Racial Profiling Still Existing In Canada
Racial profiling is the act of suspicion (suspicion of crime for example) on racialized people. It can occur in areas such as employment, education, housing, services, etc. Racialized people face many challenges in which racial profiling is often the cause.
"In 2009/2010, the percentage of hate crimes was highest in race/ethnicity being approximately 55 %, compared to religion 28 % , sexual orientation 15 % and other motivations 4 %." (Dowden, C. and Brennan, S. 2012)
Another study found that "police within a majority of white were 3.7 times more likely to stop a black as a Caucasian, and 1.4 times more likely to stop an aboriginal or black person than a white." (CBC News Online, 2005).
This has horrible effects on individuals when it comes to their mental health, housing, employment, education, the services they are offered and these individuals often face unfair treatment in all these areas.
One thing an individual can do when experiencing racial profiling is to make a complaint to The Alberta Human Rights Commission.
Organizations by law are to operate completely without racial profiling.
With Ontario, Canada being so diverse, you would expect amalgamation but instead racialized individuals in Ontario are still often forced to assimilation.
"Ontario was the highest rated in a study of hate crime among Canada." (Dowden, C. and Brennan, S. 2012)
Ontario, Canada then should practice and focus more on racialized people and traditional and modern multiculturalism to help address racial profiling.
Sheri
Dowden, C. and Brennan, S. . (April 12, 2012). Statistics Canada. In Police-reported hate crime in Canada, 2010.
Retrieved Nov. 14, 2012, from
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2012001/article/11635-eng.htm#a4.
. (May 26, 2005). CBC News Online . In INDEPTH: RACIAL PROFILING . Retrieved Nov. 14, 2012,
from
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/racial_profiling/.
. (March 2012). Alberta Human Rights Commission. In Racial profiling. Retrieved Nov. 14, 2012,
from
http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/publications/bulletins_sheets_booklets/sheets/protected_grounds/racial_profiling.asp.
I always have a hard time reading material on this topic since it is so real to me. This issue is an ongoing problem in Canada and needs to stop. I often see my long-term partner of colour experience racial profiling when we are downtown at night. I have seen first-hand how people assume he is doing something wrong when we are out with a group of friends and he is sitting doing nothing. Canada talks about being multicultural but I personally feel that small towns have a long way to go on this subject. There is still a lack of acceptance of other racial minorities in many Canadian cities.
ReplyDeleteKristen – Mental Illness Group