(RAE1b) Race, Ethnicity, and Migrant Integration Experiences in Canada

In this session, panelists discuss how race, ethnicity, and migrant integration experiences extend our understanding of racism, whiteness, racialization, culture, identity construction, and employment in Canada. Presentations from panelists include examinations of how marginalized identities are socially produced, how whiteness shapes Pakistani newcomers’ perceptions of ‘’Canadianness” (e.g. national identity, authenticity, belonging), how 'Hispanic' and 'Latinx' terms are fluid, and what multiculturalism and diversity mean to the Afghan diaspora and Francophone skilled migrants in Canada. Tags: Canadian Sociology, Equality and Inequality, Race and Ethnicity

Organizers: Carlo Handy Charles, University of Windsor, Manzah-Kyetoch Yankey, University of Alberta, Jamilah Dei-Sharpe, Concordia University; Chair: Carlo Handy Charles, University of Windsor

Presentations

Abu Haque, York University

The cultural mediation of the margin

Identities are never fully unified but are considered fragmented and are a process of becoming rather than being, in which the process of identification privileges some and excludes others. Identities also become complicated through the cultural and technological mediation of the dominant ideologies within the mechanisms of power and control. Hence, it requires a cross-cultural fluidity to unpack the alienation and entanglement brought about by the everyday spatial practices of the hegemonic culture into a space that is also occupied by other ethnocultural groups. The research challenges the discursive practices perpetuated by the dominant ideologies that shape the identities of marginalized groups in an otherwise hybrid living in Canada. The research used a triangulation of methodologies: a visual narrative, an analysis of images from two newspapers, and participant interviews to explore the cultural mediation of the margin. The visual narrative analyzed images shared by the participants and photos taken by the researcher. It analyzed the images used in the two newspapers. The images shared by the participants explore their homes, workplaces, and social spaces including their culture, festivals, family life, leisure activities, etc. The analysis of the images supplements the interviews, while the visual narrative provides an introspection of the marginal space along with their struggle. The significant findings of the study suggest the existence of the hegemonic culture, a set of ideologies and body politics that privilege the dominant group(s) to reproduce a specific national discourse including in the pedagogy. Representations of space, as the study of two newspapers reveals, show consistent systematic biases of marginal representations. Representational spaces, on the other hand, demonstrate that the space of the margin is ambiguous and a space of struggle, which is also a space of resistance expressed through a myriad of ways. However, a hybrid form of living also constantly challenges this narrative to facilitate the voices of the other: the marginalized, the displaced, and the immigrants. The research has expanded our knowledge of the cultural production of identities within the national discourse of the so-called multicultural Canada.

Susan Goli, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Beyond binary: exploring fluidity in using 'Hispanic' and 'Latinx' terms

Enlightenment meant to liberate humankind from slavery, fear, and inequality. However, its prominent figures strongly believed in racial demarcation with which the Bourgeoisie was seeking equality and freedom like the French and American revolutions. Thinkers and agents of these revolutions were White Middle-Class European men. Therefore, freedom and equality were limited to them. This trace is evident in today’s social interactions, especially in labeling people with race. As Critical Race Theory (CRT) argues race categories are socially constructed, hence, they are subject to change. For instance, ethnic groups in the US context, such as Hispanics, can be defined by authorities, government officials, and scientists. The term “Hispanic” was adopted to fulfill the requirement “to unite all people with a similarity in backgrounds and language and color into one great big unit, one political force” (Gomez, 1992). It could be assumed that these categories were created based on origin, while the so-called “Whites” and “Hispanics” came from a single continent (Dávila, 2012). However, scholars recommended using “Latino” over “Hispanic,” emphasizing geography and political considerations. On the other hand, the population referred to by “Hispanic” expressed no preference in using the term, although they slightly favor “Hispanic” over “Latino.” While working on the online representation of Hispanics/Latinxs’ social mobility and struggling to use these terms correctly, I found that “Hispanic” and “Latinx” are the two ends of a spectrum of an identity with which people associate. Using symbolic interactionism as the theoretical perspective and netnography as the methodological framework, I analyzed the content of three Hispanic/Latinx organizations on Facebook from 2016 to 2019 to examine the use of language and the context of using “Hispanic” and/or “Latinx” in the meso-level of analysis. I did not find adequate literature on a middle ground between the macro- and micro-level research on the usage of these terms. My research fills this gap by focusing on the meso-level analysis. I offer a nuanced understanding of how these terms are used and perceived within Hispanic/Latinx organizations on Facebook by employing symbolic interactionism and netnography. This approach allowed me for an exploration of the societal interactions, meanings, and symbols attached to these identity labels within specific communities. Further, my study contributes to the broader discourse on race and identity construction by highlighting the fluidity and complexity of racial categories, particularly within the Hispanic/Latinx community. It provides insights into the meso-level dynamics of identity formation and representation, bridging the gap between micro- and macro-level analyses and advancing our understanding of the complexities regarding racial and ethnic identities in contemporary society. Regarding the theme of the RAE1 session, I believe my work is related to this session as it makes us rethink the nature of racial and ethnic labels creating a history of discrimination, stereotypes, and hatred. Highlighting the fluidity of racial and ethnic identities, it encourages critical reflection on the socially constructed labels and indicates how communities navigate these constructions to take initiatives to represent their identity. Further, it emphasizes intersectional attributes of racial and ethnic categories by examining how various factors, such as politics, perceived social status, and education can impact the usage of the racial and ethnic labels.

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Non-presenting author: Saeed Ebadi, University of Tehran