R ACISM AND S TRATIFICATION By: Moriessa C., Kairav N., and Lauren S.M

R ACISM Most of the inequality found in the world is due to the concept of race RACE: is a term used to categorize groups of people by certain biological and physical features Early anthropologists have considered if one’s biological or physical features could influence cultural behaviour but the assumption was dismissed ACTUALLY a Northern European may have more in common with a black Southern African than a person from Greece or Italy

R ACISM C ON. The only obvious biological difference between human races other than skin colour is blood type. Anthropologists have recognized that the concept of race is a cultural construct based on socioeconomic and political agendas rather than biological reality The concept of race 1 st emerged in the 18 th century Skin colour is commonly used to distinguish races but all it is, is a visual sign of adaptation Because of interbreeding (which has been done for over 1000s of years) realistically there aren’t separate races.

R ACIAL S TRATIFICATION Any examination of social stratification would be incomplete without considering the inequalities surrounding race and ethnicity Usually it is the difference of racial and ethnic features of a group that cause social inequality, discrimination and racism. RACISM: is the belief that one race is superior to another EXAMPLES: Just of the 20 th Century such as the holocaust of WW2, South Africa's apartheid, and the Genocide in Rwanda Picture of township (in South Africa) a suburb or city of predominantly black occupation, formerly officially designated for black occupation by apartheid legislation.) outside the capital of Namibia

R ACISM IN C ANADA Canada has its own history of racial discrimination (i.e. Japanese internment, reservation system forced on First Nations people) Canada suffers from institutionalisation that permeates almost every aspect of Canadian life For example, the First Nations were stripped of their land, traditional patterns, ability to support themselves, which ended in poverty, loss of identity and social problems First Nation children were taken from their parents to live at residential school where they were forced to learn the ways of the white people However, in recent years First Nations young people are now completing high school, attending university and are joining work fields such as; law, medicine and business. But even though the First Nation lives have improved, they are still represented in the lower ranks of society

T HE C HINESE O PPRESSION Another race that has been discriminated the most are the Chinese, as anti-Chinese sentiments waves have been expressed in British Columbia during the 19th and 20th centuries Between 1875 and 1923 there was a fear in British Columbia that the Chinese were competitors of resources during difficult economic times In 1885 the first anti-Chinese bill was passes (after the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway had finished) to satisfy British Columbians who considered the Chinese "a public menace“ Racial hostilities and attacks were seen in the 1887 and 1907 anti- Chinese riots in Vancouver, where Chinese homes were vandalized and they were intimidated to leave the country

T HE C HINESE O PPRESSION C ON. In 1922 Chinese children were segregated into separate schools In 1923 Chinese were excluded from immigration to Canada and the civil rights of Chinese already living in Canada were cut Due to the law that was installed most Chinese house holds created their own business to cope There was also a Chinese head tax put in place that was used to try and control the immigration level of Chinese immigrants

T HE C HINESE O PPRESSION After WWII many of the laws against the Chinese receded and the shift of racism was towards the Japanese ( This happened because of the alliances in WWII) Though laws receded the Chinese were not given full rights until 1954 There was a racist broad cast that occurred in 1975 that caused many protests One problem was that the Chinese were not permanent immigrants, instead they were considered a shot term labour pool, who would go back to their homeland once their labour was not needed