Racism in Canada: Not an Isolated Event
It is impossible to avoid the recent gentrification of “solidarity” in the form of a pin these days. This commodity pin to make white people feel special about themselves, sorry, this “solidarity pin” makes people of colour feel “safe” when we are out and about in the world and some racist decides we must go back to our countries because it is IT IS THE NEW WORLD! IT IS TRUMP TOWER WORLD NOW. Ahem...
This pin, one of the newest amusing gestures amongst other vapid attempts to display “white solidarity” are only getting more depressing and enraging, we see it in the millions of videos of angry white folk swearing on their late grandfather who fought in the Vietnam war that Trump is not their president, and the protests, yeah the protests and marches of white people - hugging police officers - showing the rest of us, the other, who have been protesting for decades, how to protest the “right” way.
It is fantastic to read comments like “If Trump wins, I am moving to Canada”, it is fantastic (to me at least) because we all know that Canada is just like the USA in that it has a history so shameful, that just when white people were starting to realize it, they elected a Prime Minister that looks like a Ken doll so that we could get distracted and go back to thinking Canada is one of the best countries in the world were racism, xenophobia, hate crimes and so on, simply do not exist.
If there is anything good happening currently - post #USAelection2016 - is that all the closeted White supremacist/Skinhead/KKK enthusiasts/Neo Nazis in Canada are closeted no more. This, despite the fear and anxiety it may bring to some, is a good thing. It is important that we no longer cover Canada’s racism with the usual “at least we are not America”or my favourite: “In Canada, we see no colour”, and by the way, America is not limited to USA boarders. America is central and south as well.
Anyhow, I have been thinking lots about the rising hate crimes in Ontario alone, and well, the crimes are not rising, what has risen is the coverage and ability to record white people when they are being you know, “un-Canadian”. I have been living in Canada for 10 years now, and there has not been a single year since moving here that I have not experienced racism and just pure hate from white people, and I am going to write it down, not all of it, but the ones I do remember the most here - Racism in Canada, is NOT an isolated even:
2006 - London Ontario: Waiting for bus: a man blows smoke in my face and tells me to "go back to my country" after I complained about it.
2006 - London Ontario: training at first mall job: my boss before introducing me to the engraving machine, asked me if i "knew what a computer was".
2007 - London Ontario: Working at my last mall job refilling ink cartridges: an older man screams at me because "you stupid little girl broke my printer, useless slut" - I was pregnant with Lucian, and I didn’t break anything, he just forgot to connect the USB cable to it. My boss sided with the costumer, because the customer is always right.
2008 - London Ontario: At home depot holding my kid in my arms, older woman approaches "wow BEAUTIFUL CHILD, so lucky too, nice PORCELAIN SKIN and funny nappy hair".
2010 - London Ontario: At a music show, sitting down waiting for the next band to start, a guy sits next to me and says "You seem to be starting to do something with music, but I dont know if people will hear it, no one really likes non English songs".
2011 - London Ontario: Exiting Tim Horton’s drive though with my mother, an older couple attempt to enter though the exit lane and frustrated at my mother for their own damn mistake, they yell “GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY MEXICANS”.
2012 - Toronto Ontario: At OCADU’s printmaking studio, a student is upset I did not ask for her permission to use a press she was using, she was printing a 2inch by 2inch plate, I was inking up 2 plates 50 times that size, it would have not interfered with her process whatsoever, she storms out of the room crying (after i told her we pay same tuition so no i dont need to ask for permission) and one of the staff asks me to apologize and understand my approach is more “cultural/exotic” and “loud” therefore she needs to be helped and consoled. I was commuting from London at the time, and had only 3 days in Toronto a week, the incident made me waste at least an hour of needed work.
2013 - Toronto Ontario: A classmate comes to my place to study for an art history exam, enters my bedroom that I shared at the time with my son and says “WOW! YOU ARE A MOM?! Of course you are!”
2014 - Montreal QC: At a music show, was spat on by a woman in the audience because I dared criticize the performance of the organizers Jeunesse C smique who displayed cultural appropriation and other problematic rhetoric.
2015 - Toronto ON: At EE music fest, an old woman started petting my son’s head and stroking his curls without his consent. Got upset at me for complaining. “Its only hair”.
2016 - Toronto ON: My birthday at my place sitting in the living room with a group of friends eating chips and telling jokes: a group of people got offended and screamed at me “YOU ARE A RACIST” because I did not want them in my house. They entered my home, uninvited at about 2 in the morning.
My experience is nothing compared to the injustice lived day by day in Canada by indigenous people in northern territories and reservations, living with no water, no walls...no mattress and no voice. To say Canada is better that USA is insulting.
No country is safe, no colonized country is safe. We are victims of white supremacy and have been so for centuries, Canada hides blood covered sheets under its bed, it hides terrifying secrets, and that legacy lives on. We are not safe, your safety pin does not grant me safety. My POC do.
All of the people I speak about that had something racist or did something passive aggressive and xenophobic to me or my family in the past all had something in common, they were white Canadians.
C A N A D I A N. C A N A D I A N. C A N A D I A N...
I have no witty closing statement to leave with you with. Good night. Sincerely (not) yours,Lido Pimienta.
