Just a little gentle prodding and Canadians are tripping over with racist glee. All someone had to do is use the right politically correct code words for racism in the 21st century.
Canadians are too polite to tell the gooks to go home, that just wouldn’t seem right.
It does, however, seem to be ok to tell them to “integrate” with “our culture” or else “Canada should reject that person as a potential Canadian citizen.”
A recent Toronto Star article titled “Sure we have rights, but what about duties?” by
“Your customs belong in the country you left behind,” writes another person who clearly states he is upset that Canada had to apologise to the Japanese (for the WWII internment camps, theft of their property, etc.) and to the Chinese for the head tax.
A third person writes that her “concern is the small minority of new immigrants who are here out of their own free will, but who demand the full benefit of the Canadian Charter of Rights and the full protection of Canadian laws without being willing to assimilate into this society or even show the courtesy of respecting and following its norms and traditions. Some even show an attitude of defiance to the social traditions of this country.”
I read this while on a camping trip with a group of live-in caregivers, a group of individuals that sacrificed everything they knew, and left their families and community behind, to live and work behind the locked doors of a Canadian family’s house.
Sure all this leads to abuse, but that’s something they are willing to bear in the hope of providing for their families and potentially be able to bring them out of poverty. Now if only they can let go of what pride is left them—maybe that will be enough for these folk? Oh Canada…
“We must ask whether it is acceptable for Canada to lower the standard of human rights for immigrant workers simply because they are being provided with an opportunity that is potentially beneficial to them.” (Shayna Buhler, Human Rights Tribune, Vol. 12, 2006)
Curiously, I had also just written my previous blog entry on how Canadians just seem to want us migrants and minorities to just “be happy and grateful” for having the honour of leaving everything behind to live in a country where some people clearly don’t want us (at least not the way we are.)
Angelo’s basic argument is that Canada needs a Charter of Canadian Duties to balance the Charter of Rights. Citizens need to understand their responsibilities towards the country and not just look towards the Charter to protect their cultural differences.
The readers seem to love him. Even online the comments are distinctly pro, and the cons are widely dismissed. Here are some choice white-robed thoughts:
“I am finding more Canadians verbalizing [that]… We are tired of being forced into changing our ways by newly arrived persons who want to live life as in their old country while getting all the benefits of being a Canadian, again while not putting in any constructive effort… soon there will be a bigger internal confrontation…” [Tanner14]
“People choose to live in Canada because it is one of the best places on the planet to live, yet they can’t wait to show pride and love for the place they chose to leave…” [Sjacobs]
“It’s about time we demanded something from our “citizens”… These people have no loyalty to anyone but themselves but wander the first world looking for the country with the best benefits and social programs.” [WhitbyGirl]
Ok.
Wow.
If only we had something to protect us from this sort of hate, some sort of codified list of rights, then maybe all this could be stopped. We can even put it in the Constitution and can call it a Chart—oh wait.
Shit.
Jocelyn Dulnuan was a caregiver murdered in her employer's home in Mississauga in 2007.
12/08/2008 at 9:19 pm
[...] Update (12 august): Maybe it’s just coincidence, but just days after I wrote this I read the letters to the editor page of the Toronto Star (Canada’s largest newspaper) and found exactly the sentiment above (ie. hey immigrants: be happy and grateful) expressed over and over again. Read about it here: http://alexfelipe.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/assimilate-with-white-canada-or-else/ [...]
18/08/2008 at 5:43 am
Interesting article, but I don’t agree with your assessment that the comments you quoted above are necessarily racist. The respondents to the article are just stating that there are some immigrants who are seen to act that way. There are some communities that seem to want to create their own cultural enclave and have no motivation/desire to integrate with other members of Canada’s diverse community. My parents are immigrants to Canada, but they have integrated into society, speaking the language, working, paying taxes, and generally being financial and social contributors to Canadian society. If you want to live in Canada, and benefit from what Canada offers, then I don’t think it is too much to ask that you integrate. If that fits in with your definition of “racist”, then so be it.
21/08/2008 at 2:18 am
[...] by Jack Stephens on August 20, 2008 Alex blogs: Canadians are too polite to tell the gooks to go home, that just wouldn’t seem [...]
22/08/2008 at 4:33 am
Dee, those comments are racist, and xenophobic. These canadians see the adherence to cultural heritage as okay, to a point (the cutesy national costumes etc..) but when you don’t start blending in quick enough they start getting nervous.
The Enclaves that you mention have always existed and tend to change over time. These areas permit the newly immigrated to exist in an in-between zone as they slowly adjust to a different way of life in their new country. Often they require the community assistance that these areas provide, to be able to save money and make contacts in order to later move to other areas. Often their children are those who will truly associate themselves with Canada, while the parents (especially in this age of hyper connectedness and easy travel) maintain a doubling of identity, being that of canadian and that of their home country.
And in response to some of the other comments (to the article), it seems as if some canadians can’t understand how difficult it is to leave your home country behind, no matter what the situation was there. It is the place of birth, of family, friends, etc. I don’t understand the logic of requiring these individuals to never speak of their home proudly ever again in order to make it seem as if they are fully “intergrated” into canadian society. Intergration does not require one to completely forget ones country of origin, nor does it require that you never are proud of the place from which you originated.
Finally since when have the newly arrived forced us to change our ways? Other than maybe forcing us to open our eyes to how vibrant and beautiful that cultures and individuals from the world over are, they have only helped enrich canadian society, teaching us lessons of love and acceptance, or atleast showing us the ugly currents of racism that must be confronted in our nation.
“Intergration” is a two way street, the newly immigrated can only intergrate as much as the already settled will let them, and I think we should all remember that.
22/08/2008 at 9:01 am
thank you very much Dee for your comment and point of view. And thank you Meraydia so very very much for you wonderfully thought out and compassionate reply. I have been meaning to reply to this for some time but just haven’t had the time to give it the sort of response it deserved. I really don’t think I could have done it better.
13/10/2008 at 8:27 pm
[...] (1) I am a Filipino, and I am a Canadian. [...]
29/03/2010 at 5:35 pm
Well if you don’t like it go back to the Philippines. We didn’t come for you and from my mind you should be grateful you got out of that sick man of Asia country.
I love filipinos because they make excellent citizens who never cause trouble. If you have a problem with Canada maybe being a guest worker in Singapore or the Gulf States will make you see the light of day.
I live in Japan and I see how the brownies and other aliens get treated ( I don’t suffer from this problem, but I am treated in a patronizing way by the Japanese. I do realize that I’m a guest and no a Japanese and never will be),so why do the pioneers of canada (French and English btw we’re not immigrants we made the country)have to bend for foreigners?? I want you to intermarry and adopt our culture “Canadian Culture” and thats it!
If this is too difficult, why don’t you try Russia, Venezuela, Mexico or Hong Kong? Nothing is stopping you, and Frankly I’m sick of bending to foreigners in my own back yard. Adapt or move on
Sorry to sound cruel and uncaring but enough is enough, from foreigners and the leftist ass kissers in the Government, Universities and Media.
I just fed up
Sincerely
Ben
30/03/2010 at 1:04 am
Thanks Ben for the reminder of just one of the hurdles before us. Enjoy your stay in ‘patronizing’ Japan.
In a way, you’re right, we ‘foreigners’ must learn to adapt to Western racism. If we simply ignore it we will always fall under it’s boot. And we have, you’ve noticed I’m sure–unfortunately for you, our adaptions are not quite the subservience you want it to be. Again, enjoy.