Summary: Racial Discrimination In Canada

Upon their arrival to Canada, immigrants must have or acquire certain credentials in order to gain residency in our country. Although those credentials are very much needed in order to immigrate, Esses et al. (2007) stated that one of the most common problems in finding employment reported by immigrants was the lack of recognition of foreign qualifications. Apparently, the skills that are so valued when immigrants are assessed for admission into Canada are devalued once they arrive and attempt to enter the labour market. Banerjee and Phan (2014) found that there are many factors that contribute to immigrants’ disadvantages in the labour market, including devaluing of foreign credentials and work experience. The transferability of immigrant …show more content…
Canadian citizens see countless cultures and ethnicities around them no matter where they live. The country is so rich in culture it is a wonder why native-born white Canadians are continuing to keep such negative thoughts hidden, only to come out when they have the power to accept or turn away a visible minority. Research by Esses et al. (2007) has shown that White Canadians are often uncomfortable around visible minorities and would rather be around people of their own ethnic group. This is due to the perception that visible minorities are competing with native-born Canadians for economic resources and cultural dominance. Sidanius, Pratto, van Laar, and Levin (2004) displayed that group-based oppression is driven by institutional and individual discrimination. That is to say that many social institutions and powerful individuals associate desired qualities such as wealth and prestige to dominant groups, and less desired qualities such as danger and imprisonment with less powerful groups. Sidanius et al. (2004) go on to prove that ideologies that legitimize inequality and racial behaviours are determined by people’s general desire for group based dominance. Although visible minorities are our neighbours, peers, and even friends, they are being stereotyped and grouped together with negative qualities. Devito, Shimoni, and Clar (2012) explain that a psychological stereotype is a fixed impression of a group of people. Once you have predetermined impressions associated with a particular group, upon meeting someone of that group, you will only see them for the characteristics that you assign to that group of people. Another factor that contributes to racial discrimination in Canada is ethnocentrism, which is the tendency to view the beliefs, values, and behaviours of other cultures to be inferior to those of