Tag: racism

Hate Crimes

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2020-2021 has unfortunately seen quite a few racially motivated atrocities. As we studied in the beginning of the year, George Floyd’s death sparked a nerve in people all around the world, of all different backgrounds and cultures. People banded together to say enough is enough: treat us with the respect we deserve. The Black Lives Matter movement has been very strong in articulating against racism, discrimination and bringing attention to systematic racism and white privilege.

Unfortunately, this work has not been enough to educate people into changing their racist, prejudiced mindsets. Instead, attacks against Asian-Canadians and Americans have skyrocketed.

This also saddens me and brings back deja-vu moments of when I was your age. In grade 6, yes, I was your age once (ha!), the September 11th attacks had occurred. I vividly remember going to school on the morning of September 11th and seeing my Muslim friend. We knew that life going forward would come with uncertainty – the exact same uncertainty that people are experiencing again. Attacks against Muslims and Sikhs/Indians in the West drastically increased. As we discussed, Islamophobia was created – the hatred/prejudice of Muslims and/or Islam. Why? Because some people believed that terrorists = brown-skinned people.

Why do I bring this up? Well, for one simple reason: have people learned their lesson from when I was a student? Why is it that innocent people experience hate when they have literally no relation to the ongoing issue? The attacks happened, blame brown-skinned people. The Corona Virus happened, blame Asian-Canadians. They didn’t cause this! They’re as upset as everyone else.

Notable terms that you already know, but definitely want to include in your post:

  1. Discrimination: The unfair treatment of a person, people or group of people because of a characteristic like ethnicity, race, gender, age, etc.
  2. Prejudice: Negative and unreasonable attitudes/feelings (usually based off of stereotypes) about members of a group
  3. Xenophobia: Dislike, fear or hatred against people/things that are seen to be foreign.
  4. Racism: Prejudice, discrimination and/or hatred against a person or group of people based on their racial, cultural, or ethnic background.
  5. Stereotypes: Oversimplified, untrue generalisation about a group of people.

Like many of our posts regarding discrimination, this is an issue that can be very difficult to speak about. Please treat this matter with the respect and care that it deserves. My questions for you are:

  1. Do you think that leaders in government (Mayors, Premiers, and Prime Minister) are doing enough to speak out against this sort of discrimination?
  2. Can you think of other areas in society (schools, organisations, universities/colleges, jobs, etc.) where more should be done to highlight and condemn such behaviour?
  3. What sorts of things can we all do to help decrease and speak up about this issue? How can we make it so that Asian-Canadians feels safe?
  4. What are your thoughts, questions, opinions on these issues?

Please read the below articles to help provide you with some further information, research and stats. Your blog post should be roughly 20-25 sentences (or more :)).

https://globalnews.ca/news/7764543/anti-asian-hate-crimes-burnaby-increase/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/asian-racism-hate-canada-pandemic-1.5959788

https://www.rappler.com/world/us-canada/coronavirus-fueling-anti-asian-hate-crimes-canada

https://www.cheknews.ca/people-are-trying-to-find-someone-to-blame-rallies-against-anti-asian-hate-pop-up-across-canada-756823/

Asian racism is a big problem in Canada, and here's why (VIDEO) | NewsI didn't want to leave the house': COVID-19 fueling anti-Asian hate crimes in CanadaCathy Park Hong on anti-Asian violence and unlearning internalized racism - VoxAsian American Attacks: What's Behind the Rise in Violence? | Time

 

Halloween Costumes… What Were They Thinking?

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Halloween, as we learned about, has quite a history behind it. We learned about its old Christian and Celtic roots, and how today it has become a commercialised festivity. One such way that it has become commercial is how much people spend on it- from candy to costumes. We learned that people dressed up in scary costumes, but sadly some people in today’s society, do not understand how hurtful and humourless their costume choices can be. 

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One of my favourites is when people dress up in another person’s cultural dress. For example, some of the popular ones are: a Kimono (Japan), Saree (India), Thobe/Keffiyeh (Arab), or Aboriginal clothing… which are NOT Halloween costumes! 

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But unfortunately, we should have written this post before a large group of elementary teachers decided to make a very terrible mistake. This is how: 

Another now-deleted picture from the school's Facebook page showed staff members dressed in sombreros with maracas.

And sadly… it get’s much, much, MUCH worse… 

A since-deleted photo posted to the Facebook page of the Middleton School District.

These pictures were posted on the school district’s Facebook page but were quickly removed. But just to briefly summarise- the top picture is a bunch of teachers wearing very stereotypical 

Mexican dress with maracas (instruments) and sombreros (Mexican hats). If you look 

really closely, the lady in the middle’s hat reads ‘Mexican.’ The bottom picture is a group of teachers holding a wall which says ‘Make American Great Again.’ Remember who spoke of the wall and why? 

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Yep, none other than Trump, who said that a wall between Mexico and the US would stop 99% of illegal Mexican immigrants- many of whom are drug dealers. (Obviously, a completely and utterly false and racist remark).    

These teachers are from Idaho, US. Idaho is located by Washington and Montana… they are very close to Canada. 

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You can read the full story here: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/02/us/idaho-teachers-border-costume-trnd/index.html

So now it is your turn to weigh in on this. Do you think that these individuals made an innocent mistake which was not meant to hurt anyone’s feelings? Or do you think that they should have known better than to dress and act in an insulting manner? How would you feel if your ethnicity or culture was Mexican? Would this have offended you? Since these individuals are teachers (clearly not as great as yours :)), does this affect your opinion of the situation at all? Remember to write detailed answers which are roughly 20 (grade 5) to 25 (grade 6) sentences.