Module 2 - Anzovino Ch 6 - Race & Racialization

Question 1

What is the biological concept of race, and why is it considered a myth?

Answer 1

The biological concept of race categorizes people based on physical traits like skin color, but genetic science has discredited it, showing that race is not biologically valid.

Question 2

What is racialization?

Answer 2

Racialization is the social construction of race that focuses on differences between groups, often leading to the marginalization and oppression of certain groups.

Question 3

What is racism, and how does it operate?

Answer 3

Racism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one racialized group over others, operating at individual, systemic, and societal levels to marginalize and oppress.

Question 4

What are examples of systemic racism?

Answer 4

Systemic racism can be found in criminal justice, policing, education, healthcare, media, immigration, and employment systems.

Question 5

What challenge do mixed-race individuals often face, according to the author?

Answer 5

Many face identity struggles as they are pushed to identify with one race over another, rather than being accepted as both or neither.

Question 6

What is representational racism?

Answer 6

Representational racism uses imagery to communicate racial stereotypes, often dehumanizing racialized groups through popular culture and media.

Question 7

Give examples of representational racism in media and popular culture.

Answer 7

Examples include:

Blackface used historically in theater.

Stereotypical mascots like the Cleveland Indians’ Chief Wahoo.

Racial caricatures in Disney movies like Dumbo and Peter Pan.

Question 8

What is ideological racism?

Answer 8

Ideological racism reflects and reinforces beliefs in racial superiority or inferiority, often justifying historical practices like colonialism and imperialism.

Question 9

What is discursive racism?

Answer 9

Discursive racism is communicated through written and spoken words, including racial slurs, hate speech, and discriminatory language.

Question 10

What is interactional racism?

Answer 10

Interactional racism occurs in social interactions, such as verbal or physical assaults, stereotyping racialized individuals as low-level workers, or avoiding contact with them.

Question 11

At what levels does racism operate?

Answer 11

Racism operates at the individual level (everyday behavior), institutional level (policies and practices), and societal level (frameworks for racialized thought).

Question 12

What is individual racism?

Answer 12

Individual racism is expressed through discriminatory attitudes or behaviors based on socially constructed concepts of race, such as offensive jokes, verbal abuse, avoiding contact, and hate crimes.

Question 13

What is the difference between overt racism and everyday racism?

Answer 13

Overt racism: Explicit and openly discriminatory actions.

Everyday racism: Subtle discriminatory behaviors expressed in social interactions.

Question 14

What is institutional racism?

Answer 14

Institutional racism is embedded in the policies, practices, and procedures of organizations or systems that create or sustain disadvantages for racialized persons.

Question 15

Give examples of institutional racism.

Answer 15

Policing practices that disproportionately target racialized communities.

School curricula that marginalize or stereotype Indigenous or racialized people.

Question 16

What is societal racism?

Answer 16

Societal racism is the overarching framework of values, concepts, and institutions that support and perpetuate discrimination and racial inequality.

Question 17

Provide examples of societal racism.

Answer 17

Culturally biased assessment tests.

Assuming racialized Canadians were not born in Canada.

Excluding Indigenous contributions from academic fields.

Question 18

What historical apologies has Canada made for acts of racism?

Answer 18

Halifax’s apology for the destruction of Africville.

Apology for the 1914 Komagata Maru incident.

Apology for the Indian Residential School System.

Apology to Japanese Canadians for WWII internment.

Apology to Inuit families for Arctic relocations.

Apology to Chinese Canadians for the head tax.

Question 19

How does Canada acknowledge the importance of fighting racism internationally?

Answer 19

By signing treaties like the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Question 20

What role does white privilege play in racism?

Answer 20

White privilege creates an invisible system of dominance, allowing those perceived as white to experience fewer challenges to their legitimacy in work, school, and society.

Question 21

How does white privilege persist in Canadian society?

Answer 21

White people can assume social institutions, political structures, and neighborhoods will work for them if they follow societal rules, reinforcing systemic privilege.

Question 22

What is “white flight,” and how does it relate to Canada?

Answer 22

“White flight” refers to white residents leaving communities where they become the minority, such as Brampton, where the white population declined as visible minorities increased.

Question 23

What is colourblindness in the context of racial discourse?

Answer 23

Colourblindness is the claim of being oblivious to race to avoid appearing racist, but it denies the reality and lived experiences of racialized individuals.

Question 24

Why is colourblindness problematic?

Answer 24

It ignores systemic racism and perpetuates inequality by failing to acknowledge and address racial differences and their consequences.

Question 25

What are hate crimes, and how are they addressed in Canada?

Answer 25

Hate crimes are criminal acts motivated by hate, targeting individuals or groups based on characteristics like race, religion, or sexual orientation. Canada’s Criminal Code prohibits inciting hatred and considers hate motivation in sentencing.

Question 26

What is white supremacy, and how does it manifest in Canada?

Answer 26

White supremacy is the belief in white racial superiority, supported by organized groups like the Aryan Guard, Canadian Heritage Alliance, and others promoting separatism and anti-Semitism.

Question 27

What is racial profiling, and where does it occur?

Answer 27

Racial profiling involves actions based on stereotypes rather than reasonable suspicion, occurring in policing, schools, workplaces, and public services.

Question 28

What is intersectionality in the context of poverty and race?

Answer 28

Intersectionality highlights how racialized and Indigenous communities face higher poverty rates due to systemic racism, affecting education, health, and job opportunities.

Question 29

How should history education address systemic racism?

Answer 29

By integrating the experiences, events, and voices of racialized groups into everyday narratives, rather than limiting them to token observances like designated heritage months.

Question 30

What does the racialization of poverty reveal about systemic racism in Canada?

Answer 30

It shows that racialized and Indigenous communities face systemic barriers, resulting in higher poverty rates and reduced opportunities compared to non-racialized groups.