(NAME-MCE) Bias in Canada

[ZS Worotynec]

Adrienne Clarkson was Canada's 2nd female Governor General. First was Jean 
Sauve. Currently, Canada's GG is Michaelle Jean, who is Haitian born.

And, yes, while Canada entrenched multiculturalism in official 
policy in 1971 and then in legislation in 1988, we do still have a long 
long way to go. 
http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/multi/policy/act_e.cfm

As an early childhood person, I am particularly aghast at Canada's 
treatment of immigrant children - we have a shameful history of this too. 
>From 1826 to 1939, Canada participated in several "child emigration" 
schemes which brought 1000s of children (mostly British) to serve the 
needs of Canada - at that time, as farm labourers, domestic servants. As 
Bill said "a cheap pool of labour". Many of these childen were very badly 
treated and experienced sexual, physical, emotional abuse.

Today, Canada's immigrant children are "welcomed" if their parents can 
muster up enough "points" to make it into the country. Once here, many 
immigrant children are labeled as learning delayed and etc. because they 
do not speak English or French (our official languages)and we are found 
wanting in terms of supporting their parents too. There is a LOT of work 
to be done in anti-bias, anti-racism and in supporting immigrants and 
their families.

Another issue is in international adoptions and children who migrate to 
Canada for purposes of adoption. See http://www.childinterrupted.ca if 
you're interested. My paper examines int'l adoptions within 
the context of Canadian policy and legislation (immigration, 
multiculturalism, citizenship) and int'l policy and legislation (UN 
Convention on the Rights of the Child, The Hague Convention on 
Intercountry Adoptions).

I am also part of the Canadian Coalition for Immigrant Children and Youth. 
We are a national voluntary organiztion working for more and better 
services for immigrant (and refugee) children and youth. See 
http://immigrantchildren.ca .

ZS
Kitchener, ON
Canada

On Mon, 31 Dec 2007, someone wrote:

> "... Canada...still has a checkered past".
>
> There were Japanese Canadian Internment camps, too.
>
> The article makes reference to Adrienne Clarkson, who I believe was Canada's
> second female Governor General. The current one is of African descent.
>