Coming To Terms with "Visible Minority"

I define myself
as a black
woman who
was born in
Jamaica and is
now a
proud first class
citizen of
Canada.

BY GLENDA SIMMS

Recently I began to pay closer attention to the large numbers of - Canadians who, like myself, are opposed to being labeled "visible minorities." I now wonder if the problem of "self identification," which is reputedly preventing both government and private sector employers from adequately implementing employment equity programs, lies partially in the use of the label "visible minority" and partially in the lack of political will to address some of the most serious social and institutional barriers of the Canadian society. Those of us who have raised these concerns find the "visible minority" label demeaning, anonymous, and psychologically distressing.

As a black Canadian woman I object to the term on a number of grounds. Firstly, it denies my identity. I am not a "visible minority." I define myself as a black woman who was born in Jamaica and is now a proud first class citizen of Canada. Secondly, it undermines my ability to define myself and forces me to accept an externally imposed definition. This is psychologically unacceptable. It is an assault on my psyche, and is part of the historical process of denying my inherent human right to seek the essence of selfhood within my being and in the context of my personal history.

I have no idea of the genesis of the term "visible minority." I became aware of its acceptance at the official governmental level when the document Equality Now, the report of the Special Committee on Visible Minorities in Canadian Society, was released in March 1984. In this document the term "visible minority" was sanctioned as the appropriate label for 1,864,000 or 7% of the Canadian population. Included in this definition are Aboriginal peoples, and those with origins in Africa, China, India, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Latin American, the Pacific Islands, the West Indies, the Philippines, and the Arabic countries.

"Minorité visible", un terme à bannir
PAR GLENDA SIMMS

Le terme "minorité visible" est avilissant. Il marginalise et dégrade une grande partie de la population canadienne qui a servi ce pays et continue de le faire de mille et une façons constructives. Il faut se demander si en employant de tels termes on obscurcit pas les vrais problèmes que représentent le racisme et l'injustice et si, en englobant des peuples aussi divers et un seul groupe, on vise à atteindre l'égalité de tous ou seulement à établier une " hiérarchie des opprimés". Pourquoi la société canadienne éprouve-t-elle des difficultés a créer un climat ou tous ses citoyens et citoyennes trouvent la justice?

Notre société change a un rythme accéléré et le défi qui se pose est de prêter attention aux filles et aux fils des "minorités visibles". Il y a des Canadiens qui n'ont jamais connu d'autres pays et s'attendant à vivre dans un système juste. II est primordial que la société canadienne se concentre moins sur des définitions empreintes d'exotisme et davantage sur les inégalités sociales et économiques qui poussent tant de Canadiens et Canadiennes à chercher réparation pour les torts qu'ils et elles ont subi au cours de l'histoire de notre pays.


Back Contents Next