is racism common in Toronto?

[leopetr]

Since you're attending U of T - one of our best universities and one where you have to write an essay demonstrating critical thinking skills to enter - I am inclined to believe that you are the former.

I managed to get into UofT in 2002 without writing an essay. However, I was applying for Computer Science rather than a Humanities program, so the circumstances may be different for me.

 

[prosperegal]

I managed to get into UofT in 2002 without writing an essay. However, I was applying for Computer Science rather than a Humanities program, so the circumstances may be different for me.

I don't know about other programs, but Trinity College was the only part of U of T which required an essay to get in. That was in 1998, though.

 

[X2 Buyer]

Ok. That is fine that some parents don't want their kids dating at all but that really has nothing to do with my story. She was allowed to date people as long as they were Chinese. I wasn't so she had to break up with me and find a Chinese boyfriend.

I didn't tell this story to make Toronto seem racist either. It's the least racist place I have ever been to. I was just saying that even in a place like this there will still be some people like that.

Chinese parents are not being racism ie not allow non-Chinese as the date for their kids. This is only culture difference preventing them seeing other races are as easy as communicate-able, or as responsible and hard work...these may all be wrong perception but never racism, because Chinese people (we) never think we are naturally inherited anything better than others by all means. oh. probably except for "math"

 

[X2 Buyer]

Other than the fact that someone called me a troll, im very pleased with the answers. Thanks. and no, i didnt think toronto would be a place of high levels of racism in the first place, but more so, I was wondering if job applications were denied due to ethnicity. Im sure this is true all around the world, even in a melting mosaic figure like Canada, but I was curious as to whether how often racism occured in a more specific point on the map because im planning to live there for the next couple years. So far my plans of moving to toronto have not changed and i have no thoughts of turning back.


Thanks to all.

I am an immigrant / visible minority (occupying two groups out of four under the definition) and I do not find unfairness in the job market due to my ethnicity.

When I did not have the educational and working experience here and did not speak well enough English over ten years ago, there were barriers to get any decent jobs around. These days as long as you have the skill set and everything to convince the employer, you can be same marketable. As the matter of fact I lead a team in my working place in which some members are local Canadian born (white people).

 

[Eug]

Chinese parents are not being racism

Of course it's racist. In fact, it's the very definition of racist.

An entire group of people are excluded simply by their races, not by the content of their character.

ie not allow non-Chinese as the date for their kids. This is only culture difference preventing them seeing other races are as easy as communicate-able, or as responsible and hard work...these may all be wrong perception but never racism, because Chinese people (we) never think we are naturally inherited anything better than others by all means. oh. probably except for "math"

I don't know where you get that from. Anti-black racism is quite common amongst the Chinese community for example. Just imagine an overly traditional mom forbidding her precious daughter from dating a Caucasian guy... only to find out she's started dating a black African instead. In many Chinese families, all hell would break loose.

Many of the older generation also hate the Japanese, although that has more to do with WWII of course.

 

[X2 Buyer]

Of course it's racist. In fact, it's the very definition of racist.

An entire group of people are excluded simply by their races, not by the content of their character.



I don't know where you get that from. Anti-black racism is quite common amongst the Chinese community for example. Just imagine an overly traditional mom forbidding her precious daughter from dating a Caucasian guy... only to find out she's started dating a black African instead. In many Chinese families, all hell would break loose.

Many of the older generation also hate the Japanese, although that has more to do with WWII of course.

Ok, giving you another extreme example I know as a Shanghainese most older generation go against non-Shanghainese to get married with their kids. Is this "RACISM" by your definition? Chinese vs. Chinese here -

 

[Eug]

Ok, giving you another extreme example I know as a Shanghainese most older generation go against non-Shanghainese to get married with their kids. Is this "RACISM" by your definition? Chinese vs. Chinese here -

That wouldn't be strictly defined as racism, but it's equally moronic of course.

 

[jenny_zhang]

And if it were true (I've never heard of this before), it doesn't somehow magically eliminate the fact that there is massive racism in the Chinese community.

 

[X2 Buyer]

And if it were true (I've never heard of this before), it doesn't somehow magically eliminate the fact that there is massive racism in the Chinese community.

Depending on which Chinese community you are looking at, the traditional Cantonese speakers or the new mainland Chinese. I do have friends who are married to Caucasians or pure Black without any issue described previously here.

 

[Eug]

Depending on which Chinese community you are looking at, the traditional Cantonese speakers or the new mainland Chinese. I do have friends who are married to Caucasians or pure Black without any issue described previously here.

So do I.

Some families are more progressive than others, obviously. And no, I'm not specifically criticizing the Chinese community. I'm just pointing out that your suggestion that Chinese aren't racist is false, for some Chinese. I just don't see how you can claim discrimination on the basis of skin colour is not racist.

 

[X2 Buyer]

So do I.

Some families are more progressive than others, obviously. And no, I'm not specifically criticizing the Chinese community. I'm just pointing out that your suggestion that Chinese aren't racist is false, for some Chinese. I just don't see how you can claim discrimination on the basis of skin colour is not racist.

I still believe generally Chinese are not racists - some yes but it will be TRUE for any other ethnic groups. Certainly there is a % of all of us fall under the category.

All I am trying to say is kids' marriage is different from the race issue - parents may get along well with other ethnic people (both work or their neighborhood) but the daughter in-law or son in-law, people still prefer someone coming from the same background. It is not typical in Chinese community but all others as well. This is no difference from e.g. Italians like to go Italian restaurant and Russians like to go Russian bakery.

 

[drone]

That's been my experience. I'm white, married into a chinese family. My wife, told me straight up, that her parents had difficulty with the fact that I was north american, and that I didn't understand, or adhere to what they expected of a chinese son in law. Also, I didn't totally understand they're customs and traditions. They'd probably have the same problem with her marrying a very north american asian male.

 

[Eug]

I still believe generally Chinese are not racists - some yes but it will be TRUE for any other ethnic groups. Certainly there is a % of all of us fall under the category.

I'm glad you agree that some Chinese are indeed racist.

All I am trying to say is kids' marriage is different from the race issue - parents may get along well with other ethnic people (both work or their neighborhood) but the daughter in-law or son in-law, people still prefer someone coming from the same background. It is not typical in Chinese community but all others as well. This is no difference from e.g. Italians like to go Italian restaurant and Russians like to go Russian bakery.

It's racism if an Italian tells his daughter that she can't marry her Chinese boyfriend just because he's Chinese. Plain and simple.

It's one thing to prefer certain cultural customs, but it's quite another to forbid intermingling just on the basis of skin colour and ethnic background, yet that's absolutely what some parents do. And no, not just Chinese of course.

It's quite understandable for a father to say "Daughter, you know, I'm most comfortable with the culture of the old country, and I would prefer that you marry someone who understands and respects, and tries to follow some of those cultural practices, although I would be happy if the person you marry at least understands and respects you."

Unfortunately, in some cases, the statement is more like "If you do not marry a person of our race, I will disown you".

 

[X2 Buyer]

That's been my experience. I'm white, married into a chinese family. My wife, told me straight up, that her parents had difficulty with the fact that I was north american, and that I didn't understand, or adhere to what they expected of a chinese son in law. Also, I didn't totally understand they're customs and traditions. They'd probably have the same problem with her marrying a very north american asian male.

case 1: Chinese girl married a white guy. The girl is the only child in her family. The parents visited them from China and had been living together for one month. The husband could not stand the life as a big family completely toward the end and straight forward told the parents in-law fly back home. This for sure created a bit chaos between the daughter and parents.

case 2: Chinese girl married a Chinese guy. The parents visited them from China and since then have "happily" lived together forever. The husband did not feel comfortable of course to live together as a big family but he would say nothing most likely.

Older generation the parents think it is their right to live with the kid and the kid's family. There is the saying if your daughter married a white guy you have lost your daughter; if your daughter married a Chinese guy you have earned a son.

Among our generation we will never forbidden our next generation to abide what we tell them to do or to invade their life in whichever the way we wish (which my mother does all the time to me). Unfortunately our parents were educated from the old time and that is what in their mind.

Is this racism issue? Guess we could say this is the human rights issue ~

at least your wife married you - wish you a happy life together

 

[Therion]

Is this racism issue? Guess we could say this is the human rights issue

It's a cultural issue, which is understandable. People generally prefer their own, and I don't think that's racism.