Racism isn’t just a social ill, it’s a threat to public health
As we’ve seen in this pandemic, fear and ignorance are the ultimate risk to public health. Misinformation and confusion spawn a chaotic response — whether it’s public policy or panic buying.
When it comes to racism, fear and ignorance are lethal — causing harm to Black people, Indigenous communities and immigrants across Canada.
It’s no coincidence that we’re having a consciousness-raising moment. In times of crisis, the ongoing acts of fear, ignorance and hate that pervade our society spike. We can’t look away. The evidence is everywhere.
On June 22, the Angus Reid Institute and the University of Alberta released a poll showing the impact of racism on Asian Canadians in this crisis. Of the 516 Chinese Canadians who responded, 43 per cent reported being threatened or intimidated; eight per cent report being physically attacked.
A new Institute for Canadian Citizenship-Leger poll reinforces the findings, examining discrimination against the broader immigrant community.
The Leger poll compared the responses of nearly 1,000 new Canadians against members of the general public.
Again, the Asian community is being targeted, with 53 per cent of Asian immigrants reporting that they’ve been judged or discriminated against.
New Canadians expressed concern about negative reactions in their daily lives — whether they wear masks, run errands or take transit. A full 63 per cent of the new Canadians (and 81 per cent of Chinese Canadians) are uneasy every time they take a bus or other form of transit, even though they must.
They worry about the discrimination they will face should they have to share possible symptoms of illness with their co-workers.
These polls bolster reports of racism from immigrants on the front line who have shared their real-life experience, from a Filipino physiotherapist mistaken for a cleaning worker to a Black health-care aide whose credentials are regularly questioned and is described as “just the help.”
The health pandemic is leading to a pandemic of racism, and that should be a cause for concern for everyone.
Immigrants are taking on a high degree of risk on the front line to look after their fellow Canadians. One in four is a health-care worker. Nearly one in two is an essential service worker.
As they are disproportionately targeted with verbal slurs, attacks and even physical assault, the immigrants who serve us are suffering — mentally and physically. That suffering comes at a cost to their families, their communities, and ultimately to us all.
Racism is not just a social ill, it’s a public health threat. The antidote is education, awareness and action.
From protesters to police leaders to parliamentarians, Canadians are acknowledging systemic racism. But while many demand new laws and policies, it will take a systemic response.
It will take individual and group actions at the community level, and not just in government. We need to be better allies. We need to speak up when we witness racism.
We need to stand together with those Canadians — Black, Indigenous, Asian, newcomers — who are bearing a disproportionate impact of the pandemic.
One heartening result from the poll is that more Canadians — especially younger Canadians and people of colour — believe this crisis will bring diverse communities closer together.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Let’s leverage our strength to bend that arc. Let’s stand together to demand justice.