CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACISM WITH PEOPLE OF COLOUR

INTRODUCTION

While taking a few sociology, human rights and conflict resolution courses in university, I participated in many conversations surrounding the topics of race, cultural ethnicity and racism. More specifically, these deep conversations allowed me to explore the effects of systemic racism in Canada: showing how colonial beliefs, attitudes and values shape the racist stereotypes, behaviours and microaggressions that exist today. For this reason, I created the research project “Conversations About Racism with People of Colour” interviewing a small group of seven participants. My intent was to create a safe space to hold and continue these conversations in the hopes of educating others. The interviewees are a mix of first and second generation Canadians with various racial and ethnic backgrounds. It is important to note that all interviewees consented to being over the age of 18; some names have been changed to respect anonymity; and that these perspectives do not represent the experiences and opinions of all people of colour (POC).

Being a white Canadian woman, I was concerned that the purpose of my project would be misunderstood and critiqued as an example of white saviorism. I wondered whether people would question why I am using my privilege to speak about issues that do not personally impact my life. However, being afraid of these tough conversations further stigmatizes racism and it adds to the level of ignorance surrounding the topic. Therefore, it is valuable that white people recognize their privilege and take action to stand beside POC to raise awareness about racial injustices; educate themselves about the impacts of racism; and advocate with POC against those who use racist rhetoric.

Due to varying contexts, the topic of racism is a huge discussion. This is why I made the decision to let the interviewee’s personal thoughts and experiences guide the conversation to show how systemic racism has led to such experiences within Manitoba, Canada, today. Although Canada has a positive reputation for its friendliness and inclusive, diverse culture, this research project reveals the ways in which Canada’s history influences racism today, and how people can help to eliminate it. Knowing their reflections may be used for the purpose of this project, I highly encouraged the interviewees to share their stories and speak as openly and honestly as they wished.  I think it is easy for people to detach themselves from a set of statistics or list of information. Therefore, I strongly believe that people learn best through connecting and empathizing with someone else’s story because it gives them an opportunity to engage with different perspectives. The testimonies below are detailed descriptions of real-life experiences: stories of injustices that POC face everyday.

INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMIC RACISM WITHIN CANADA

Historically, racist xenophobic thoughts and attitudes led to the establishment of systems such as Nazi Germany, the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, the Rwandan Genocide, the South African apartheid, and British colonization in places like Central Africa and Canada. Within each of these catastrophes, human rights abuses involving stereotyping, segregation, organized crime and violence, mass genocide and cultural assimilation were used on an institutional level. Racism can be defined in various ways, but a reliable source describes racist ideology as “a set of beliefs, perceptions, assumptions and values that creates and preserves a system of dominance based on race” (Comeau, 2011, pg.119). In this research project, I will be referring to three closely linked terms – prejudice, discrimination and racial microaggression – that fall under the concept of racism. The term prejudice can be defined as “opinions or attitudes held by members of one group toward another” (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2018, pg. 271). This operates through stereotyping which categorizes specific attributes to another group or individual regardless of their race and ethnicity. On the contrary, discrimination refers to actual behaviours that deny particular groups or individuals resources and rewards (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2018). Lastly, racial microaggression refers to “small slights, indignities, or acts of disrespect that are harmful to people of colour, even though they are often perpetrated by well-meaning whites” (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2018, pg. 275). 

According to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to equal protection without discrimination based on colour, race or ethnic origin (Government of Canada, 2019). This highlights a general statement from the official constitution of Canada, but does not zoom in on how POC, including those with various ethnic backgrounds are actually treated within the employment, health care, educational and judicial systems. It is unfair to assume that Canada is an equally developed country, especially when the Indigenous population experiences forms of prejudice and discrimination daily. Through examples such as racial profiling within the judicial system and police checks; the lack of support for missing and murdered Indigenous women; and the lack of funding on reserves for education, health care, potable water, roads and infrastructure, it is clear there is a huge imbalance for who receives the means to obtain a basic quality of life. 

Tamika – who is originally from Ontario, but now lives in Manitoba – stressed the importance of acknowledging how “there’s stereotypes of POC who are in a category of poverty just because of the systemic issues” (T. Reid, personal communication, March 25, 2019). She explained how there needs to be more emphasis on equity instead of basic equality (T. Reid, personal communication, March 25, 2019). People don’t always understand that not everyone is guaranteed the same privileges and rights; we’re not all on the same starting place (T. Reid, personal communication, March 25, 2019). Tamika also said, “I think there’s a rush to kind of forget: people say, “oh that was in the past 40 years – forget about it”. But it is easier said than done, especially if you’re not experiencing it yourself” (T. Reid, personal communication, March 25, 2019). Systemic barriers have oppressed generations for decades and there is no quick fix for the amount of healing and empathy needed to overcome the trauma inflicted. Through the pervasive assumption of alcohol, drug addiction, unemployment and violence, colonial belief systems have negatively influenced many Canadians’ present beliefs, attitudes and behaviours towards the Indigenous people (Loppie, Reading, & de Leeuw, 2019). These false assumptions about Indigenous communities further stigmatize the history of racism they’ve experienced and help to explain the systemic discrimination that exists today. Tamika also said that because Ontario has a lower Indigenous population, she didn’t learn about residential schools or anything about their culture until she moved to Manitoba (T. Reid, personal communication, March 25, 2019).

An interviewee named Dylan – who was born and raised near a First Nations reserve directly separated by the Saskatchewan River – explained his idea of the majority of Canadians exhibiting a fear based mentality towards the Indigenous population (D. Thomson, personal communication, May 23, 2019). “You can see that people have a kind of “fear” of native people on the streets. Often completely ignoring the person and not giving them the light of day… It is something that is not always done intentionally” (D. Thomson, personal communication, May 23, 2019). He continued to describe how these false beliefs categorize groups into ‘bad’ and ‘good’ stereotypes that become engraved into the Canadian nation (D. Thomson, personal communication, May 23, 2019). This directs specific attributes to racial and ethnic groups, ultimately continuing the circle of racist behaviours within Canada. 

A way to help continue eliminating these stereotypes and “fear” would be to meet others with the intent of understanding instead of judgement. If people make judgements about a person of colour before taking the time to learn and listen to them, they are choosing a close-minded way of thinking. Their views will never be challenged. Another interviewee, Jake – who moved to Canada from Nigeria in his early teens – continued this thought with the idea of greeting all people with the intent of listening because: “there is something they know more than you do. If you’re already judging someone, you only pick what they have to say to you. You won’t learn anything and you won’t grow” (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019). Stereotyping people dismisses the fact that humans are multifaceted beings (Manji, 2019). Labels are an attempt at categorizing people, but truth lies in one’s characteristics and their capability of thinking, dreaming and being (Manji, 2019). By holding a set of stereotypes against someone, you are not giving that person a chance to share their identity with you. 

RACISM IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM

From early childhood living in Northern Manitoba to raising a family in the South while working in the Brandon School Division, Bas – one of my former teachers – recalled many stories involving racism (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). He disclosed an example of a time when he was racially and wrongfully profiled by the police department; an interaction that has deeply impacted his life (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).  In 2013, Bas was driving home for lunch in his Pathfinder that him and his wife had recently purchased (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). He had just turned onto 6^th street in Brandon, MB, going west as a police officer was stopped at a stop sign driving east (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). The police officer immediately turned around and began following Bas with one car driving in-between them (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). All of a sudden, the police lights went off by the provincial building on 10^th street and Bas was pulled over (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Apart from asking the usual interrogative questions, Bas was asked “what are you doing in Brandon?” and “what do you do for a living?” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Once he explained that he a) lives in the city and b) [was] an elementary school teacher, the cop’s facial expression and behaviour toward him completely changed (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).  He was thanked for his time and was able to continue on with his day (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).

However, Bas felt very uneasy about the police stop and decided to call the chief within the department (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Bas explains, “[The Chief] looked into it, called me back and said “no, it shouldn’t have been done that way. This should have been the process”. Apologies were given and so on and so on. I just said, “okay let’s just leave it there.” So for me it was, “did I do something wrong?” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Later Bas was informed of the two alleged reasons for being pulled over: the first was that his type of car had been the main source of suspicion due to several being stolen within the area (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). And secondly, that the police officer had ran his license plate and was curious as to why it was in a woman’s name (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). However, this detail of the cop’s story is misleading because a) there was no way the cop could have feasibly searched his license plate number in the time that Bas had driven by going the opposite direction and b) when the cop began following him, there was a car between them (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). This concludes that only until the cop pulled him over could he have fully searched the license plate number (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).

Overall, Bas was disturbed by the interaction, especially knowing that the questions he was asked were deeply rooted in racist stereotypes (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). I personally believe that had a white person been driving the Pathfinder, this exact interaction would have played out differently or never occurred at all. This is a prime example of how the differences between police stops involving POC and white people are alarmingly inconsistent. Oftentimes, the police system tries to meet their monthly quota through what journalist Matt Taibi calls a “factory-style approach to policing” (Manji, 2019, pg. 30). This shows how some officers act on a previous racial bias instead of waiting for a probable cause to pull someone over (Manji, 2019). Statistically, it has been found that black drivers are more likely to be searched during a vehicle stop despite them being found in possession of contraband 26% less often than white people (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2018). A report also claimed that black people are more likely to be fined multiple charges within a single incident (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2018). 

Bas’s experience is unfair and I imagine there may be others who deeply resonate with it. However, he handled the situation professionally and brought up an important point after years of reflection; by investigating the ‘why’ behind every act of discrimination against him, he shows grace and learns how to understand the ‘other’. 

“Humans are so quick to react so I try to limit my reaction and ask: “why do they think that?” … I have a friend of mine who’s a police officer and he encouraged me, “no, you need to follow up and you need to do something about this!” But I spoke with the chief and spoke with the person and it was a misunderstanding. If it were to happen again it would be a different approach, but to me, I just want to know why.” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).

Luis Raúl Caro, an interviewee who grew up in Columbia and immigrated to Canada in 2010, described an experience showing the depth of white privilege and systemic racism:

“I remember this guy in high school and he was super drunk running from the club. Then the cops picked him up and took him home, but what if it was me? That would have went way different. What if it was a Native person? That would have went way different. But no, it was this skinny white guy from Brandon, MB, and they took him home. They didn’t take him to the drunk tank and they should have taken him to the drunk tank” (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019).

This is another example of how POC and white people are treated differently within the judicial system. He continues, “even in Brandon, MB, if I get stopped by a cop, I’m going to be way more nervous than my friends who are white just because you never know what is going to happen” (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). White privilege is an invisible cushion that is so often taken for granted and I question whether this intoxicated white male recognized how lucky he was in this situation. In Bas’s interview, he added that the consequences for white people are going to look different “because you have all these cushions to fall on whereas someone of colour, like me, I don’t know how many cushions I have to fall on” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).

RACISM IN THE EMPLOYMENT SYSTEM

In his interview, Bas shared a conversation he had years ago with his parents before applying for a job position in the educational field. His story reveals how the effects of racism in the employment system have impacted past generations, and how these conditioned beliefs were passed on:

“After I finished my masters and everything, my parents knew I was wanting to go into administration. But based on what they’ve experienced, they were kind of just saying, “dude, white people. They are not going to give you that administrative position. If they do, you’re going to have to really, really fight your way through that. You think they are going to give it to you?” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).

Bas emphasized that his parents point of view was based off of their personal experiences which explains their skepticism (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). When asked about whether he believes there are racial inequalities on a systemic level, he said there is some aspect of inequality; however, if you put in the time and effort, you can be successful (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). He said, “if I would have just stayed on the statement that my parents made that it just wasn’t going to happen then I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. But I didn’t and then things happened” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Later Bas made an interesting point saying that even though racial inequality is a huge issue, he thinks some people use their race as an excuse for why things can’t happen for them: “I do believe that that occurs a lot where, “nope, I’m not going to get it because I’m black”. Well, take that “because” and just do it and see. Now once you experience it and say, “no, I didn’t get it because they said I was black then that’s different” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Overall, Bas encourages other POC to understand that there are many opportunities available when one believes in them self and works hard to be successful, despite disadvantages (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).

Raúl also shared a more recent experience that occurred while working at an event in Glenboro, MB (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019).  He was confronted by a white, intoxicated man who had asked him where he was from based on the colour of his skin (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). After Raúl explained he originally lived in Columbia, the man joked, “do you have any coke?” (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). Raúl continued: 

“I just said no and he noticed I was offended by it… I guess one of the most f*cked up parts is that I’m used to jokes like that. Like “oh you’re Columbian, you must have coke” or “your family is part of the NARCOS” or “you know Pablo Escobar”. It gets really annoying” (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). 

Raúl noted how the situation put him in an awkward position because he was currently working the event (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). He told his supervisor who encouraged sending a written warning to the event organizer explaining that if anything like this happened again they would send somebody out, but Raúl chose to let it go (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). I asked him whether he wished he had responded differently and he emphasized that because the man was intoxicated, addressing his racist behaviours could have escalated the situation (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). I realized whilst interviewing others that experiencing fear based reactions is quite common in moments when POC try to stand up for their rights. Another interviewee, Naya – who immigrated to Canada from Ireland in 2014 – described how many POC want to express their opinions against racist commentators, but feel their voice will be undervalued and/or silenced (Naya, personal communication, May 17, 2019). There is a great fear that they will be verbally or physically attacked – further oppressing them – and so they may feel the need to stay quiet in order to keep the offender calm and happy. 

A different interviewee explained that he does not take offense to racial comments, especially when joking around with friends, but it depends on how it is interpreted and who’s on the receiving end of them (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019). In the workplace his coworkers often:

“say some stuff that’s like, “good thing I know them because I know they are joking”. But in my head I’m thinking, “please don’t say that to someone else”. And sometimes I say to them, “I really hope you guys don’t joke around with others because either they get offended; or they get mad at you guys; or they are kicking your a** on the spot” (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019).

Overall, racist jokes have seemingly become a common way to verbally attack POC because they can come across as an innocent way to “poke fun”. Some POC may not take offense to certain slights, but confronting someone about their use of racial slurs can turn a negative interaction into a more positive educational moment. Racial jokes are both inappropriate and hurtful and if people dismiss them, it shows “acceptance” which only normalizes it. Understandably, confronting a racist person can be extremely intimidating, awkward, uncomfortable or in certain contexts, unsafe. However, most of the biggest changes in society happen when activists take a stand against outdated beliefs that have oppressed generations for decades. It is not easy and it may take years, but if people want to eliminate racism than they’re going to have to get comfortable with confronting racists. Dylan amplifies this perspective by saying, “the only way that you can overcome ignorance is to educate” (D. Thomson, personal communication, May 23, 2019). 

However, it is important to address moments when POC (among others) have advocated against racism only to be further oppressed. Raúl pointed out that educating can sometimes backfire because the individual may try to argue that they weren’t being racist or that they are right (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). As much as you explain how the person was being racist, it depends on whether they are willing to understand and listen to your perspective (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). Raúl recommends teaching others to step into his point of view: his parents worked very hard to move to Canada and it took him and his family a long time to learn English (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). “I wish sometimes my friends would live a day of my life and just see how grateful I am for being alive and having the things that I have. Even though it is not that much to them, it is a lot to me” (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). From his life experiences he learned that “different people have different ways of doing things. If you teach somebody that people think differently, it is going to change their views on everything” (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). This quote shows the value in respecting others’ opinions, even when they oppose yours. It teaches us that respect isn’t necessarily about being polite; it is about being curious enough to engage with others for the purpose of learning (Manji, 2019).

Education is crucial because having knowledge is power, but coming to a solid, respectful agreement is not always possible. Bas stated that one of the toughest parts of educating someone about racism is trying to change their perspective, especially if these negative beliefs have been engraved in them from a young age (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). It takes courage to fight against an opposing belief and I commemorate anyone who has taken the time to educate others about the impacts of racism. However, the responsibility to do this doesn’t fall on the victim; POC do not have to open a discourse towards racists. People who participate in acts of racial discrimination need to hold themselves accountable for their ignorance and unjustifiable behaviours. They need to learn how to educate themselves. I imagine it would be super exhausting for POC to feel they must respectively educate racists, especially if they aren’t receiving respect from the offender. 

RACISM IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Jake shared a glimpse of his elementary school days experiencing prejudice and acts of discrimination. When he first arrived in Canada, he was put in grade 7 and was the only black kid in his class (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019). He explained how the rest of the kids didn’t talk to him because they assumed he didn’t speak English: “one day during lunch break the ball rolled over to me while they were playing basketball and then they were like, “oh he probably doesn’t know what to do with it” (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019). Jake reminisced about confronting them and how some of them felt bad while others simply laughed it off (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019). This experience set an expectation for how he may be treated as a person of colour first immigrating from Nigeria (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019). 

“It made me realize what to expect in the whole country as I figured, be ready for stuff like this to happen…After school in Nigeria we used to play soccer. Once one person is kicking the ball it doesn’t matter who joins. But here it is like, “only you guys are on my team”. That’s a big change I saw when I first came here. You have to stick with your clique” (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019).

Jake continued to explain how he wished the kids would have made him feel more welcome and how now he encourages those to engage in conversation with newly immigrated people (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019). This reminded me of a similar perspective: “if somebody is a nice person, that’s all it should take to acquire friendship” (D. Thomson, personal communication, May 23, 2019).

Additionally, Bas recalls being teased in school when he first arrived in Canada from Democratic Republic of Congo (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). The kids would sing: “n*****, n***** in the grass, n*****, n***** lick my a**” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Bas said, “at the time, I didn’t really know what the word n***** meant and today I am reflecting on it and I’m like, “man where the heck did they get that from?” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Although there is plenty of education surrounding slavery and the Civil Rights Movement within the school curriculum, the “N” word is still purposely used to discriminate against blacks in parts of the world today. For example, Bas stated that when his son was in kindergarten he was called the “N” word by another student in grade 3 (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). He said that his white partner had a difficult time understanding why this young kid would be using such terms, answering, “I’m sorry to tell you, but it is not going to be the last time he’s going to hear that” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). He said that growing up, his parents did not really help him realize “this is racist and this is not” which is why he is going to be asking his kids about these kinds of things (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).

In his interview, he continued to say that within his past teaching position, this would be a situation where he would educate on the meaning of the word (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). At that age, the students might not understand the full meaning, but it is more effective to educate them now, especially in a situation when racism occurs (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). When discussing these issues, it is important not to gloss over the subject matter, but to actually try to explain why it is not ok in a way that’s age appropriate. He also explained that “if we give something negative a lot of our attention, we are actually giving that negativity a lot of power” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019) which can motivate offenders who are seeking a reaction. Therefore, he would have discussions about racism using his personal experience and as the topic naturally came up during his classes (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). 

Other interviewees were asked whether they had early childhood discussions about racism in the home or within a school environment, and if these conversations had been helpful to understand the topic. They were also asked if it would be beneficial for all families to have these conversations at home and how it could be introduced. Dylan noted that for many of his encounters involving racism he kept to himself, yet he thinks “that having positive conversations with children throughout their lives about racial equality could be very beneficial. After all, it is in early childhood where many children learn racist behaviours” (D. Thomson, personal communication, May 23, 2019). Raúl added that he knows people who take their kids to the Human Rights Museum which is a great way to incorporate the history of Canada and talk about equality (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). Another Manitoba born interviewee named Joseph believes that having these meaningful conversations would help to “strengthen relationships with people of various racial backgrounds because they wouldn’t feel that they are better than the other race” (Joseph, personal communication, August 21, 2019). Lastly, Naya mentioned how having these conversations at a young age could help to eliminate racism (Naya, personal communication, May 17, 2019). She also said that in schools, teachers could encourage students to accept one another through seating plans and by learning about the similarities and differences of each other’s ethnic backgrounds (Naya, personal communication, May 17, 2019). 

Bas voluntarily shared another experience that occurred in the educational system. At the school, he had a meeting with a parent who had requested he no longer play the school Santa Claus due to his skin colour confusing their child (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Bas said he had every reason to get upset, but instead he persevered and continued dressing as Santa each Christmas season (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). He decided to hold off on the racial aspect of it and find out the parent’s “why”: “for me, I am interested by the why. I would like you to tell me. Give me more as to why this is confusing your kid and to how this is going to ruin their whole Christmas” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019)! 

RACIAL MICROAGGRESSION WITHIN THE SYSTEMS

This section specifically describes how white people frequently and unknowingly use racial microaggressions when engaging with POC. These acts may be unintentional, but can be seen as offensive depending on how it is interpreted. According to the majority of interviewees, the use of racial microaggressions regularly occurs within all systems. Two of the most common forms of racial microaggressions arise when asking “where are you born/from?” and complimenting POC on their English language skills. The question “where are you born/from?” is often used as an icebreaker when meeting new people, however it is racist when used in assumption that the person of colour is a foreigner based on their race. Bas describes how often he is asked this question: 

“I get a lot of “where are you from?” right off the bat and especially if I’m with my kids or speaking our language or whatever. But to me, I could have been born here and learned the language or maybe my parents were born from somewhere else, but we still spoke the language at home. So I get a lot of that and I don’t take it personal or anything, but sometimes I try to be funny about it and when someone says “where are you from?” I would say “I was just at my house” *laughs*” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). 

He has also been told “oh your English is good” even though he has been living in Canada since he was 11-years-old (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). In my opinion, complimenting POC on their English language skills is encouraging only when that individual is currently learning the language. Otherwise, it is insulting and discriminatory to assume that one’s first language is not English based on their race. Raúl also describes his experience surrounding racial microaggressions: “I think people judge me in first class just because I’m a brown, Hispanic man. But then when they… notice that I can speak fluent English and that I don’t have an accent, they’ll listen to me because they know I can speak your language. That I know everything that you say” (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). Raúl believes that language is one of the areas in which POC are stereotyped the most because people will assume that you don’t speak English based on your race (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). He thought it was interesting that if you’re someone of colour and you have an accent, people are likely to be more racist, but if you are white and have an accent, people admire you and want to engage in further conversation (L. R. Caro, personal communication, May 7, 2019). 

Interviewees also described examples of racial microaggression through white people’s curiosity of their hair texture and the desire to touch their skin: 

“I remember arriving and a lot of kids playing with my hair and wanting to touch my skin… I would get angry a lot, especially at the beginning when I didn’t know the language… But then as I got older I came to understand that when they are asking those questions and when they actually want to touch, they’re curious because they don’t know… So the way I understand it, it is not that they’re trying to be racist or mean, but it is curiosity because they don’t know otherwise or they haven’t been taught otherwise” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).

Naya added how others would touch her natural hair without asking; give her a “look” during class when learning about the history of slavery or black people; and ask questions like, “do you tan during summer” – which black people can (Naya, personal communication, May 17, 2019). Naya explained, “I don’t even know if they know they’re doing it, but it’s just questions due to them not being educated or fully aware or naïve… It does irritate me sometimes. I know it is going to happen; it is something I expect now and you have to get used to it, which is sad” (Naya, personal communication, May 17, 2019). Overall, being curious is a natural aspect of life; however, it is important to be mindful of others. In her interview, Naya stated that asking questions is OK as long as “you do it in a polite, respectful way rather than assuming” (Naya, personal communication, May 17, 2019). Additionally, Tamika emphasized how people need to be aware of their use of language when engaging in critical in-depth conversations (T. Reid, personal communication, March 25, 2019). She expressed the importance of empowering people to feel safe while asking honest questions, yet still maintaining a sense of mindfulness (T. Reid, personal communication, March 25, 2019). 

Further examples of racial microaggression adapted from Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice include, but are not limited to: 

• assigning intelligence to a person of colour based on race. Ex. asking Asian people to help solve a math or science problem. This assumes all Asian people are intelligent in math and science;
• assuming someone is dangerous and has criminal status based on race. Ex. clutching your purse or wallet when confronted by a person of colour or a store clerk following a person of colour around the store. In both situations, it is assumed that the person of colour is going to steal;
• a person who claims they are not racist because they have friends who are POC. This is an example of someone who denies their individual racist behaviours (Wing Sue, et al., 2007). 

AFTER THOUGHTS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

While having conversations about racism with POC, I referenced a quote by philosopher George Santayana: “those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it”. Based off this quote, the interviewees described whether they believe globally, issues involving racism are occurring more frequently. Is it possible to develop a more racially and ethnically inclusive culture worldwide?

Jake explained that people are becoming more educated about the impacts of racism, “the fact that we’re having this conversation right now means there’s awareness. There’s people talking about it in school… People are learning” (Jake, personal communication, March 21, 2019). Likewise, Dylan agreed that things have improved significantly within the last few decades, yet racism exists everywhere; and in some places it could be more visible, especially if elected leaders influence the public with racist or ignorant ideology (D. Thomson, personal communication, May 23, 2019). On the contrary, some interviewees believe that racism is always going to be apart of our society because having judgements is one of the natural parts of life (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Racism, inequality and hate have systemically existed for a long time, but with the influence of social media, there is more exposure to these experiences (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019). Bas reckoned that “it is something that’s never going to end because we’re human beings. There’s going to be differences. We’re never going to say “we’re humans. We’re all equal. We’re all good” – unfortunately” (Bas, personal communication, May 14, 2019).

Although eliminating racism may seem impossible, having these conversations connects those with different life experiences and brings attention to the areas in need of further education. I would like to say a huge thank you to all of the interviewees for volunteering their time and being so patient with this project. Your courage has inspired me to use my voice and fight against racial injustice.

Written by Tessa R. Adamski & Edited by Kendall Giilck

References

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Giddens, A., Duneier, M., Appelbaum, R. P., & Carr, D. (2018). Race, Ethnicity, and Racism . In Introduction to Sociology (pp. 265-289). New York; London: W.W. Norton & Company, INC. .

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Loppie, S., Reading, C., & de Leeuw, S. (2019, October 6). Aboriginal Experiences with Racism and its Impacts. Retrieved from National Collaborating Centre For Aboriginal Health : https://www.ccnsa-nccah.ca/docs/determinants/FS-AboriginalExperiencesRacismImpacts-Loppie-Reading-deLeeuw-EN.pdf

Manji, I. (2019). Don’t Label Me: An Incredible Conversation for Divided Times. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Wing Sue, D., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice . American Psychologist, 271-286.