and placed in a largely public place? Please provide detailed responses of at least 15 (grade 5) – 20 (grade 6) sentences.