Obviously, you know all about Racism, so I wont get into describing it, But I am wiling to teach you how to stop it, and how to reconize it.
- It is caused from Very insecure people that are scared shit less. They need some scape goat to blame all their ( and societies) troubles on. So for lack or reason, ( I.Q.) as well as justice, they pick on coloured people. Or white people like myself.
As you can see racial discrimination is, quite simply, the result of ignorance. Historically, people automatically assumed that their race was superior. Not bothering to learn more about the races they despised, they began to harbor grudges against them, inventing reasons why other races were inferior. In the modern day it is still ignorance that motivates racism. It starts out with someone fearing one or more races, and instead of learning about the race they allow their fear to grow and turn into hatred. Racism is a problem that can be stopped. The battle starts with information. Simply, learn as much as you can and help to educate others more ignorant than yourself.
MYTH #1: "IT IS EASY FOR IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES TO GET TO CANADA."
Immigrants to Canada must apply under three categories:
Independent-class immigrants must qualify for 25 - 70 points under the Immigrant Selection System ( depending on whether or not they will be investing a certain amount of money in Canada ), which are based on job skills, age, education, knowledge of English or French, and a personal assessment by an immigration officer.
Spouses and dependent children of Canadians are automatically eligible as family reunification-class immigrants as long as they are in good health and of " unblemished character "( i.e. no criminal records ). Other relatives, including grandparents, must be allotted points in order to be accepted.
Refugees are accepted into Canada depending on their health and security considerations. 30% - 35% of all refugee applicants are sponsored by people in Canada who have guaranteed to support the applicant, if necessary, for their first 10 years in Canada.
Canada accepts less than 1% of total population in annual immigration ( a mere 8.8 immigrants per 1000 people ). Canada also rejects or deports 42% - 47% of all refugee claimants.
MYTH #2: " CANADA LETS IN TOO MANY IMMIGRANTS. "
With the exception of the First Nations people, ALL Canadian are immigrants or descendants of immigrants! Sadly, it seems that as soon as some get to Canada, they want to keep everyone else out. For the last 40 years, the percentage of immigrants in Canada has remained virtually unchanged at 16% of the total population.
What has changed has been the colour of immigrants, as Canada turns to non-European countries for its immigration needs. Since 1981, 75% of immigrants to Canada have come from countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Central America.
Since the portion of immigrants in Canada has not changed how come critics only complain about immigration levels when the immigrants that Canada accepts are less " white " ? It is not too hard to see the racism behind criticisms of our country being " flooded " by immigrants, as " respectable " racists use the term " immigrant " as a code word for " non-white ".
And the image Canada has as a " benevolent " country for refugee is an outright lie. Economically disadvantaged countries in the Third World give refuge to people displaced by war, political strife, and famine far more readily than Canada does.
MYTH #3: " IMMIGRANTS HURT THE ECONOMY. "
Economic experts agree that immigration has a positive effect on the economy. Immigrants bring much-needed skills, education and experience. They start new businesses, invest money, create new jobs, pay taxes, increase the number of consumers and therefore the demand for goods and services.
A 1990 study by the Economic Council of Canada supported increasing Canadian immigration levels. Canada loses many of its most-skilled workers to the United States, but immigrants fill the gap, without Canada having to pay for their training. In fact, 15 - 20% of immigrants are handpicked for credentials, education and skills guaranteed to help the Canadian economy.
Studies show the most likely major effects of immigration are a larger, more flexible and adaptive labour force, increased economic growth and higher per capita incomes. In fact, doubling our immigration rates could be done without increasing unemployment levels and would create a slight increase in the per capita real GNP figures.
MYTH #4: " IMMIGRANTS TAKE CANADIAN JOBS. "
Study after study has shown that immigrants create more jobs than they fill, by increasing the demand for goods and services, starting their own businesses and investing money in Canada. In just one 4-year period, immigrants invested $2.5 billion in Canada and created 16,715 jobs. 2 out of every 3 new full-time jobs in Canada in 1993 were created in B.C., thanks to its extremely high levels of new immigration. A long-term study of Southeast Asian refugees to Canada showed that 18% of them now own businesses in Canada.
Critics often call for the government to base immigration levels on unemployment levels in Canada. But studies recommend increasing immigration in order to create more jobs, as well as basing immigration rates on birth rates rather than unemployment rates.
MYTH #5 : " IMMIGRANTS COME HERE TO LEACH OFF OUR SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM OR TO BENEFIT FROM FREE MEDICAL CARE. "
Study after study shows that immigrants contribute more in taxes than they receive in social services and save more of their earnings than do native-born Canadians. Immigrants are statistically less likely to use social services and the health care system than are native-born Canadians. Refugee claimants are not entitled to many of the social services other Canadians take for granted. Immigrants have higher rates of employment than other Canadians, even in their first year or two in Canada.
According to economist Dr. Ather Akbari, because the average immigrant paid more in taxes than they used in government services in 1990, more so than native-born Canadians for the same period a transfer of $2.6 billion from immigrants' paycheques to the wallets of native-born Canadian resulted!
MYTH #6 " CANADA SPENDS TOO MUCH MONEY ON IMMIGRANTS. "
The impact of immigration on government expenditures is small. The total budget for Citizenship and Immigration for 1997 - 98 was one-half of one percent of the total Federal budget. That is just $663 million out of $151.8 billion! Canada makes money on immigrants as well. Controversial fees like the $975 head tax and the $500 " administrative fee " net Canada an estimated $363 million a year, $93 million more than the $270 million spent on immigrant and refugee settlement programs.
MYTH #7: " IMMIGRANTS COMMIT TOO MANY CRIMES HERE. "
All immigrants to Canada are subject to a criminal background check. Immigrants are half as likely to commit a crime than are people born in Canada. The crime rate among people born here is twice as high as it is in the immigrant population. Besides, crime rates in Canada have dropped 13% over the last five years. So why does it seem like we are always hearing about immigrants and refugees committing crimes in Canada ? Because the media over-reports crimes committed by immigrants. Far more stories will be done about a crime if they are linked to an immigrant that if they are linked to someone born in Canada.
MYTH #8: " IMMIGRANTS DO NOT RESPECT CANADIAN CULTURE. "
The only immigrants who truly displayed no respect for their hosts' culture were the British and French settlers that colonized Canada and attempted to destroy the peoples and cultures of the First Nations through genocide, displacement, and forced assimilation.
Some assume that, because of this, Canadian culture is based on Anglo-Saxon and French cultures, but that is hardly the truth. The 1891 Vancouver census indicated that its residents had come from 42 different countries, and that Asians outnumbered Europeans even then. In fact far longer than many of the European immigrants and their descendants. By the 1920's, 18% of Canadians were neither of British or French origin. The 1996 Canadian census counted 47% of Canadians whose ethnic origins were neither French nor British.
Besides, what exactly is Canadian culture, if our country has a long-standing history of immigration from all over the world ? Racist critics of immigration usually reduce it to a " whites-only " social club of the privileged and ignorant. A ( officially or otherwise ) multicultural country of many peoples and traditions would be a more accurate depiction of Canada.
