is racism common in Toronto?

[prosperegal]

if you're planning to go to U of T, you may not hear or experience overt racism but there definitely is an under-current.

there was an anti-asian vibe there bc asians were/are a prominent visible minority, and some were very rich with nice cars, etc.

similar racism/jealousy occurred b/c a high % of asians were getting into medical school, etc.

This is probably more of a class situation disguised as race.

 

[cdr108]

This is probably more of a class situation disguised as race.

i don't think so when the words 'chink', etc are used.

there's also an over generalization that all asians were chinese, but that's not racism.

 

[prosperegal]

i don't think so when the words 'chink', etc are used.

there's also an over generalization that all asians were chinese, but that's not racism.

I didn't know that. I only went to U of T as a grad student and was pretty isolated from everyone else.

As for wealthy East Asian students - look at any alumni list of Toronto area private schools (the old line/British type schools like UCC or Branksome). Most East Asian last names on these lists are Chinese.

 

[Jays753]

Depends what you mean by racism? If you mean do some people (of all ethnicities) sit at home in private and talk about this group or that group ruining the city/world -then yes, that probably happens.

Things like that do happen, and I always wonder why. You choose to live in a environment were there's people of all different races.

 

[jenny_zhang]

Things like that do happen, and I always wonder why. You choose to live in a environment were there's people of all different races.

Well, that aspect isn't high on people's consciousness when they're making the move to Canada. A lot of immigrants see it just as an easy destination to improve your life without sacrificing too much, the fact that there will be other immigrants doesn't hit as a factor. Maybe if more people were aware of that aspect you wouldn't see the enclave-ish behaviour of the larger groups once they come here.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

different perspectives of race...

science: human race, also known as humans, also known as homo sapiens.

beliefs (aka pseudoscience): white race, black race, yellow race, caucasian, asian, negroid, american race, german race, and so on. these are arbitrary conclusions based on nationality, continent, skin color, etc. might as well have races based on eye color, body hair, hair color, etc.

yes, i was actually taught in school that there is a negroid race. sounds like they may contain electronic circuits or something. they must have come up with that term during the robot dance craze.

 

[golodhendil]

While I have certainly heard of the urban legends about Chinese parents threatening to disown their children if they married someone who was non-Chinese, I have yet to see or hear any such threats given to my friends or family members, many of whom are dating or married partners of other ethnicities and most of them being first-generation immigrants.

As for racist attitude among "Whites", I would agree it's definitely not overt and generally not serious. However, it wasn't that long ago during the SARS epidemic that such comments were made:
"And you people live like rats and eat like pigs and spread dirty, dirty, deadly disease around the world" - hate phone-call to Chinese Canadian National Council

I have also had personal experience of racist comments thrown at us, usually by older White people. A few years ago I was at a bank with my parents, we were in line and my dad went to get a deposit slip and fill it in. An old white lady behind us then complained, "Stupid Chinese." My mom turned around and said something to the effect that she was being rude and racist etc, and for reasons I cannot remember now the old lady left the bank after a while. A middle-aged white lady in front of us then assured us, "It's ok, she's old."

This certainly wasn't a common experience, but it exists nonetheless.

 

[jenny_zhang]

I have yet to see or hear any such threats given to my friends or family members

I have. It isn't about suddenly getting up one day and making a bold threat to your kids but the general tone and atmosphere you create at home. That is, a general attitude that ranges from distance to hostility depending on the other ethnicity in question. And that certainly influences the kids. If that doesn't apply to your family that is great, but I think it's a bit naive to pretend it doesn't exist.

I'm actually in a relationship with someone of a different ethnicity and all I will say is that the reaction of a significant portion of relatives was not entirely....pleasant.

 

[Second_in_pie]

^^ Haha "It's ok she's old"

I honestly have seen very little racism in the city. I'd hazard to say that Toronto and Vancouver are the two most multicultural cities on the planet, and that there's a huge amount of acceptance of all races in both cities.

I think from my experiences in the city, the most "racist" parts of the GTA (or at least the least accepting of other races than the rest,) have got to be Southern Etobicoke and Mississauga. I'd say below the St. Clair line, and west of around Runneymede in Etobicoke. The area just doesn't seem very accepting to me, and I've spent a fair bit of time there.
In Mississauga, there's actually a lot of segregation and totally different racial communities, or at least from what I've seen. You go down one street, and it's totally Somali. Walk down a block, and suddenly you're in an Indian community. One more and you're in a Chinese one. Quite interesting imo.

 

[jenny_zhang]

I'd use a different word than "interesting". And I think that happens everywhere in Toronto. Surely you've noticed that Markham has practically become a Chinese district, Brampton and Indian one. This is what we don't mention when we're raving at how "multicultural" we are.

 

[Canuck]

as a black male in his mid twenties I have never felt overt discrimination against me except for one case where a deaf tourist appeared to make a comment to her family about me being at a restaurant with a white woman. I assume it was a tourist because I overheard some members of the group talking about "the time zone back home."

I'm curious, how was this discrimination/racist?

Did you get the imperssion the deaf tourist told the group something to the effect of "that interracial couple disgusts me", or could the comment have been as benign as "wow, you don't see interracial couples back home."

Is the second scenario just as worse as the first?

 

[bleeepbluuup]

a little off-topic but i find the new Swiss Chalet commercial racist.

it's the one where the white older male manager walks with a white young trainee through the restaurant.

all the backroom cook staff are immigrants ... black, brown, asian.

suddenly the new trainee is gone and shown eating a meal and asking a waitress for some extra sauce ... the manager states the young trainee is going places.

why the manager or trainee couldn't have been non-white, or why the kitchen staff were all immigrants are beyond me ...

Man, that is just par for the course when it comes to media depictions of visible minorities in North America. If they get on the screen at all, it's usually only to serve as a contrasting background for the white people in the lead roles.

 

[sangcho1989]

I've lived in Vancouver and reading Toronto is similar to Vancouver, concerning multiculturalism, pleases me. Is multiculal acceptance in toronto the same as well?

I had no problem residing in Vancouver and I certainly had no trouble coinciding with other races. Well, in university, alcohol brings us all together not matter the difference.

 

[Chinese Jamaican Bloke]

yes

 

[sangcho1989]

Just a thought. Clubs in vancouver are separated by race. for example, the majority of azns stick with going to specific clubs, while people of different ethnicity go to another.

also, in Vancouver, asians are not a minority. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were the absolute majoity.

Vancouver vs Toronto. which is more multicultural now?