AAISA Integration Summit 2017

ANIW Vision and Mission To empower immigrant women across Alberta to play an active and integrated role as valued contributors to the Alberta community. Mission To provide knowledge for and about immigrant women and to lead and support initiatives which foster equality, justice and learning for immigrant women. Established in 1986 Research Forums & round table discussion Recommendation into program Solution focused Partnerships

Strategies to Address Racism How does racism impact us Do we have tools to address Racism What strategies individuals can use

23% of Canadians believe some races are genetically smarter than other 25% of Immigrants have been victims of racism 52% of reported hate crimes were motivated by race or ethnicity

How Does Racism Impact Us An Impact of Racism Seldom Discussed

Internalizing Racism Self doubt Identity confusion

Psychological & emotional effects Physical impact Social effects Financial effects

How does Racism impact Health? Racial Discrimination Biologic stress reactions Emotional response - PTSD Trying to cope - Drug abuse - Drinking - Other ways to escape Health Impacts -Dr. Cheryl Currie -incautious lifestyles – people harm themselves and their children by their bad behaviour – personal characteristics govern behaviour. System is adaptive during acute stress (oh no, a lion!), but maladaptive when the stress is chronic (Sapolsky, 1993)..

Do We Have The Tools to Address Racism “People make racist comments, while looking you straight in the eye and the words pass right through the smile on their face.” Do We Have The Tools to Address Racism

1867 1947 1971

Do We Have Strategies to Address Racism As Individuals .

that it exists, and that it is not something Before we as a society can liberate ourselves from the grip of racism we have to acknowledge that it exists, and that it is not something which has been blow out of proportion; nor is it the figment of some peoples imagination – Adrienne Shadd, in McKague 1991

You Can Make Change Happen

Citizenship Immigration Canada now know as IRCC Our work on Racism was made possible by the funding ANIW has received over the years from Citizenship Immigration Canada now know as IRCC Alberta Human Rights Citizenship, Multiculturalism Education Fund On behalf of all at ANIW we Thank our funders Thank You for being here today

:the belief that some races of people are better than others Definitions: Racism: poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race :the belief that some races of people are better than others Discrimination: Act of behaviour that takes the form of verbal or non verbal abuse, graffiti, jokes slurs and physical assault. Is systemic when social and organization structure, policies and practices exclude those who are not part of the dominant culture.

To understand one needs to feel, hear and see to know its effects. Definitions: Internalized Racism: Term not widely used or understood, there is limited research on the subject. Internalized racism is the personal conscious or subconscious acceptance of the dominant society’s racist views, stereotypes and biases of one’s ethnic group. It gives rise to patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that result in discriminating, minimizing, criticizing, finding fault, invalidating, and hating oneself while simultaneously valuing the dominant culture. To understand one needs to feel, hear and see to know its effects.

:the belief that some races of people are better than others Definitions: Racism: poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race :the belief that some races of people are better than others Discrimination: Act of behaviour that takes the form of verbal or non verbal abuse, graffiti, jokes slurs and physical assault. Is systemic when social and organization structure, policies and practices exclude those who are not part of the dominant culture.