Re: Second Class Citizen
 

Oh no, we're good. There have been numerous posts on BE mentioning a passive-aggressive nature they encounter here as well as some accusing Canadians of being facile and hard to make friends with, but I don't recall anyone before claiming that their accent triggers discrimination. If your ideas were no good they'd be able to point out why, so maybe they shut you down because they're afraid you're too good and a threat to their jobs. I'd like to think that your trouble is stemming from a toxic workplace and not indicative of the country as a whole, but as you've read, there are others here saying the same thing has happened to them, and some describing an even worse situation. If it was just you, your co-workers should have overwhelmed you with love and everything would be fine by now. :lol: Whether you decide to try working some place else or going back I hope you find a friendlier work environment.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

I've been thinking about my previous post and I do feel the need to mention that perhaps its a Maritime thing. I've met people from Manitoba who say they same thing about Nova Scotia and who've moved back.

We're moving to BC shortly so I guess I'll find out soon! :beer:

Back to NS, there was also a distinct and massive kick up in gear of the nastiness when we started doing well for ourselves, when we were struggling and even when things were more mainstream it was definitely lower key.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

This thread has been very much an eye-opener for me.

We've lived in BC since 1968 and I can quite honestly say that neither of us experienced any kind of discrimination at any point, either at work or in our other life. We've met only with pleasantness, acceptance, and acceptance of our ideas.

We lived in an apartment for almost 4 years, then bought a small house in a neighbourhood of mainly small houses. We were welcomed with open arms. Mind you, most of our neighbours were also immigrants, though not from the UK. Friends we made socially were the same, some UK immigrants, some from other lands, and some Canadian. Not a tweet or sign of discrimination.

We bought a cabin in a very rural area. No discrimination from anyone, and even the First Nations were welcoming even though they can be racist towards Canadians as ell other nationalities who the FN see as against them.

My sister-in-law moved to BC 2 years later and found a job in a small northern town. She received the same welcome as we had, welcomed and integrated into the society. She was a much loved teacher and then after re-training, a priest.

My daughter moved to NS, granted she married a Canadian, but she has never complained about any type of unhappiness, discrimination or unwelcome behavior. She had a major problem some years ago, and neighbours brouht food to the house for weeks until she was recovered, yes, Canadians.

I've literally never heard of anyone hitting this kind of behaviour that so many have talked about. I was particularly disturbed by your story. But I would be really surprised if you had a problem here.

Maybe it really does come down to the type of job that one does, or the threat that you appear to offer to insecure people.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

Could be.
I sometimes wonder whether a particularly bad experience may cause some to be negative towards other aspects of their lives here in a way they weren't previously.

Over the years on BE there have been a few people with nothing but positive things to say about where they've been living, their work or whatever, or even things have been okay. Then something has happened. Maybe a lost job. They had to move to another place or just other accommodation in the same city and suddenly everything that was previously good has become awful.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

The only 'negative' response to me being an immigrant (or 'not from here) was from a government employee.. but that's not the Country - it's ONE individual.. I don't let one negative impact my opinion of the many.. we all know someone who is an arse.. it's not country specific!
:)

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

I don't think I've ever been poorly treated in Canada because I am an immigrant. And I do have a slight German accent. I had no issues in Nova Scotia where I lived for 14 years. And I don't have a problem in the West either. In my opinion it always depends on the individual and their attitude of how they get treated.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

I work in downtown Toronto. From time to time, I see entire offices staffed entirely by South Asians or Chinese only. Labrador Iron Ore company springs to mind. The racism cuts both ways.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

They might just have no other choice, if they're finding it hard to be accepted.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

I know of some firms that are staffed entirely by people from one country and that operate in the language of that country. Bricklaying teams, for example, might be all Polish, all Irish, all Jamaican and so on. In the food sector, the staff of Chinese restaurants are likely to be Chinese(!) and those working in Ethiopian restaurants are not likely to be Swedish.

However, the idea that this demonstrates racism cutting both ways is a glaring example of "false equivalence". Systemic racism is demonstrated by aboriginal Canadian incarceration rates and the location of settlements without safe drinking water, this is not the same as looking through an office window and seeing a lot of brown people (assuming that is that "South Asians" are brown, this may be an example of Canadian geography, like "East Indian" and actually refer to the Portuguese).

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

Whether the water issue is racism is dubious as many people in these aboriginal communities refuse to pay a form of municipal tax to support a clean water supply and instead just expect it to be handed to them. They absolutely should have clean water, and ISC is working on fixing it (I think 70 out of the 130 reserves without clean water are now fixed), but it's not completely one sided.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

Are there places in Canada, other than Indian reservations, that don't have safe drinking water?

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

Then there is the blind eye turned towards the disappeared indigenous women.

But it's alright someone walked down a street in Downtown Toronto and claims to have seen people of one nationality in one office.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

I don't think I'm shifting blame. I'm not saying that the poisoned water is a consequence of racism, just that it's symptomatic of the racism endemic to Canadian society that the aboriginal people are left to suffer while the Canadians are oh so smug about the similar problems in Flint, MI. A population can be subject to systemic racism and it can still be the case that the members of that population that are not in jail or abducted do a poor job of maintaining their streetscapes.

Re: Second Class Citizen
 

Yeah, it can, actually. The treaties entered into by the first nations are in effect for perpetuity.