How Prevalent is Racism in Our Society?

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Been thinking about this for a while and I'm curious to see what you guys think.

I'm usually one of the last people to pull the race card, and until I got older, I never really saw it too much/was sort of oblivious to it (probably even naive).

As I moved up through a couple of different industries, I find that I saw it more and more. And if that translates across different industries, and Canada isn't even that bad...then I can only imagine how bad it is around the world. But I'm more concerned about how bad it is here (if it's even bad at all).

At the last company that I worked for, one of the most qualified candidates didn't get the job (he was objectively one of the best ones there). A huge portion of the next ones to be cut were coloured. The ones that are still there are getting shafted with hours, so it might just be a matter of time. By the end of it all, every single minority was let go (granted, there were only a small handful to begin with), while others who should've been cut based on merit, weren't.

It's entirely possible that it's just a coincidence, but I've always been skeptical (or naive)...so I honestly don't know.

I can only ever definitively say that I've been affected by it once. I was taken off as a campaign manager for a marketing program because one of the higher-ups specifically said to my boss that he only wanted people with blonde hair & blue eyes on the program (lmao). But other than that, I can't ever say that I've ever really been definitively affected.

My barber made a comment that I found pretty interesting: "The different between racism here in Canada vs. the 'States is that in the 'States, you'll know why you didn't get the job. Over here, you just won't get it".

I read a study a couple of years ago that said while a lot of us might harbour racist attitudes or thoughts, they don't translate into our actions (we don't always act or behave on them).

TL;DR In your opinion: is it really a problem here?
 
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I don't think this thread is going to turn out well.

In any case, I think all the isms are a major problem everywhere, on both "sides" of the fence. You see minorities getting the shaft in your industry, others see "affirmative action" in theirs. It all comes down to being PC in the end.

3 close friends applied to 2 co-op positions with a firm in the resources industry through school (marketing and admin). The openly lesbian female and the half brown guy got the positions over the more qualified 3rd generation white guy. She wasn't even a business major, but took a single ADMN class in 3 years of university, the minority guy had a (notably) lower GPA than the white guy. As far as I was told, they were never interviewed in person for the positions, selection was based on a package provided by the school. It's just the way of things. I'm a minority, but I've yet to answer any affirmative action question a job application throws my way and "declare" it.
 
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Oh racism is still alive and strong; we've just become less sensitive to it ;)

Seriously though, I don't think it's that bad here. In fact, Canada is arguably the best place to be if you're sensitive about it. Changing our attitudes is really the important bit. Of course people will always "see" race, it's part of our pattern recognition ability that's essential to our survival. No matter how un-racist you think you are race is usually one of the first things you notice when you meet someone. And that's ok.
 
There's plenty of racism up here north of the border - but no one wants to be accused of being a bigot, so it's all under the radar.

Racism comes from all directions too. There are plenty of minority groups who openly dislike other minority groups, and would **** a brick if their daughter/son came home with a boyfriend or girlfriend from that group.

And then there's the "race card". I've personally seen this hand get played over and over again in the workplace. It's truly sad when someone excuses their piss poor work ethic by accusing any and all disciplinary action as "racism". I also used to work security downtown, and trust me, being a white guard trying to deal with certain people of a minority group, you get called a "racist" on a regular basis just for doing your job.

Bottom line: everyone sucks. :P
 
I haven't noticed a lot of racism in Canada, mind you I'm white. Yes, I've met racist people who through out slurs based on race. But I haven't really seem anything more than ignorant comments from low class scum.

I haven't seen racism in hiring practices either, I don't care what race, sexual orientation, etc a candidate is. I want someone who can do the job. With that said; I will screen based on how professional someone is and if they are a good fit.

The most blatant racism I've seen is down in the states. My girlfriend is Asian and we have noticed stares and have received comments when together, mostly in the redneck states.
There doesn't appear to be a lot of mixed couples south of the border, or at least it's not as common as it is in Canada. In the more urban areas in the states it seems to be more accepted there aren't the same stares and comments as the more rural areas there doesn't appear to be the same mix fo cultures.
 
It still exists, but it's being kept on the relative DL.. For example, they won't say "Chinese drivers", they'll say "Markham drivers". Same goes with brown people and Brampton, for example. With that being said, in the workplace, racism usually works against white people as many companies give themselves racial quotas to fill. I've been told not to bother applying for some jobs because I'm a white male and they were looking for more women/visible minorities/natives/people with disabilities. Sometimes it would be even in the job posting.
 
sircastic said:
I haven't noticed a lot of racism in Canada, mind you I'm white. Yes, I've met racist people who through out slurs based on race. But I haven't really seem anything more than ignorant comments from low class scum.

I haven't seen racism in hiring practices either, I don't care what race, sexual orientation, etc a candidate is. I want someone who can do the job. With that said; I will screen based on how professional someone is and if they are a good fit.

The most blatant racism I've seen is down in the states. My girlfriend is Asian and we have noticed stares and have received comments when together, mostly in the redneck states.
There doesn't appear to be a lot of mixed couples south of the border, or at least it's not as common as it is in Canada. In the more urban areas in the states it seems to be more accepted there aren't the same stares and comments as the more rural areas there doesn't appear to be the same mix fo cultures.
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Racism comes in different degrees from the KKK variety to the NIMBYs. The people with light degrees of racism can be corrected but the KKK types are usually hard wired. IMO the bigger race / religion problem is with Muslims rather than people of African heritage.

Racism is based on ignorance from both sides.
 
Heard a comic on the radio the other day, was talking about racism and how everyone needs to interbreed, over time we will all just become a shade of grey, and people can start hating each other for who they are rather then what flavour they are.

I obviously don't do his delivery justice :D
 
Racism and bigotry is required so if the government needs to go to war with another country for oil. Racism was designed by governments. Just ask Hitler.
 
People are the same. We hate each other no matter what colour or creed you are. It doesn't matter if you're in canada or africa or china... people hate each other. Racism is a way to express that hate. People just need an excuse to lash out at others.
 
When ppl lash out at others its easy for them to pick out their differences. If u look closely at a quarrel, you'll see that they start picking each other's differences, be it race, type of clothes they wear or the way they carry themselves.

TBH, races will tend to look out for each other ie. an asian group will give a job to an asian candidate; a white person will give back a job to a white candidate, etc. Do I consider that racist? Kinda borderline, because honestly? They all do it.

When I was in school, a guy introduced himself to me and was pretty nice, but after knowing that I lived my whole life in the WEst, he had no interest after that. He look like the typical FOB. Now that's special, my own race doesn't like hanging out with me
 
mikbusa said:
That is illegal according to the Employment Equity Act. It's totally fine to dismiss a white man though based on race.
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I won't hire you because you're X-colour/ethnicity..... but if I don't tell you why, then no one will ever now. If they ask, I'll just say "not qualified".
 
1+ for racism is still alive

If you feel it or not, depends on who you are, who you hang out with, your location (urban or rural Canada), etc.

But it is still there!
 
want to see racism? do your best to speak an local language (while white) while in japan or korea. even the supposed polite became racist ********
same goes for most locales/languages.
 
As bad as the US is with Racism, I gotta hand it to them for definitely NOT being shy to talk about it right to your face.

In Canada, they wait until you turn your back on them or leave the room, and it all comes out.

In the US, they look you right in the eye and have no shame to let it out.

Case in point - years ago i went to Chicago with an ex-GF. She's was mixed, half Dutch & Trinidadian, but looked straight white. Im mixed black/white. At a Restauant, there was a Black girl behind the counter, shes giving me the dirtiest look, kissing her teeth - then says to me " is that your girl?" me - "yes." Her - "shes white" me - "yeah?" She just kisses her teeth, gives me a dirty look and walks away.
I was like WTF just happened!!??

In Canada, the girl would have went to her friends trashed talked me. In the US - they just say right to your face.
Gotta love it.

Mr.Azim said:
I've felt that in the States, they'll openly talk/claim/discuss Racism.... in Canada.. it's "omg, Racism? we don't talk about that here." They completely ignore the topic.
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RockerGuy said:
When I was in school, a guy introduced himself to me and was pretty nice, but after knowing that I lived my whole life in the WEst, he had no interest after that. He look like the typical FOB. Now that's special, my own race doesn't like hanging out with me
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My step-mother is Chinese from Hong Kong and has been in Canada for upwards of 40 years. She is shunned by many of the Hong Kong invasion people that came over to avoid the end of British rule... go figure.
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