(RAE4) Racism in Place

This session will examine cohesion, connection, and belonging within racial and ethnic communities and how these processes link to the ideology of whiteness, eurocentrism, and internalized racism, orientalism, and colonialism. Social and psychological connections within racial and ethnic communities are manifested in feelings and acts of association and disassociation (i.e. love and hate). Some group members carry a strong affinity to particular racial and ethnic identities and to co-ethnics while others carry the opposite thereby rejecting racial and ethnic affiliation. There are many who situate in-between, including those who may oscillate back and forth. Some degree of intra-ethnic divisions, contempt, and disdain characterize communities who find ways to distinguish subgroups internally by place of birth, culture, period of arrival, accent, language, dress, scent, social class, politics, etc. For example, between first and second generation migrants. We will explore the nature of these forms of affiliation and distinction and discuss the extent to which intra-group disassociations are rooted in racism – i.e. strategies of othering. How do everyday discourses and practices structure distinctions? What context shapes how group members navigate their identities and relationships with others in their own communities? In keeping with the Congress theme of challenging hate, we aim to highlight the ways in which people challenge and foster awareness of divisive ideas and stereotypes within their own communities in order to bring together their members, and also, to join across racialized and ethnicized communities. This session welcomes theoretical papers, literature reviews, and research that explore and explain these connections and disconnections while investigating dominant, pervasive, and universalized notions of race and superiority. Tags: Equality and Inequality, Migration and Immigration, Race and Ethnicity

Organizer: Ann Kim, York University; Chair: Monisha Poojary, York University

Presentations

Sanaa Ali-Mohammed, Toronto Metropolitan University

Behind the benevolent veneer: Exploring experiences of invisibilized racial discrimination in Ontario charities and philanthropic foundations

Contrary to prevailing knowledge about the public value of Canadian charities and philanthropic foundations, theoretical work suggests racialized employees of these organizations often face white-dominant and masculine practices which shape their employment experiences (Heckler, 2019; Nickels and Leach, 2021). Yet charities and philanthropic foundations also offer numerous programs directed at racialized communities, and disproportionately employ racialized and women employees (Saifer, 2023; Jensen, 2022). While some of the inequalities that employees experience in Canadian charities have been studied qualitatively, these accounts do not explore racialization or racial discrimination (Baines et al., 2014; 2017; Cunningham et al., 2017). Yet anecdotal data shows the phenomenon is widespread within these organizations (Gokool, 2020; Bahubeshi, 2021). Given the impact racial discrimination can have on the efficacy of organizations and their programs, this paper asks whether employees of Ontario charities and philanthropic foundations experience racial discrimination within these organizations, and if so, how this discrimination appears. This research interrogates how organizations reinforce social relations of inequality, by bringing to the fore the knowledges of historically subjugated social groups (Zanetti, 1997; Diem et al., 2014). As a framework which prioritizes racialized people’s knowledges and exposes the ostensibly “race neutral” policies and practices that subordinate them, this paper will use critical race theory (CRT) to interrogate social relations within these organizations (Bonilla-Silva, 2022; Riccucci, 2022; Omi and Winant, 2014). Following Sandberg et al. (2020) and Saifer (2019), this will involve case studies of select organizations. Because discourse is a function of power, and shapes social relations (Foucault, 1984; van Dijk 1993), like Smith-Carrier (2020), and Trimble (2021), this paper will further utilize critical discourse analysis (CDA) to explore social processes that racialize and organize groups of employees within organizations hierarchically. To consider these processes, this research will draw on internal and external reports about selected organizations. These may include job descriptions, equity reports, strategic plans, and mission statements, as well as newspapers, legal cases, and other sector-specific sources. The paper hypothesizes that racial discrimination within charities and philanthropic foundations operates in invisible ways, giving the appearance of colour-blindness and neutrality. It also argues that racialized leaders within these organizations may facilitate and promote the racialization of less powerful employees. This research has implications for practitioners within charities and philanthropy seeking to foster racially inclusive workplaces. This is especially important when the racialized component of the Canadian labour force is projected to grow (Statistics Canada, 2022) and there is a growing chorus of voices advocating for “decent work” across the nonprofit sector (Ontario Nonprofit Network, n.d). The paper makes contributions to the fields of race and ethnic studies, policy studies, public administration, management, and nonprofit studies.  

Atinuke Tiamiyu, Memorial University

Dual Skepticism amidst the Covid-19 pandemic: unravelling the social connection struggles and adaptation techniques of African newcomer immigrants in St. John's NL

Social connections undergo significant changes, disruptions, and expansions during migration to a new country. Establishing social connections is crucial for African immigrants in Canada to successfully integrate into their new community. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on African newcomer immigrant’s ability to forge social relationships in Canada. This study examines the difficulties in forming social ties with White people and Newfoundlanders during the Covid-19 pandemic, from 2020 to 2022, and the approaches used to overcome these difficulties in St. Johns, Newfoundland. Drawing on insights from 17 semi-structured interviews conducted with African newcomers who migrated between 2018 and 2022, currently residing in St. Johns, NL, the research reveals that establishing social connections presented considerable challenges. These challenges are deeply rooted in cultural ideologies, social dynamics, and historical factors. Different worldviews and socialization, reliance on technology and social media, dual skepticism, the predominance of close-knit friendship networks, age differences, and subtle racism were among their noteworthy difficulties. In the face of these difficulties, African newcomers learned to cope by fostering a mindset that thrives independently of social connections, overcoming predefined labels, forming friendships with older individuals, normalizing covert racism, and embracing their status as strangers and second-class citizens. These findings have implications for policy regarding the recruitment and retention of immigrants in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as highlighting the importance of social connections in the early stages of post-migration integration.

Kim Lynette Abella, York University

Negotiation of 1.5 and Second Generation Filipino Canadian Identity: Language, Internalized Racial Oppression and Ethnic Identity

Feelings of belonging within racial and ethnic communities can come with complicated, sometimes ambivalent sentiments that are influenced by overarching structures (e.g. whiteness, internalized racism, and colonialism) that affect one’s connectedness to their racial or ethnic identity. This presentation draws from findings of my MA thesis, which explores the dis/connection and belonging within Filipino communities in Canada. Focusing on 1.5 and second generation Filipino Canadians, I employ a theoretical framework using a transnational feminist lens, integrating the concepts of internalized racial oppression (IRO) (Pyke, 2010), and emotional transnationalism (Wolf, 1997) to examine their experiences growing up in Canada through qualitative semi-structured interviewing. This approach takes into consideration global processes and transcends borders in order to better understand the interconnected characteristic of subjectivity formation. This study closely aligns with the subject of this session, which explores the different feelings of dis/association, dis/connection, liminality, and ambivalence to varying degrees in relation to ethnic and racial ties. This work underscores that ethnic identity is a dynamic, evolving process, especially during the pivotal years of young adulthood. It focuses particularly on the nuanced identity and experiences of Filipino Canadians, contributing to the growing literature on Filipino Canadians, especially of later generations. Through qualitative interviews, this study explores how Filipino Canadian young adults negotiate their ethnic identity, encompassing their perceptions of Filipino identity in Canada, feelings of liminality, and the authenticity of their ethnic identity. I argue that heritage language and internalized racial oppression significantly impact the authenticity of laying claim to a Filipino identity, influenced by both internal and external pressures. This work underscores the agency required to navigate and shape the negotiation of Filipino identity in the face of such pressures. I ask the research questions: “ how do Filipino Canadian young adults negotiate their ethnic identity?” and “ what factors and expectations influence the level of connectedness of these young adults to their heritage? ” Some conclusions from this study reflected that heritage language proficiency was the most common factor for participants’ feelings of disconnection from their Filipino identities. The notably low levels of heritage language retention among 1.5 and second generation Filipino Canadians are influenced not only by opportunities to learn their heritage language(s), but also the internal motivations and the ambivalent feelings associated with Filipino heritage. This study examines the relationship between language and ethnicity through the influences of IRO and finds that although IRO plays a significant role in their ambivalent feelings, these Filipino Canadians desire a sense of belonging among coethnics. Some commonalities among participants reveals that negative experiences with Filipinos led to a stigma towards their coethnic community resulting in self-isolation and an expressed dislike for Filipinos by attributing negative characteristics to the culture and community. Additionally, the reinforcement of gender dynamics by family members (especially mothers) also suggests the internalization of gendered racial oppression. Participants would engage in intraethnic othering by distinguishing themselves from those who appeared to be ‘more Filipino’ than them (predicated on the stigmatization of being Filipino) yet simultaneously desired to be included and recognized as Filipino. Many participants minimized their ethnic identity to fit into homogenized environments, evade additional discrimination, or regain opportunities within structures of racism. Experiences with racism affected their perception of themselves and their image of Filipinos as well as structured their interactions (i.e. through intraethnic othering). Ultimately, stories shared by participants emphasize the work and emotional resilience involved in forging their own identities while others have different conceptions and expectations of what being “Filipino enough” looks like.