Unit Three - Societies in Conflict

LESSON THREE (ELAU3L3) – CONFLICT AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION (Four Days)

INTRODUCTION

Racism continues to cause suffering for millions of people around the world...I look to all people to join the United Nations in our drive to eliminate racism. We must, individually and collectively, stamp our racism, stigma and prejudice.
                                          United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Racism and discrimination are often at the root of deadly conflict. In many parts of the world, racism, prejudice and xenophobia create extreme tension and are used as powerful weapons to engender fear or hatred in times of conflict. Prejudice and xenophobia can even lead to genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that...All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
~ United Nations

It is the hope that the following literary selections will raise awareness of these issues and recall the plight of the victims who suffered or continue to suffer as a result of racism-related conflicts. 

Resources

"Letter to Father" 
"Drumming for Mandela" 
"No Refunds"
"Vancouver, 1942"   (word)
"Vancouver, 1942"   (pdf)

 

Unit Three - Societies in Conflict

LESSON THREE (ELAU3L3) – CONFLICT AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 

LESSON

Canada’s race problem? It’s even worse than America’s.

For a country so self-satisfied with its image of progressive tolerance, how is this not a national crisis?

Scott Gilmore

January 22, 2015

 

 

The racial mess in the United States looks pretty grim and is painful to watch. We can be forgiven for being quietly thankful for Canada’s more inclusive society, which has avoided dramas like that in Ferguson, Mo. We are not the only ones to think this. In the recently released Social Progress Index, Canada is ranked second amongst all nations for its tolerance and inclusion.

Unfortunately, the truth is we have a far worse race problem than the United States. We just can’t see it very easily.

Terry Glavin, recently writing in the Ottawa Citizen, mocked the idea that the United States could learn from Canada’s example when it comes to racial harmony. To illustrate his point, he compared the conditions of the African-American community to Canada’s First Nations. If you judge a society by how it treats its most disadvantaged, Glavin found us wanting. Consider the accompanying table. By almost every measurable indicator, the Aboriginal population in Canada is treated worse and lives with more hardship than the African-American population. All these facts tell us one thing: Canada has a race problem, too.

How are we not choking on these numbers? For a country so self-satisfied with its image of progressive tolerance, how is this not a national crisis? Why are governments not falling on this issue?

RELATED: Welcome to Winnipeg: Where Canada’s racism problem is at its worst

Possibly it is because our Fergusons are hidden deep in the bush, accessible only by chartered float plane: 49 per cent of First Nations members live on remote reserves. Those who do live in urban centres are mostly confined to a few cities in the Prairies. Fewer than 40,000 live in Toronto, not even one per cent of the total population of the Greater Toronto Area. Our racial problems are literally over the horizon, out of sight and out of mind.

Or it could be because we simply do not see the forest for trees. We are distracted by the stories of corrupt band councils, or flooded reserves, or another missing Aboriginal woman. Some of us wring our hands, and a handful of activists protest. There are a couple of unread op-eds, and maybe a Twitter hashtag will skip around for a few days. But nothing changes. Yes, we admit there is a governance problem on the reserves. We might agree that “something” should be done about the missing and murdered women. In Ottawa a few policy wonks write fretful memos on land claims and pipelines. But collectively, we don’t say it out loud: “Canada has a race problem.”

If we don’t have a race problem then what do we blame? Our justice system, unable to even convene Aboriginal juries? Band administrators, like those in Attawapiskat, who defraud their own people? Our health care system that fails to provide Aboriginal communities with health outcomes on par with El Salvador? Politicians too craven to admit the reserve system has failed? Elders like Chief Ava Hill, cynically willing to let a child die this week from treatable cancer in order to promote Aboriginal rights? Aboriginal people themselves for not throwing out the leaders who serve them so poorly? Police forces too timid to grasp the nettle and confront unbridled criminality like the organized drug-smuggling gangs in Akwesasne? Federal bureaucrats for constructing a $7-billion welfare system that doesn’t work? The school system for only graduating 42 per cent of reserve students? Aboriginal men, who have pushed their community’s murder rate past Somalia’s? The media for not sufficiently or persistently reporting on these facts?

Or: us? For not paying attention. For believing our own hype about inclusion. For looking down our noses at America and ignorantly thinking, “That would never happen here.” For not acknowledging Canada has a race problem.

We do and it is bad. And it is not just with the Aboriginal peoples. For new immigrants and the black community the numbers are not as stark, but they tell a depressingly similar story.

If we want to fix this, the first step is to admit something is wrong. Start by saying it to yourself, but say it out loud: “Canada has a race problem.”

The following poems explore discrimination in a variety of ways. These poems are linked within the "Resources" section of this lesson.

"Letter to Father" 
"Drumming for Mandela" 
"No Refunds" 
"Vancouver, 1942" 


1. “Letter to Father ” Spoken Word, by SUN
   
Before reading:
Consider what the significance of the title, "Letter to Father" might be.

Exploration - Read the selection quietly to yourself, and note any words or phrases that evoke a strong emotion or reaction.

2. "Drumming for Mandela"  Poem, by Kate Marshall Flaherty

Before reading:
Think of a few facts that you know about Nelson Mandela.
Then watch the following thirteen minute video, to learn more about this special leader. 

 

Exploration - Read the selection with the understanding that this poem has strong auditory imagery. As you read, try to imagine the various sounds depicted.
Tips: 
Afrikaans - refers to the official language of South Africa, derived from Dutch.
Swazi - the Nguni language of the Swazi people of Swaziland and Mpumalanga province of South Africa.

 
3. "No Refunds"  Poem, by Dale Lee Kwong 

and...

4. "Vancouver, 1942" Poem, by Glen Sorestad

Before reading:

Contemplate the challenges faced by early Chinese and Japanese immigrants to Canada.
Then, explore the "Road to Justice" website and watch 

 Interview with Pierre Berton 

Finally, view the short interview to learn how David Suzuki recalls his personal experience with Japanese Internment.

 

Exploration - As you read each poem, consider the following terms and their meanings:

Head Tax: 
Fixed fee charged by the government to each Chinese person entering Canada. It was meant to discourage immigration from China, and was in effect from 1885 to 1923. The head tax was replaced by the Chinese Exclusion Act, which stopped all immigration from China to Canada from 1923 to 1947. 
Imagery:
The use of sensory details to evoke a mental picture.
Voice:
The individuality of the writer as perceived by the reader
Tone:
The attitude that runs through an entire text. 
Rhythm (in poetry): 
The pattern of sound created by the arrangement of syllables. 

Unit Three - Societies in Conflict

LESSON THREE (ELAU3L3) – CONFLICT AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 

CHOICE ASSIGNMENT

After reading all the above literary selections, open a new Word document. Label it E102U3L3surname.
In this document, complete ONE of the following assignments outlined below.
Submit this assignment using the Assignment Folder  U3L3 Racial Discrimination.

Assignment Resources:

Five Paragraph Essay 
Persuasive Writing 

How to Conduct an Interview 
Guide to Writing an Interview

CHOICE #1 - Persuasive Speech
Imagine that you are a member of British Columbia's Legislative Assembly after the Second World War, and you hold a dramatically different viewpoint regarding the internment of Japanese Canadians than the rest of the government. In role, as this MLA, write a persuasive speech in which you will convince other Legislative Assembly members that there is no threat to Canada from Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia. Refer to the persuasive writing link, above, and be sure to place yourself in the correct time frame (mid 1940's) when writing from the perspective of this MLA member. Research will be required to complete this topic.

CHOICE #2 - Persuasive Speech
Nelson Mandela is considered by many to be a hero. Do you believe that the respect held for Mandela and others similar to him is the result of the individual's character, or is it the result of the individual's circumstances? Refer to the persuasive writing link, above, and explain your answer in the form of a persuasive speech.

CHOICE #3 - Interview
View the sources, Guide to Writing an Interview, linked above. Then, imagine that you are Peter Mansbridge and you are conducting an interview with Cindy Blackstock.
Using the link posted above, you can listen to the interview and learn about the plight of our Aboriginal children in Canada.
Write the details of a scene in which Peter Mansbridge, the journalist, interviews the woman who fights for Aboriginal rights in Canada.   Refer to the cultural information presented to us as you outline the concerns of a nation.  Your interview must include a minimum of eight questions and answers.

Unit Three - Societies in Conflict

LESSON THREE (ELAU3L3) – CONFLICT AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 

EVALUATION

This assignment is evaluated based on the following RUBRIC

Content - /20
Organization /20
Style - /20
Creativity and Presentation - /20
Overall Effectiveness - /20

Total - /100

CONCLUSION

In today's world, manifestations of discrimination and prejudice are not as blatant as they may have been in the past. We haven't the need for a massive killing spree to remind us that the problems still exist and the negative effects of discriminatory acts from earlier times still exist. To eradicate prejudice, one must always be aware of its potential dangers.

And my wife said to me, "You've gotta get out of here...You're getting too angry" and in many ways I became racist. I was so angry at white people...
David Suzuki