On the daily discrimination of international students from the perspective of cutting headscarves in Canada

I wonder if you still remember the headscarf cutting incident in June+10/2, 65438? I have been paying attention to this matter for a long time. Let's talk about the daily discrimination of international students cutting headscarves in Canada.

Khawlah Noman, a girl aged 1 1, reported that on her way to school with her brother in scarborough, a man tried to cut off her headscarf twice.

The headscarf cutting incident immediately made international headlines and attracted national attention. Politicians including Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, Ontario Governor Wayne and Toronto Mayor Zhuang Deli all publicly condemned the incident.

Toronto police announced on Monday (65438+ 10/5) that their investigation had been completed, and the so-called attack on girls' headscarves was completely false.

Once this matter was announced, it aroused the indignation of the Chinese community. I think this is a serious insult to the Chinese community. Because the incident happened in a Chinese-inhabited area, the so-called "Asians" gave the public the impression that they were from China.

It is undeniable that although the understanding between different races is deeper and closer with the progress of the times and the exchange of civilization and culture, these stereotypes and prejudices against us Asians exist from beginning to end. Even a big immigrant country and a multi-ethnic country like Maple Leaf are no exception.

There is discrimination where there are people.

Judging from the experience of living in Canada, racial discrimination definitely exists, which can be basically divided into two categories: explicit discrimination and implicit discrimination.

Explicit discrimination mainly refers to direct verbal insults, obvious inequality and unfair treatment and even serious physical violence.

Implicit discrimination often has potential unequal treatment, no direct verbal or physical abuse and so on.

The most common racial problem is implicit discrimination, which is also the most difficult phenomenon to solve. Canada-The Kingdom of Implicit Racial Discrimination was written by Margaret Cannon, a white Canadian, in 1995. The reporter realized.

"Although racial discrimination is prohibited by law in Canada, discrimination against people of color is still serious in a white-dominated society. The means of discrimination are not as open and naked as before, but make a fuss about various opportunities and events. In the absence of conclusive evidence, the discriminated nation or group is usually helpless and it is difficult to make an appropriate counterattack. "

Indeed, many times foreigners pay great attention to being labeled as racist, but they still have a sense of superiority in their hearts. This phenomenon exists in both workplaces and schools.

Some students complained on the Internet like this:

Anonymous user: Canadian students have been studying abroad for three years, so there are many experiences of groupwork because of professional requirements. Be polite to your face, turn around and roll your eyes or something (true story), and the discussion will be interrupted without giving you a chance to speak.

Anonymous user: Some students have seen a teacher who failed students in China. She teaches languages. Half the students in China chose her. She often praises white students in class, criticizes China students, and is especially strict with China students' homework and exams, which is a failure. A student in China was sent to school to complain about her, but her reason was that the students' grammar was not good enough, and it was not her problem, so the students ate coptis.

Netizen White Horse Night Tour: The discrimination I felt in Toronto in the past two years is more discrimination against immigration status. For example, if you only get a work permit, many companies are reluctant to hire you because the work permit will expire in two or three years, and people don't want to change people back and forth. Moreover, in order to protect the local labor force, many institutions also give priority to hiring permanent residents and citizens.

These discriminatory phenomena are universal and real. In fact, there is discrimination and prejudice in some places, even in China.

Therefore, this does not mean that Canada is a racist country, and everything has two sides, nor does it mean that most Canadians are friendly. But the causes of discrimination and how to deal with it are the most worthy of our attention.

How does discrimination happen?

The reasons for discrimination include cultural differences, language barriers and negative media propaganda. It comes from the prejudice against the cultural stereotype of China because of ignorance. Some subconscious prejudices will make many local people unaware that their actions contain discrimination. For these people, we can communicate with them correctly and actively, let them know more about our culture and eliminate unnecessary misunderstandings.

In addition, it is undeniable that there are some reasons for China people themselves. When we say that many countries don't like China people, sometimes we really don't abide by local rules or laws, or the quality of some civilizations needs to be improved. We don't need to be uniform like the Japanese, but at least we should be polite.

Of course, in the face of deliberate provocation and offensive insults, whether verbal or physical, we will inevitably take appropriate measures to protect ourselves. When necessary, we should also learn to fight back skillfully. You don't have to fight. You can dump them for ten blocks with your brain.

How to deal with it?

The most useful weapon is always the law. According to the Canadian Bill of Rights, "everyone has the right to be free from racial discrimination and harassment. No one can treat you differently because of your race or other related reasons (such as origin, color, origin, race, nationality or belief). " The Act recognizes the dignity and value of everyone in Canada and applies to schools, employment, housing, facilities and services, contracts and membership of trade unions, industries or professional associations.

In addition, there are clear provisions in the Criminal Law prohibiting hate attacks on any clearly defined society. Whenever you feel offended and personally attacked, remember to tell them that it is illegal. Once sued, even a large enterprise like Wal-Mart will lose 440,000 yuan if it is told of racial discrimination.

If you are an international student:

When you encounter discrimination on campus, don't panic or be afraid. You must collect evidence and seek help from the international student office. Canadian schools do exceptionally well in cultural diversity and attach great importance to campus discrimination. On the one hand, it can safeguard their rights, on the other hand, it can teach those students with budding racism a lesson and prevent them from getting worse after entering the society.

It is also a good idea to seek the help of some affirmative societies in the school or the China Student Union, so that more people can speak for themselves.

If you are in the workplace:

If you encounter racial discrimination in the workplace, you can choose more legal channels to deal with it, because you are protected by both the Human Rights Law and the Workers' Compensation Law. In most provinces, you can keep a written record of the incident within six months and tell some trusted friends or family about your experience. Then complain to the human rights court, and your chances of winning the case will be greatly increased.

If you have questions about this procedure, you can also seek the guidance of some non-profit organizations, such as the Human Rights League, the Human Rights Clinic and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.