Racism alive and well

I am one of a shrinking number of Residential School survivors. The government and churches have seen many of us die before being compensated or witness Harper’s carefully worded apology. The Catholic Church is still waiting for us to die off.

When the Indian Act was introduced it defined a person as“anyone other than an Indian.” It was amended later to say or a “Chinaman.”

The article makes it sound like this is in the distant past, but what of requirements of huge investments before Hong Kong“Chinese”could immigrate? I’m told of folks from India being required to invest vast amounts of money to ease their way into Canada today.

So many times we are told to ”get over it,” but we live it every day. Racism in Chilliwack was very much alive when I was growing up. At the local theatre “Indians”were directed to the balcony.

The steak house restaurant required us to sit on the“Indian side.”A friend waitressed there and was fired because patrons didn’t want“Indians”touching their food.

Yeah, “get over it.”