Systemic Racism in Canada
Systemic racism occurs when laws, decisions, policies, social practices, and cultural representations lead to inequity for certain groups across a society.
In Canada, systemic racism over time and throughout history has resulted in white dominant culture using its power to elevate its own position. This occurs while denying the human rights of Indigenous Peoples and racialized people. There are many examples of systemic racism in Canada.
One example of systemic racism in Canada is Residential Schools for Indigenous children (1867–1996). The Federal Indian Act required every Indigenous child to attend a residential or day school. Children were separated from their families, and were not allowed to practice their heritages, cultures, and languages.
A large number of children who attended residential and day schools experienced physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse. There were 18 federal/church-operated residential schools in B.C. between 1867 and 1984.
The last residential school in Canada was closed and demolished in 1996. Information on residential school history is available from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Other examples of systemic racism in Canada include:
- The internment of Japanese Canadians (1942–1949)
- Historical and current wage gaps between different racial groups
- Many Indigenous communities are subject to long-term advisories about unsafe drinking water while most Canadians have access to safe drinking water
