{"id":21,"date":"2019-04-01T19:12:25","date_gmt":"2019-04-01T23:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/?page_id=21"},"modified":"2019-05-07T20:37:45","modified_gmt":"2019-05-08T00:37:45","slug":"roots-of-racism","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/?page_id=21","title":{"rendered":"Roots of Racism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">rac\u00b7ism\/\u02c8r\u0101\u02ccsiz\u0259m\/<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>noun<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one&#8217;s own race is superior.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/personal-3108155_1280-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1036\" width=\"512\" height=\"342\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/personal-3108155_1280-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/personal-3108155_1280-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/personal-3108155_1280-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/personal-3108155_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this section we&#8217;ll examine the psychology behind racism, how it evolves, and talk about some flashpoints of racism, including the wearing of hijabs and use of the N-word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Racism is an uncomfortable truth. You might think it&#8217;s something of the past, but an incident at a 2018 Canadian hockey game proves different. <a href=\"https:\/\/montreal.ctvnews.ca\/racist-hockey-fans-taunt-black-player-and-family-1.4313253#_gus&amp;_gucid=&amp;_gup=Facebook&amp;_gsc=21J9Y8Q%20:\">Racist hockey fans hurled insults <\/a>at Jonathan Diaby, a 24-year-old player on the Jonquiere Marquis. During the game, fans poured beer on his girlfriend and hit his father. Diaby decided to leave the game with his family and they were harassed on their way out. Diaby and his family did not have security or police to escort them out of the building. Players have worries that young aspiring hockey players might see these acts of racism and be discouraged from trying to pursue a career in this field because of their race.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The graphic below details how hate crimes are on the rise in Canada. After the graphic, we&#8217;ll explore the psychology of racism, including how it starts in childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure style=\"padding-left: 200px;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/create.piktochart.com\/embed\/36187290-police-reported-hate-crimes-by-region\" width=\"500\" height=\"1400\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Racism is something that many people ignore without even realizing it. A bias that is created through societal views and a lens that differs from person to person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Studies done by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/steeleje\/research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Social Cognition Laboratory at York University (opens in a new tab)\">Social Cognition Laboratory at York University<\/a> show that, when tested by eye movements, white subjects were less likely to look into the eyes of black faces, unlike when they looked at their white counterparts. Instead, they&nbsp;focused on the lips and nose of the black faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This kind of racism is what psychologists call \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/racism-still-an-uncomfortable-truth-in-canada-duncan-mccue-1.2831066?fbclid=IwAR1WOH332RuY9TjPClGT6Mu8xaeYryENsg7iSARkMOM-PkWqXo56fkABqso\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"aversive racism. (opens in a new tab)\">aversive racism.<\/a>\u201d It&#8217;s not&nbsp;blatant views of hate and discrimination against people of colour&#8211;aversive racism is a subtler expression of hesitation towards members of a minority group, and people may not even be conscious of doing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But where does it start?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Children and Racism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Research conducted (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/steeleje\/research\/PDF\/Steele_et_al._DS_2018.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Research conducted<\/a> by Professor Jennifer Steele at York University found racial preferences exhibited from an early age. A study of 359 white children revealed that those aged five to twelve showed a greater automatic positivity of association towards white children who looked like them, as opposed to Black children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/alaric-sim-531262-unsplash-300x250.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Alaric Sim on Unsplash\" class=\"wp-image-904\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/alaric-sim-531262-unsplash-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/alaric-sim-531262-unsplash-768x640.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/alaric-sim-531262-unsplash-1024x853.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But older children who were exposed to a more diverse selection of people through school showed a neutral reaction towards both Black and white children. When asked to categorize images of white children versus Black children into pleasant and unpleasant categories, the decision was made primarily on expression, not skin <g class=\"gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace\" id=\"5\" data-gr-id=\"5\">colour<\/g>. Promoting&nbsp;diversity and multiculturalism in classrooms, at home, or even through books or media, is <g class=\"gr_ gr_6 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style multiReplace\" id=\"6\" data-gr-id=\"6\">important &nbsp;because<\/g>&nbsp;children are more likely to respond positively to something familiar. Steele said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cChildren have some awareness of race from an early age. So, research suggested that taking a colour-blind approach \u2013 or pretending race doesn\u2019t exist \u2013 isn\u2019t the best approach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So&nbsp;if children become&nbsp;familiar with a more diverse range of people, could it&nbsp;solve the issues of&nbsp;racism? Unfortunately, this is not the case. Things change as we age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michaelann George is a social service worker and program coordinator for the community worker outreach and development programs. She\u2019s been a full-time professor at Sheridan since 2010. Michaelann is part of a team that provides non-violent crisis intervention training to social work&nbsp;students. She is passionate about social justice and works diligently to help raise awareness about injustices occurring both within Canada and internationally&#8211;and has experienced racism first-hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the video below Michaelann shares&nbsp;a personal experience of how she&nbsp;and her daughter faced discrimination, after&nbsp;bringing Halloween&nbsp;treats to her daughter&#8217;s classroom.&nbsp;After the video, we&#8217;ll explore the psychological reasons behind racism.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Experiencing Racism\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mgWYq-9LCF4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Michaelann George talks about her experience of racism. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Social psychologist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/ca\/experts\/allison-abrams-lcsw-r\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Allison Abrams (opens in a new tab)\">Allison Abrams<\/a> believes that there are consistent factors that help explain the biases that form when it comes to racism, detailed in the graphic below. After the graphic we&#8217;ll talk about racism faced by Canada&#8217;s First Nations peoples, and the Truth and Reconciliation Report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/psychological-5_37322373-1-795x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-532\" width=\"596\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/psychological-5_37322373-1-795x1024.png 795w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/psychological-5_37322373-1-233x300.png 233w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/psychological-5_37322373-1-768x989.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Truth and Reconciliation <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Truth-and-Reconciliation-report-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-947\" width=\"260\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Truth-and-Reconciliation-report-1.jpg 519w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Truth-and-Reconciliation-report-1-266x300.jpg 266w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 260px) 100vw, 260px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Racism and oppression have devastated Canada&#8217;s First Nations communities, and residential schools are at the root of many current issues.  <a href=\"http:\/\/www.trc.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (opens in a new tab)\">The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada<\/a> was part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. This commission travelled across Canada to hear the stories of more than 6,000 Aboriginal Canadians who were taken from their homes as children. Residential schools were <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;&#8230;created for the purpose of separating Aboriginal children from their families, in order to minimize and weaken family ties and cultural linkages, and to indoctrinate children into a new culture\u2014the culture of the legally dominant Euro-Christian Canadian society.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main goal of <a href=\"http:\/\/nctr.ca\/assets\/reports\/Final%20Reports\/Executive_Summary_English_Web.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"the final report (opens in a new tab)\">the final report<\/a> was to inform Canadians about the complex and overlooked history of residential schools and to provide a map of how to move forward. It included over 92 calls to action, some to change laws to create a justice system that would be fair to Aboriginal citizens because when the original laws were written, they were written to try and erase Aboriginal culture from Canadian society. Throughout this project, we&#8217;ll explore how First Nations peoples are still impacted by racism.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"overflow-y:hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/create.piktochart.com\/embed\/38431949-colonial-policies\" width=\"800\" height=\"169\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Holocaust Deniers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"507\" height=\"219\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Holocoast-Denial-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Holocoast-Denial-2.jpg 507w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Holocoast-Denial-2-300x130.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 507px) 100vw, 507px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Holocaust deniers are antisemitic&nbsp;and believe&nbsp;that the Holocaust was exaggerated by the Jews, or that it simply never happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese views perpetuate long-standing antisemitic stereotypes, hateful charges that were instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Holocaust. Holocaust denial, distortion, and misuse all undermine the understanding of history.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushmm.org\/confront-antisemitism\/holocaust-denial-and-distortion\">(<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushmm.org\/confront-antisemitism\/holocaust-denial-and-distortion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"USHMM (opens in a new tab)\">USHMM<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushmm.org\/confront-antisemitism\/holocaust-denial-and-distortion\">)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Historian Deborah Lipstadt says, &#8220;Denial of the Holocaust is antisemitism and prejudice parading as rational discourse.&#8221; Hear more of what she has to say in her TedTalk below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Behind the lies of Holocaust denial | Deborah Lipstadt\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0ztdofPc8Rw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Holocoast-DENIAL-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-944\" width=\"300\" height=\"280\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States Memorial Museum <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BtfR31PGZVA&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"defines Holocaust denial (opens in a new tab)\">defines Holocaust denial<\/a><a> <\/a>as, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">\u201can attempt to negate the established facts of the Nazi genocide of European Jewry. Holocaust denial and distortion are forms of antisemitism. They are generally motivated by hatred of Jews and build on the claim that the Holocaust was invented or exaggerated by Jews as part of a plot to advance Jewish interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Social media are where we share&nbsp;our emotions and opinions with the world. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adl.org\/resources\/reports\/quantifying-hate-a-year-of-anti-semitism-on-twitter#introduction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"A study by ADL (opens in a new tab)\">A study by ADL<\/a> (Anti-Defamation League) showed within in a one year span from January 2017 to January 2018, 4.2 million antisemitic tweets were posted. ADL says that that number is<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">\u201clarge enough to underscore the powerful harassment that exists and the ease with which a relative handful of users can infect our shared social media environment with negative stereotypes and conspiracy theories about Jews.\u201d (ADL, 2018)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, how much should we be allowed to say? Should people be allowed to voice their hate and racism all over social media for people to see? We&#8217;ll explore these ideas more in the Moving Forward section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Islamophobia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Islamophobia is an irrational fear, hatred, or prejudice against the Ilsamic religion. These beliefs are a growing problem around the world that has resulted in multiple deadly attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Christchurch, New Zealand 49 were killed by a white supremacist. Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2019\/mar\/29\/jacinda-arderns-speech-at-christchurch-memorial-full-transcript\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"described (opens in a new tab)\">described<\/a> the horror as a terrorist attack and said it was one of the country&#8217;s \u201cdarkest days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Canada is also home to Islamophobic ideology. In February of 2019 the Quebec mass shooter who killed six men at a mosque was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/montreal\/alexandre-bissonnette-sentence-quebec-city-mosque-shooting-1.4973655\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"sentenced to life  (opens in a new tab)\">sentenced to life <\/a>in prison with no chance of parole for 40 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-2-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3a88641f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/terrorism-Alexander-Bissonette-judge-reminded-us-the-source-300x235.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285\" width=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/terrorism-Alexander-Bissonette-judge-reminded-us-the-source-300x235.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/terrorism-Alexander-Bissonette-judge-reminded-us-the-source.jpg 689w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Islamophobia-Bissonette-sentenced-290x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-286\" width=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Islamophobia-Bissonette-sentenced-290x300.jpg 290w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Islamophobia-Bissonette-sentenced.jpg 631w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to David Schanzer, a Duke professor, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/blog\/investigations\/who-terrorist-depends-what-the-definition-terrorist\/exPAxIOCUn2GPoABLvZUEJ\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"terrorism (opens in a new tab)\">terrorism<\/a> is \u201cpolitically motivated violence, usually against civilians, to create fear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people have a notion that terrorist attacks are committed by individuals who live in the Middle East who are attached to terrorist organizations. But terrorist attacks committed by white supremacists with right-wing ideologies are the most prevalent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-very-dark-gray-color wp-block-paragraph\">Terror attacks have <a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/1386318\/9-11-anniversary-data-shows-us-terrorism-is-rising-on-the-right\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"fallen (opens in a new tab)\">fallen<\/a> from 17,000 in 2014 to 11,000 in 2017 globally and in the Middle East terror attacks have dropped 40%. However, the United States is facing an increase of attacks by right-wing extremists from 6% in the 2000s to 35% in the 2010s. The U.S. had only six such attacks a decade ago, but 65 in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, from 2012 to 2015&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/daily-quotidien\/170613\/dq170613b-eng.htm?HPA=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"hate crimes (opens in a new tab)\">hate crimes<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/daily-quotidien\/170613\/dq170613b-eng.htm?HPA=1\"> <\/a>against Muslims in Canada grew 253% and have continued to climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Canadian&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"survey done (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cjpme.org\/islamophobia\" target=\"_blank\">survey done<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cjpme.org\/islamophobia\"> <\/a>in 2018 found that most Canadians believe that Islamophobia is increasing at a dangerous rate, but that doesn&#8217;t include people who define themselves as conservative. Canada&#8217;s Parliament passed a bill named <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/3330776\/anti-islamophobia-motion-m-103-approved\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">M-103 <\/a>that condemned Islamophobia trying to combat this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/ing.org\/addressing-islamophobia-one-person-at-a-time\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Islamic Networks Group<\/a>(ING) speaks out about how the media focuses on terrorism by Muslims even though a recent U.S.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.duke.edu\/tcths\/files\/2013\/06\/Kurzman_Schanzer_Law_Enforcement_Assessment_of_the_Violent_Extremist_Threat_final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">survey <\/a>of law enforcement shows anti-government violent extremists are a much higher threat in North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The group believes that there needs to be more than a law to stop the deep-rooted prejudices that are the cause of discrimination. ING says that education about the everyday lives of Muslims and inter-religious engagement decreases&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ing.org\/impact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Islamophobic responses <\/a>by more than 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Hijab<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women who wear hijabs frequently face controversy over&nbsp;their choice to do so. The hijab is&nbsp;a religious symbol of modesty and privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Oxford Islamic Studies,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Since the 1970\u2019s it has emerged as a symbol of Islamic consciousness and the voluntary and active participation of young women in the Islamic movement, a symbol of modesty that reaffirms Islamic identity and morality and rejects Western materialism, commercialism and values.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women have been struggling with hateful comments and crimes against them&nbsp;because of their choice to wear hijabs and other religious veils. In Edmonton, a woman and her friends were <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/4420159\/victim-of-racist-exchange-at-edmonton-supermarket-recorded-video-to-raise-awareness-of-islamophobia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">bombarded with comments<\/a> from a man at a supermarket, calling their hijabs and niqab \u201cslave scarves\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is only one instance where women have had&nbsp;to fight for their right of choice and stand up to the ignorance and racism that they face on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Quebec, there are political debates over&nbsp;whether to ban the hijab, burka, and other forms of religious veils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-2-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3a88641f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Islamophobia-in-Qubec-highheels-is-a-form-of-oppresion-281x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-304\" width=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Islamophobia-in-Qubec-highheels-is-a-form-of-oppresion-281x300.jpg 281w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Islamophobia-in-Qubec-highheels-is-a-form-of-oppresion.jpg 555w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 281px) 100vw, 281px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Quebecs-new-law-300x177.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-415\" width=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Quebecs-new-law-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Quebecs-new-law.jpg 631w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) was elected&nbsp;into power&nbsp;in October of 2018. The party wants minorities to mesh in with the culture. It&nbsp;believe&#8217;s banning religious veils&nbsp;separates&nbsp;religion from&nbsp;society, and&nbsp;integrates everyone into&nbsp;the French culture. Debates on the ban of religious garments have been <a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/quebecs-push-to-ban-the-hijab-is-sexularism-105967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">an ongoing discussion in Quebec.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CAQ is proposing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/montreal\/quebec-notwithstanding-religious-symbols-1.5073945\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">new law,<\/a> Bill 21. It would forbid people in authority positions from wearing religious symbols. Symbols include a hijab, kippa, or turban. Authority positions may include Quebec Crown prosecutors, any employees who carry firearms, judges, principals, and teachers. Rob Lurie from CTV <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RLurieCTV\" target=\"_blank\">tweeted a video<\/a>&nbsp;about a Muslim woman saying she is not sure what she will do once Bill 21 comes into effect. She feels that the new law is discriminatory and will make her feel unwelcome. Many people responded to Lurie&#8217;s tweet by saying that people should have religious rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/montreal\/quebec-police-religious-symbols-1.5091794?cmp=newsletter-Morning+Brief++APRIL+15+2019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Montreal teen<\/a> is \ufb01ghting the religious-symbols ban in order to pursue his dreams of being a police o\ufb03cer. He has created a group on Facebook called The Quebec Association of Sikhs to oppose Bill 21 because it bans police from wearing a turban. However, the police union in Montreal supports the bill. It is worth noting, though, that only 7.5% of o\ufb03cers on that force are a visible minority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the more diverse Toronto police force, religious symbols including turbans and hijabs, have been allowed since 2011 and there are efforts to be more inclusive. If Bill 21 is put in e\ufb00ect in Quebec, Singh says he will still work towards making the Montreal police more diverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are, however, some racialized people that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/montreal\/quebec-s-religious-symbols-ban-welcomed-by-some-who-left-muslim-countries-behind-1.5091277\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">support Bill 21<\/a> due to their own experience living in countries where there is religious oppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Shapirak-photo.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1002\" width=\"300\" height=\"303\"\/><figcaption>Shaparak Shajarizadeh<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ameni Ben Ammar moved to Quebec six years ago with her mother. Ammar supports the bill because of her experience in Tunisia. She wants to be able to see a clear difference between religious groups and government. Zahra Boukersi is a teacher who fled religious oppression in Algeria. Boukersi also supports Bill 21 because she feels it is necessary to stop radicalism. When Iran implemented a dress code for women that forced them to wear a hijab, Homan Davoodi left his home country. Davoodi strongly supports Bill 21 and believes that the hijab is repressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A global icon of resistance, Shaparak Shajarizadeh has mixed emotions about the Bill. Originally from Iran, she was arrested three times and jailed twice for removing her hijab in public and posting pictures on social media. She fled to Canada from Turkey last year after she was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She feels the hijab is a symbol of sexism but doesn&#8217;t believe the government should be able to tell adult women what they can and cannot wear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hijab as Fashion Controversy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_qIOGJjKFiU&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">This ad<\/a> was posted to advertise a clothing line by \u201cHoodies.\u201d It assumed that women who wear hijabs aren\u2019t free and represented&nbsp;a negative perspective.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FREEDOM IS BASIC\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_qIOGJjKFiU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Freedom is basic advertisement.<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/unnamed.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-882\" width=\"384\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/unnamed.png 512w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/unnamed-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 2018&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/gap-back-to-school-hijab-ad-ignites-social-media-101760\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Gap ad<\/a>&nbsp;included&nbsp;pictures of children wearing Gap clothing, one of them&nbsp;a girl wearing a hijab. The model herself was ecstatic about being&nbsp;in the ad wearing her hijab. Many people on social media expressed their approval and had positive comments on the ad. But strangely, people in Canada and France were outraged. Opinions relating to forced child marriage, and other stereotypes such as honour killings were tied&nbsp;to the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some women have simply chosen not to wear their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestar.com\/news\/gta\/2015\/11\/27\/why-we-stopped-wearing-the-hijab.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">hijabs<\/a> to avoid being labeled and having stereotypes thrown at them. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Saba Ali (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/outlook\/ive-worn-a-hijab-for-decades-heres-why-i-took-it-off\/2018\/08\/16\/96cace1e-a095-11e8-93e3-24d1703d2a7a_story.html?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.fd656bcef42f\" target=\"_blank\">Saba Ali<\/a>, a journalist from the Washington Post, is one of them: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWithout my hijab wrapped around my head and pinned tightly under my chin, I was nothing special. I no longer stood out as the oddity or the outsider. Without that thin piece of fabric, I was just like everyone else waiting in line, blending into the background with my Americano and blueberry muffin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sarah Darsha is currently a host for Rogers television. Being a Muslim woman who wears a hijab she\u2019s faced a lot of racism and prejudice. During a Skype interview, Sarah broke down some misconceptions about hijabs and shared her thoughts on how to eliminate Islamophobia. Due to issues with the quality of the Skype interview, it can&#8217;t be posted. However, below, we share excerpts taken from the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"669\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sarah-Darsha-interview-picture-1024x669.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-738\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sarah-Darsha-interview-picture-1024x669.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sarah-Darsha-interview-picture-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sarah-Darsha-interview-picture-768x502.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sarah-Darsha-interview-picture-570x372.jpg 570w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sarah-Darsha-interview-picture-370x241.jpg 370w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sarah-Darsha-interview-picture-270x176.jpg 270w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sarah-Darsha-interview-picture.jpg 1147w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q<\/strong>: For those who don&#8217;t know can you explain what a hijab is and why you wear it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A:<\/strong> So God has asked, Allah has asked us as women to wear hijab, so we wear it out of obedience to God. Now I love my religion very much. When I wear it [hijab] I actually feel liberated. I don&#8217;t feel oppressed at all. I feel like it&#8217;s part of my identity. I also feel like when I wear it I&#8217;m a walking representation of my religion, which once again I&#8217;m proud of. Now hijab shows women that they don&#8217;t have to fit into an unrealistic set of beauty. If you walk anywhere and look at any commercial you see that women have to look a certain way&#8211;their hair a certain way, their body a certain way&#8211;and hijab doesn&#8217;t restrict me to that. I can wear a hijab freely, my hair doesn&#8217;t have to be a certain way. Hijab isn&#8217;t just something over your head. It&#8217;s a whole gear, your body is covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q:<\/strong> How would you respond to the perception that wearing hijab is oppressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A: <\/strong>That&#8217;s not true for most Muslim women. When they wear hijab it is a choice. For me, no man ever told me to wear my hijab. My father never said you have to wear it. My brothers never said you have to wear it. It&#8217;s something that they said is completely your choice when you do. It\u2019s a dedication that you are going to make. So you should be ready for it when you decide to do it. But it&#8217;s never anything that they forced me to do. I think it&#8217;s actually the opposite. After 9\/11 when I was still wearing my hijab my dad was worried about me. He was like, &#8216;I don&#8217;t know, do you want to wear it? I&#8217;m afraid for you.&#8217; I was like, &#8216;You know what, no, I&#8217;m not afraid. I\u2019ll continue to wear it and I&#8217;m happy wearing it. It&#8217;s part of who I am.&#8217;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: <\/strong> Have you experienced discrimination because of wearing a hijab?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A:<\/strong> I definitely have experienced discrimination. You know you get the odd stares here and there and I don&#8217;t know, but I think that&#8217;s just curiosity. People want to ask you what hijab is. But definitely have experienced discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q:<\/strong> How does it make you feel when you personally get these reactions like multiple times?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A: <\/strong>Definitely, it&#8217;s uncomfortable. I mean before I had a family I think I had nothing to protect really. I just had myself. I would be more lenient with how I spoke to people if they did come to attack me. But if I do have my kid around me or children and someone&#8217;s attacking me, I&#8217;m more aggressive. I don&#8217;t accept people saying things. I want to show my daughter that you have to show up. That when somebody comes up to you because of your religion, not seeing that you&#8217;re a human, then you 100 per cent tell them no that&#8217;s not how it is. This is the right way to speak to people. I am human. Just because I have different faith than you doesn&#8217;t mean you can disrespect me. That&#8217;s how I feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q:<\/strong> If you&#8217;re comfortable doing so can you actually share your thoughts on the New Zealand mosque shooting that happened recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A: <\/strong>Absolutely. It&#8217;s a devastating, devastating act. That&#8217;s what I call it. Honestly, ever since it happened I&#8217;ve had trouble sleeping because it&#8217;s just such a horrible, horrible event\u2026 I don&#8217;t think anyone deserves to die\u2026 I don&#8217;t know what is wrong with him. I don&#8217;t know how you can do that&#8211;how you can kill children, how you can kill women and do that in a place of worship. People come to the mosque every Friday and it&#8217;s something that we love to do\u2026 It&#8217;s our home and it&#8217;s equal to someone coming into your home and shooting\u2026 I hope nothing like this ever happens again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q:<\/strong> I&#8217;m really sorry about that. What do you think can be done to deter Islamophobia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A:<\/strong> I think like I said you just talk to a Muslim. Honestly just go up to a Muslim and talk to them\u2026 you will see that we&#8217;re human just like anyone else. The key to avoiding Islamophobia, the key to avoiding racism, is to humanize people, not to dehumanize them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turbans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/TurbanTweet-1024x834.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-211\" width=\"400\" height=\"417\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turbans are also worn by choice.&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mashupamericans.com\/issues\/is-it-hot-under-there\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Sikh men wear turbans as a sign of respect to God and representation of&nbsp;their faith<\/a>. As they do not cut their hair, the turban keeps it in place,&nbsp;and clean from any dirt and dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sikh men have been attacked, threatened and had racist comments spewed at them. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.ca\/2018\/03\/28\/ottawa-assault-turban-removed_a_23397628\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">in&nbsp;2018, a&nbsp;man in Ottawa<\/a> was threatened with a weapon, attacked with&nbsp;racial slurs, and had his turban torn off his head and stolen from him along with his phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But things are changing. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca\/en\/first-member-wear-turban-reflects-experiences\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Baltej Singh Dhillon<\/a> became the first RCMP officer allowed to wear his turban as a part of his uniform. He became the voice and face for Sikh men in the RCMP:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI feel I am no longer judged by what I wear on my head, but rather my performance as a police officer.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"18\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Spacer-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Spacer-2.jpg 450w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Spacer-2-300x12.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Ask-sikhs-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-950\" width=\"338\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Ask-sikhs-4.jpg 505w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Ask-sikhs-4-242x300.jpg 242w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The information campaign&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/4089515\/canadian-sikhs-twitter-campaign-extremism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">#AskCanadianSikhs<\/a>&nbsp;started after a man&nbsp;waiting in a line at a Habs game was asked if he was Sikh. After saying he was, he was then&nbsp;asked&nbsp;if there if there was&nbsp;a relation between&nbsp;Sikhs and terrorism. The question was not meant to be mean or disrespectful, but it took the Sikh man by surprise. The Twitter campaign was seen as an&nbsp;opportunity to tell stories and educate the public on a wider&nbsp;platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mashupamericans.com\/issues\/is-it-hot-under-there\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Rupinder Singh<\/a> is the founder of American Turban and uses humour to share knowledge:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSikhism is a religion of about 25 million people around the world. It\u2019s the fifth largest world religion by population. Most of the religion\u2019s followers are in India, but there are about 500,000 Sikhs in the United States. That\u2019s a lot of turbans!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"72\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Spacer1inch.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Spacer1inch.jpg 450w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Spacer1inch-300x48.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"18\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Spacer.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Spacer.jpg 450w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Spacer-300x12.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The N-word<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Why-do-people-like-to-use-the-N-word.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-288\" width=\"279\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Why-do-people-like-to-use-the-N-word.jpg 557w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Why-do-people-like-to-use-the-N-word-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps there is no word more loaded with controversy than the N-word. This is not a six letter word that everyone can use freely. It represents many people&#8217;s experiences of oppression and discrimination because it was a word created to dehumanize Black people. This six-letter word holds thousands of painful experiences, but yet people still think it&#8217;s okay to use it today. Why? That&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll explore in this section as we break down what the N-word means and why it&#8217;s offensive. In the clip below YouTuber\/Podcaster Marlon Palmer talks about the difference in the &#8220;a&#8221; and &#8220;er&#8221; endings of the N-word. After the clip, we&#8217;ll share the history of the N-word in a visual timeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The &quot;N&quot; word - Difference  between &quot;A&quot; and &quot;ER&quot; ending\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zEXG9-PlsDA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Marlon Palmer talks about the difference between the &#8220;A&#8221; and &#8220;Er&#8221; ending.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.knightlab.com\/libs\/timeline3\/latest\/embed\/index.html?source=190l9_iJMH0-rO-3a8qarpHZ337f2TOFuN3L5sIXDL4Q&amp;font=Default&amp;lang=en&amp;initial_zoom=2&amp;height=650\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"650\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As noted in the above timeline, the use of the N-word in school material can be difficult for Black students. Tristan Miller is a student in high school, who shared his experience about being the only Black kid in class when a movie was played that repeatedly used racial slurs. In the clip below he describes it as a &#8220;shocking&#8221; moment. After Tristan&#8217;s clip, we&#8217;ll take a look at how a hoodie can insight prejudice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tristans experience\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ssRO4I64atA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Tristan Miller talks about his experience of racism at his school.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hoodies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"279\" height=\"356\" src=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/TrayvonMartinHooded.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/TrayvonMartinHooded.jpg 279w, https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/TrayvonMartinHooded-235x300.jpg 235w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea of youth perceived as threatening because of wearing a hoodie came to&nbsp;the forefront by the death of <a href=\"http:\/\/cardinalscholar.bsu.edu\/handle\/123456789\/198655\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Trayvon Martin<\/a>.&nbsp;Martin was a 17-year-old boy who went to a convenience store to buy a pack of Skittles. While walking home he crossed paths with&nbsp;George Zimmerman. Zimmerman claimed to be threatened by Martin and shot him. Martin was wearing a &#8220;dark hoodie&#8221; at the time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hoodies became popular in the 80s when breakdancers and graffiti artists began wearing them, turning them into clothing&nbsp;for the sake of style versus performance. Hollywood has amplified the idea of hoodies being threatening, with&nbsp;people&nbsp;wearing hoodies in movies and&nbsp;music videos often&nbsp;portrayed as&nbsp;gangsters or \u201cdangerous thugs&#8221;&#8211;those who wear a hoodie are &#8220;bad.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The New York Times<\/em> chronicled&nbsp;the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/03\/06\/magazine\/the-politics-of-the-hoodie.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">\u2018Politics of Hoodies\u2019:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOn the street, a black guy in a hoodie is just another of the many millions of men and boys dressed in the practical gear of an easygoing era. Or he should be. This is less an analysis than a wish. The electric charge of the isolated image \u2014 which provokes a flinch away from thought, a desire to evade the issue by moving on to check the sizing guide \u2014 attests to a consciousness of the hoodie\u2019s recent history of peculiar reception.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the next section we&#8217;ll examine how racism is embedded in a variety of institutions, like the health and justice systems, or <a href=\"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/?page_id=23\">Systemic Racism<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>rac\u00b7ism\/\u02c8r\u0101\u02ccsiz\u0259m\/ noun prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one&#8217;s own race is superior. In this section we&#8217;ll examine the psychology behind racism, how it evolves, and talk about some flashpoints of racism, including the wearing of hijabs and use of the N-word. Racism is an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-21","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21"}],"version-history":[{"count":214,"href":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1398,"href":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21\/revisions\/1398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onp02.sheridanc.on.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}