race relations

What has been the experience of South Asian people in terms of encountering racism, and how does this compare with other racialized groups in Canada? | By Keith Neuman

This month marks the five-year anniversary of George Floyd’s tragic murder at the hands of the Minneapolis Police in May 2020. This event took place at a time of growing tension around police violence directed at the Black community in a number of cities, and sparked a massive wave of protests and demonstrations across the USA and other countries advocating for racial justice.

This year marks 10 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission finished its work investigating the history and impacts of Canada’s Indian Residential School system. The commission’s final report marked the completion of a painful yet essential process of testimony and revelation, but even more important the starting point for the country’s reckoning with its colonial legacy.

Hate motivated aggression is becoming alarmingly common in Canada. This typically takes the form of blatant disrespect, abuse and sometimes violence motivated by hatred or bias directed at physical symbols (such as a mosque or synagogue), individuals or groups of people, or communities as a whole. | By Keith Neuman

Canada is a much different place than it was three years ago. In 2021, the topic of racial justice was front and centre in the public discourse in response to George Floyd’s tragic murder, the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-Asian harassment, and uneven progress toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. | By Michael Adams, Marva Bailey-Wisdom & Keith Neuman

The Race Relations in Canada 2024 Survey is the most comprehensive national survey to date focusing on Canadians’ experience with hate, a rapidly spreading form of anti-social aggressive racism directed at people, most commonly because of their race, ethnicity or religion.

The research consisted of a main survey conducted online between February 12 and March 13, 2024 with 4,470 Canadians (ages 18+), and a supplementary survey conducted online between November 18 and 25, 2024 with 616 Canadians who identify as Jewish (by religion, ethnicity and/or culture).

This latest research once again confirms the reality of racism in Canada. A significant proportion of the population experiences discrimination because of their race or ethnic background at least occasionally, if not more often, and has witnessed other people encounter similar treatment.

This study confirms the reality of racism in Canada. Also important, it shows that this reality is widely if not universally acknowledged. Many Canadians across different racial backgrounds report experiences of racism and discrimination due to race, and also recognize that it also affects others of their own race and from other racial groups.