As a part of the citizenship course of, new Canadians are required to replicate a information of Canadian historical past and politics. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

At this important time of confronting systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, the Canadian authorities should take accountability for its enduring function in propagating racism. This consists of by way of its deceptive self-portrayal in Uncover Canada, the official research information for the take a look at taken by Canadian citizenship candidates.

Issued in 2011, the information goals to show potential residents about Canada’s historical past, geography, tradition, and political and justice techniques. Disgracefully, the doc whitewashes colonialism, conceals genocide, minimizes systemic racism and its inhumane penalties, and portrays these as remnants of the previous even because the information itself engages in racist discourse.

We write as ladies school members on the Dalla Lana College of Public Well being, College of Toronto. Our perspective on these points is borne of our shared issues but differing relationships to “Canadian” nationality. Considered one of us is Algonquin (Timiskaming First Nation); one other is a lady of African ancestry, born in “Canada,” surviving transatlantic enslavement; two are new-ish Canadians (white European heritage, from america and South Africa); one other is a everlasting resident from the U.S. (from Venezuela).

Revising the information

Recognizing Uncover Canada’s flaws, the federal government set out in 2016 to take away sure offensive parts, together with the portrayal of immigrants’ “barbaric cultural practices” and the glorification of navy exploits.

A draft shared with The Canadian Press in 2017 included protection of the Reality and Reconciliation Fee’s 2015 report, in addition to dialogue of discrimination in opposition to individuals of racialized backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ individuals and different marginalized communities.

Regardless of an anticipated 2017 launch — throughout Canada’s sesquicentennial — the brand new model, inexplicably, by no means got here to mild.

Citizen disgrace

The information was issued by the Authorities of Canada in 2011.

Outrageously, Uncover Canada remains to be the welcome information for brand new Canadians. Only a few of its shameful parts embrace:

1) It presents a sanitized account of Indigenous Peoples, earlier than and underneath colonization. This erases the historical past and legacy of stolen lands and dispossession, the upheaval of countries, cultural genocide, damaged treaties, assimilation insurance policies corresponding to residential colleges, police and carceral racism, continued heinous residing circumstances on reserves and vastly inequitable well being outcomes.

From the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which states Indigenous persons are sovereign, to the British North America Act of 1867, there isn’t a dialogue of how the Doctrine of Discovery formed the nation. Uncover Canada additionally omits Indigenous individuals’s resistance actions, previous and current, that contest historic and ongoing types of colonialism and oppression.

2) The information celebrates Higher Canada as “the primary province within the Empire to maneuver towards abolition” and as a “secure haven” for enslaved Black individuals escaping america, however there isn’t a point out of Canada’s personal historical past of slavery, nor of the pervasive racist violence and human rights violations confronted by African and Black Canadians. The information’s omission of the Code Noir (1685, revised in 1789) additional erases the truth of policed and enslaved African lives, which included pressured non secular conversion, sanctioned punishment and different brutalities.

This legacy, mixed with successor insurance policies, has generated over-representation of Black and Indigenous kids in foster care and Youngsters’s Support amenities and excessive charges of academic, meals and housing insecurity, all producing worse well being outcomes amongst Black Canadians.

Likewise, anti-Asian racism is roofed solely superficially. The horrendous Komagata Maru occasion is totally missed. The internment of Japanese Canadians in the course of the Second World Warfare is mentioned fleetingly, with no point out of numbers affected (over 22,000), uncompensated liquidation of property, household separation or pressured postwar relocation.

Folks being shipped to Japan are escorted to the immigration constructing in Vancouver circa 1946. Through the Second World Warfare, many Japanese Canadians have been despatched to Japan along with internment camps.

(Hukazawa Ezaki/Nikkei Nationwide Museum)

The information flags authorities apologies however not the racist ideologies and practices justifying such insurance policies. That is the case with anti-Chinese language discrimination, together with the “Head Tax, a race-based entry payment,” and extra not too long ago witnessed in hateful assaults on Asian Canadians throughout each the SARS and COVID-19 pandemics.

3) Amid overwhelming, longstanding proof of systemic police brutality focusing on racialized communities, the information’s use of the phrase, “Keep in mind, the police are there that will help you.” contradicts the on a regular basis actuality of policing for Black, brown and Indigenous peoples. This consists of: repeated situations of violence, racial profiling and harassment in opposition to Black and Indigenous communities; the RCMP’s complicity in lacking and murdered Indigenous ladies and ladies; and grossly disproportional incarceration of Black and Indigenous populations.

4) In discussing the 1982 Constitution of Rights and Freedoms, the information is very selective relating to which rights are acknowledged and emphasised. Whereas the information repeatedly stresses the significance of spiritual freedom, it fails to say equality and non-discrimination as basic rights. This selective presentation of key human rights protections provides potential residents a distorted image of the rights afforded to Canadians.

The information additionally misses the chance to endorse key human rights protections in opposition to racism, that are central to mitigating the consequences of systemic discrimination on individuals’s well-being, monetary safety, schooling and work aspirations.

Moreover ignored are previous and modern insurance policies that undermine the rights of racialized migrant employees. Examples of those teams embrace Black migrants, who traditionally have been solely admitted as home employees or in different menial roles; Filipino employees recruited to be dwelling care aides and private help employees; and Latin American and Caribbean migrant farm employees at this time. Racialized migrants are often denied landed immigrant standing, household reunification, provincial well being protection, unemployment advantages, office protections and different social entitlements and employee protections.

An trustworthy information?

In sum, a substitute citizenship information is lengthy overdue. A brand new information ought to actually additional spotlight working-class struggles pushing Canada’s efforts in realizing rights to well being, schooling and social safety, together with the function of previous age safety pensions in lowering poverty amongst seniors.

Even so, these measures have been markedly scaled again lately, with resultant will increase in poverty. They’ve by no means totally addressed racial, class and gender inequities.

On Might 28, 2019, the Liberal authorities launched a invoice to replace the citizenship oath with regards to Indigenous peoples.

A brand new citizenship information should additionally acknowledge ongoing patterns of institutional oppression if we’re to start to deal with them. Constructing on sources such because the Reality and Reconciliation Fee and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s rulings, a revised citizenship information ought to reaffirm the significance of respecting everybody’s human rights as outlined within the Constitution.

We urge the federal authorities to situation a brand new citizenship information that precisely displays the previous and acknowledges present challenges of redressing systemic racism and pervasive social and financial inequalities. It is a pivotal first step in making certain dignified futures for brand new Canadians, and constructing a society that really fosters fairness, human rights, and social, financial and cultural respect.

Anne-Emanuelle Birn at present receives funding from AMS Healthcare. She has acquired funding from SSHRC, CIHR, NIH, and the Canada Analysis Chairs Program. She is affiliated with the Folks's Well being Motion.

Amaya Perez-Brumer receives funding from SSHRC and NIH.

Angela Mashford-Pringle receives funding from CIHR, SSHRC, eCampus Ontario, Public Well being Company of Canada – CPHO. She is affiliated with Eagle Spirits of the Nice Waters (Mississauga, Ontario) and Neighborhood-Campus Partnerships for Well being (CCPH) in america.

Lisa Forman receives funding from the Canada Analysis Chair program. She has acquired funding from CIHR, IDRC and the European Fee. She is affiliated with the International Well being Regulation Consortium.

Roberta Ok. Timothy doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or group that may profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.