-------------------------------------------------------------------- ———————————————————————————————

The Canadian elites talk a big game about fighting racism but what Dr. Hakam Bhullar and his colleagues did in fighting this absolutely abhorrent form of extreme racism and abuse was remarkable and a testament to the human spirit and the spirit of the IMMIGRANT.  GONE ARE THE DAYS, which is written, directed and produced award-winning journalist and filmmaker R. Paul Dhillon (editor of the LINK) will begin rolling out on the international film festival circuit early next year. “We are so proud to tell this story that the Canadian establishment doesn’t want the world to see. Mighty is the Pen and the Camera,” said Dhillon.

                                   -------------------------------------------------------------------- ———————————————————————————————

Though I have experienced racist slurs on the train and buses, but I have always ignored those as coming from uneducated, uncultured, ignorant, and unlettered people. But my concern is when you experience racism and discrimination at work and you are ignored for promotions just because of your ethnicity and not for your experience or education.

By Dr Neelam Batra-Verma

Most Chinese living in Canada, believe that they are the only victims of racism because, I can vouch that even South Asians, and I am talking here not about the visible South Asians who wear turbans but regular people like me, who absolutely do not look or dress like them, are also targets of racism and discrimination, on the streets as well as workplaces.

Though I have experienced racist slurs on the train and buses, but I have always ignored those as coming from uneducated, uncultured, ignorant, and unlettered people. Therefore, instead of taking their comments seriously, I just tune out. Instead I feel pity at their narrow-mindedness and their upbringing. As an example, I meet this woman every day on the train, who first made some dirty comments and when I did not react, even pushed me once. Before I could realize what happened, she ran towards the elevator. Anyway, now I stare at her every time I see her, without saying anything. She merely looks away and hasn’t uttered a word since, her guilt written large on her face.

Those are people I would never worry about. But my concern is when you experience racism and discrimination at work and you are ignored for promotions just because of your ethnicity and not for your experience or education. My first real job in Canada was with a school district. My just 18 months there, I felt that the secretaries in the office were issued a memorandum that they had to harass me so I quit. Every day, I got emails from the bosses, about things I got wrong and no matter how hard I worked, I never did anything right. I was never shown any other way nor I was given an opportunity to give my point of view. It was either their way or the highway. Of course, I had no choice but to take the highway. I later learnt that they had hired me in error. They thought I was Korean, as my name has a “Lam” and were shocked to learn that I could not speak Korean. Because the District was expecting a surge of Korean speaking people coming to learn English, they wanted to hire one who could speak both languages – English and Korean, which meant vacating the position I was hired at. The hiring manager had misjudged, as of course, during the interview process, they are not mandated to ask your background. But do I look Korean? All my life, people have judged me as being from Europe, Iran or Middle Eastern country but never from Korea!

English! Really – this is the lamest excuse I have ever heard. True I may have an accent but an accent which people around me always had no trouble understanding nor did the clients on the phone. I have been a writer since I was a child, have thousands of articles published in mainstream newspapers and magazines, edited and published an English magazine in Vancouver for 6 years, still continue to write free lance, have a book published in English which is available on Amazon and now on my second book! Got accepted in an elite Canadian university to further my studies and after looking at my credentials, they overruled the English test requirement.

No amount of speeches or apologies by politicians harping on “Diversity is Canada’s strength” can ever change the inherent social stereotypes engraved in people’s minds. People in power in hiring positions, still continue to use these stereotypical attitudes to hire or fire people. So I am from India, I don’t deserve to be promoted! Does the manager know that in India, English is taught from Kindergarten level and most all higher education is in English! No, because they are still living in the age when India was the slave of the British and this is British Columbia! I would like to know, does it happen in any other province of Canada?

Neelam Verma is a former journalist and writer based in Coquitlam.