Essay THE IMPACT OF RACISM ON CARIBBEAN PEOPLE IN CANADA

It is known that “the economic life of Caribbean people in Canada is strongly influenced by racism” (Magosci, 1999, p.334). Racial discrimination is often found in different spheres of human activity, including employment. However, the statistics shows that Caribbean immigrants have the highest rate of labor force participation in Canada ”“ about 75%. It means that Caribbean people hold lower positions in comparison with Canadians. According to Paul R. Magosci (1999), “the percentage of men and women who hold managerial positions is substantially less than Canadians”(p.334). Besides, it is found that older Caribbean arrivals earn much more than recent Caribbean immigrants. Caribbean women face gender discrimination in the workplace. Paul R. Magosci (1999) notices that those women who were born in the Caribbean suffer the double jeopardy of being both female and black (p.335).

There are certain financial difficulties experienced by Caribbean people in the workplace. For example, many problems are connected with cheating of employees. In many cases, the employers refuse to pay agreed upon salaries to Caribbean immigrants. In addition, many employees of Caribbean background have no opportunity to advance in the positions they held. Racial harassment in the workplace is a common thing for Caribbean employees. One of the studies on racism in Canada proved the fact that 39 out of 90 Caribbean women experienced racial discrimination in the workplace (Magosci, 1999, p.335). Moreover, there are certain limitations for those Caribbean immigrants who want to establish a small business. It is found that in many cases, Caribbean businesses have limited access to credits, and lack the appropriate information in order to hold the leading position in the competitive market.

In addition, many Caribbean immigrants experienced racism when they wanted to join such places of worship as churches. According to Paul R. Magocsi (1999), it has been a powerful deterrent to their efforts at integration to Canadian society(p.338).  Many immigrants felt unwelcomed because of the largely white congregations in their denominations. Moreover, the elements of racism in relation to Caribbean children can be found in many Canadian schools. Dwaine Plaza (2006) states in the research article that those young Caribbean immigrants who arrived to Canada when they were in their teens “did not do well at school, which ultimately affected their future employment opportunities”(p.209). The researcher is sure that young teenagers have serious problems at school because of their cultural differences and poor English, their ethnicity and skin color. It is clear that these factors made Caribbean children susceptible to discrimination at schools. According to Germán Carrera Damas and Bridget Brereton (2004), the increased level of racial prejudice in Canada has negative impact on the life of thousands of Canadians of Caribbean background (p.321).

However, the Caribbean community in Canada has already developed effective mechanisms to prevent racism. These mechanisms have the major goal ”“ to maintain ethnic and cultural identity of Caribbean people in Canada and to respond to the acts of discrimination against Caribbean immigrants. Besides, it is known that the Caribbean community is closely connected with such organizations as the Jamaican Canadian Association, the Grenada Association and the Trinidad Association which also protect the interest of Caribbean people in Canada and combat racism. The above mentioned organizations play a major role in “bringing Caribbean immigrants together in a variety of social, cultural and athletic events that give people a chance to reaffirm their ethnic origins and enjoy aspects of their culture” (Magosci, 1999, p.339). Some of these organizations provide such services for the community members as business advice, legal counseling, personal and family counseling, some educational services, etc. They realize that racism and economic problems keep many Caribbean people from developing their skills and talents.

            CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it is necessary to say that multiculturalism is represented as an internal policy initiative in Canada. The Caribbean population is constantly increasing in Toronto and other cities of Canada. Culture is closely connected with politics and economics of the country and influences the diversity in Canada. Although many Caribbean Canadians have already achieved success in business, a larger number of young Afro-Caribbean men and women experience discrimination in Canada. Racial discrimination prevents Caribbean people to lead a normal life. Although Canada is considered to be a multicultural country, where all citizens have equal rights, Caribbean people feel that in some spheres of human activity, their rights are limited. The Caribbean community in Canada and many other organizations try to combat racism and make the life of Caribbean people better.

 



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