Sifting_Through_the_Layers_An_Innovative_Approach

Sifting
Through the
Layers
An Innovative Approach to
Anti-Racism Education
DVD Resource Package

Sifting Through the Layers
An Innovative Approach to
Anti-Racism Education
DVD Resource Package
Created by:
Youth Against Racism and Voice It!
Produced by:
The Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
Supported by:
Cascadia Counselling Clinic, CineVic Society of Independent
Filmmakers, and Mask Removal Productions
Funded by:
Ministry of Attorney General
BC Anti-Racism and
Multiculturalism Program

Copyright © 2006 by The Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA)
For further information, please contact:
ICA
930 Balmoral Road
Victoria, BC
Canada V8T 1A8
Tel: (250) 388-4728
Fax: (250) 386-4395
admin@icavictoria.org
www.icavictoria.org
ICA is a unique non-profit organization that combines arts and social services to address the
needs of immigrants and to promote the embracing of cultural diversity in our community.
The Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria is a non-profit society that:
encourages sensitivity, appreciation and respect for individuals of all cultures in our changing
community
assists newcomers to settle in the Greater Victoria area and facilitates their inclusion and
full participation in the community
advocates for the human rights of people of all cultures
promotes and produces culturally diverse arts events
ICA values inclusion and respect within a culturally diverse society.
ICA is a registered charitable society. Donations in support of our work are welcome.

Youth Against Racism
Project Team Members:
Inter-Cultural
Association of
Greater Victoria
(ICA):
Suki Athwal
Winnie Chow
Alvaro Moreno
Research
Consultants:
Sandrina de Finney
Veronica Pacini-
Ketchabaw
YAR Theatre Group
Members:
Katia Armstrong
Chelsea Ayotte
Andrew Barsky
Scott Billias
Arberesha Bishaj
Udi Bornovski
Kari Carmel
Marisa Farwell
Jeboah Godron
Louisa Hawkins
Delilah Lazzar
Cassie Leone
Ben Locher
Pia Mena
Gordy Murray
Hilda Paige
Leslie-Ann Paige
Liz Sedova
Lissa Senatus
Chris Sibbald
Genevieve Sneddon
Kylee Thurrott
Li Xie
Sam Zieman
Voice It!
Project Team Members:
Inter-Cultural
Association of
Greater Victoria
(ICA):
Suki Athwal
Alvaro Moreno
CineVic Society of
Independent
Filmmakers:
Kemi Craig
Bryan Skinner
Voice It!
Artists/Filmmakers:
Eva Campbell
Ana de Lara
Adeline Huynh
Dano Underwood

Sifting Through the Layers 5
CONTEXT
Victoria, BC
The capital city of British Columbia is currently on the traditional
territory of the Songhees First Nation and Esquimalt First Nations. In
the past, the lands now known as Victoria were shared by the Lkwungen,
Samish, Klallam, Xwlummi, Sunchathun, and Tsoke First Nations.
At this time, immigration has drawn a smaller percentage of visible
minorities to Victoria (11%) when compared to the larger city centre of
Vancouver (49%). With a high percentage of white European descent
demographics in Victoria, the issue of racism and discrimination is one
that is neither openly discussed nor deconstructed by the mainstream.
There are several factors that compound the unease of talking about
racism. The media portrays racial relations as a black and white issue,
thereby triggering defensive mechanisms between people when discussing
racism. In this society, we all learn that racism is wrong and, therefore,
no one wants to admit that they are racist or their actions are racist.
This compounds the use of defensive mechanisms and makes this topic a
sensitive and uncomfortable one for most people to address.
Based on the shared, lived experiences of the participants in this
project, racism does exist. It is not bullying, it is not because this is the
way people are, and it definitely is not because certain people deserve it.
Through this project, the youth and adult participants were given a space
and a forum to voice their stories so they could address racism in their
communities.
It is important for the reader to understand the racism we are referring
to is more than a black and white issue. It is more than the physical
violence that breaks out from racial confrontations, the use of racial
slurs, and what the media portrays as racism. Racism is rarely identified
as an issue in cases of intercultural conflict; it is most often ignored or
dismissed and treated as irrelevant.
In this project, we explore the systems within which we live that have
continued to perpetuate the cycle of racism since Canada’s colonization.
All the participants learned about colonization from “other” perspectives,
such as local First Nations history from an Indigenous viewpoint, to
counter the European history that is taught in the mainstream education
system. In this resource package, the participants share their anti-
racism realities and experiences.

6 Sifting Through the Layers
INTRODUCTION
“Sifting Through the Layers” is a compilation DVD resource package that
includes a 43-minute video that consists of skits and documentary
footage, four short narrative films, and a facilitator guide. All five films
and the facilitator guide were created by Victoria area youth and adults
to address anti-racism ideas and experiences through their participation
in the Youth Against Racism Project and the Voice It! Project.
The participants deconstructed their lived experiences of racism and
asked the questions “Why is this happening?”, “Who is this protecting?”,
and “What is really the root cause of this experience?” This is the
process of conscientization. Through these projects, the participants
developed a consciousness that not only transformed their personal
reality but also had the power to transform their communities.
Youth Against Racism (YAR) Project
The skits included in the YAR film, which has the same name as this
resource package, “Sifting Through the Layers”, were created by the
youth based on their realities. They were originally performed live at
workshops. The film includes an intro, seven skit segments, and an
interactive exercise. Each segment consists of one skit (or a group of
skits that explore similar themes) followed by documentary footage of
youth expressing their views or sharing stories based on some of the
themes presented in the skit.
The film, “Sifting Through the Layers”, was created entirely by youth
from the “Youth Against Racism” theatre group, which is based out of the
Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria. The group is made up of
First Nations, immigrant, refugee, Canadian-born, and mixed race youth
of colour and white youth. They created the skits based on their
collective realities and began facilitating critical anti-racism workshops
at schools, conferences, universities, and community agencies. The youth
decided to create a film in response to the demand for their workshops
from various communities in BC and Canada. They felt that a DVD
resource package would help make their workshops and learning more
accessible to a wider audience. Group members learned to use video
equipment and were involved in all aspects of production and editing over
a period of approximately five weekends.

Voice It! Project
This “Sifting Through the Layers” DVD resource package also includes
four short films created by local First Nation, immigrant, and visible
minority adult artists, as well as brief write-ups about each film that
include some themes and possible discussion questions. The four short
films were produced in partnership with CineVic Society of Independent
Filmmakers as part of the Voice It project, which gave local artists the
training and tools necessary to create films that innovatively explore
their anti-racism ideas and experiences. Artists attended anti-racism and
filmmaking workshops and then formed their own crews and project
teams to produce their short films. These entertaining and thought-
provoking films are entitled: “Routes”, “Sticks and Stones”, “An Other
Western”, and “First Winter Last”.
Before You Start
Although the DVD can be watched in its entirety, it is highly
recommended that each skit segment and short film be followed by an
opportunity for discussion and activities. The facilitator guide is designed
to assist educators by providing a summary of some themes and possible
discussion questions for each DVD segment. Neither the themes nor
discussion questions are exhaustive and they are intended to provide a
starting point only.
The skits and short films can be viewed in any order, either individually
or combined with other skits, films and activities to explore a variety of
topics.
The guide also includes a “Youth Zine” component where some YAR
theatre group members share their thoughts, poems, rants, and
reflections on a wide variety of topics. Biographies of some of the youth
are also included, as are definitions of terminology. These materials are
also available on the ICA website at www.icavictoria.org. Please feel free
to use these materials to supplement the DVD.
The purpose of this DVD and guide is to provide educators with creative
tools to stimulate discussion about, and promote examination of, topics
such as systemic racism, colonization, white privilege, cultural
appropriation, identity, post 9/11 realities, and much more. This package
is suitable for use with youth and adults in a variety of classes and
settings.
Enjoy!

Youth Against Racism Theatre Group
Voice It! Project Team

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Youth Against Racism Film Segments
Intro/Sound Familiar?......................................................................... 11
Whose Story?........................................................................................ 12
Nude Means White?............................................................................. 14
Ignorance is Bliss (3 skits)……………………………………………………………… 16
Got Culture?........................................................................................... 18
Not So Great Expectations (5 skits)……………………………………….…... 20
The Power of Judgement……………………………………………………………...... 21
What’s in Your Backpack? (Interactive activity)…………………..…… 22
Voice It! Short Films
“Routes” by Eva Campbell…………………………………………………………........ 26
“Sticks and Stones” by Dano Underwood…………………………………….. 27
“An Other Western” by Adeline Huynh…………………………………………28
“First Winter Last” by Ana de Lara………………………………………………. 29
Youth Zine……………………………………………………………………………..……........ 31
Definitions………………………………………………………….....…………………...…….. 49

INTRO/SOUND FAMILIAR?
Background
This short audio clip is based on two of the first skits the youth created,
“Sound Familiar?” and “Labels”. The comments and slurs are typical of
those the YAR members have heard in their communities. The youth
intentionally wanted a blank screen so viewers are left to visualize
whatever images the phrases evoke for them. The clip is followed by
three youth expressing their definitions of racism.
Please note that this segment was not originally intended to have follow-
up discussion, although you may want to include some introductory
questions to explore the group’s understanding of racism and to address
any reactions the group members had in response to hearing the slurs.
Some Common Responses
Laughter has been a typical response at many workshops when the
youth performed these skits.
Some viewers also displayed extreme discomfort at hearing many of
the comments and found the topic difficult to talk about.
Possible Discussion Questions
1. Do any of these comments sound familiar?
2. Where have you heard these comments?
3. Why do you think people laugh when they hear
some of the comments?
4. How do you define racism?
5. Do you think there is racism in your
school/workplace/community?
6. What types of racism exist in your community?
In Canada?
7. Can you think of examples of racism you have
seen or heard about?
8. What will you do when you hear a racist
joke/comment/slur?

WHOSE STORY?
Background
This skit deals with issues including, but not limited to:
Systemic racism
European-centred school curriculum in social studies classes. This
also extends to other subjects such as science classes (i.e. the
scientific method is a very western methodology and it is the
primary, if not only, one taught in Canadian schools)
Colonization
Representation and stereotypes of First Nations people and non-
British settlers/immigrants in Canadian context (non-representation,
under-representation, and “typical” ways of representing)
People as “experts” on (assumed) country of ancestry
Mixed race youths’ experiences
Immigration policies regarding skilled workers
ESL student experiences
Lack of relevance of school curriculum to the realities of many youth
•“We do learn about First Nations
people in school.” You can follow up by
asking what is taught about First
Nations people/history, in what
context, beginning at what point in
history, etc. It is also worth noting that
some teachers make an effort to
represent elements of colonization
more accurately and this is often done
because of their own initiative.
•“I don’t think that teacher is very
realistic.” The youth purposely made
this teacher quite superficial and
realize that not all social studies
teachers act this way. That said, they
have come across teachers who have
said many of the lines in the skit.

1. What did you see happening in this skit?
2. Does this skit seem real?
3. Can you relate to any of the characters in this skit?
4. What do you think this skit is about?
5. Why were the students upset, angry, or frustrated?
6. Why do you think none of the students said anything out loud?
7. What are some examples of society’s “systems”?
8. How would you define “systemic racism”?
9. Why do you think we don’t learn about systemic racism?
10. Have you ever tried to bring up these types of issues in the classroom
or workplace? What types of responses have you received?
11. Would you bring up these types of issues in the classroom/workplace?
12. How would you bring up these types of issues in the
classroom/workplace or with your friends/colleagues/parents?
13. What would you say if you were in the skit and could speak up?

NUDE MEANS WHITE?
Background
Systemic racism
White privilege
Media
Consumerism and marketing
Representation of visible minorities in the Canadian context and
western media (non-representation, under-representation, and
“typical” ways of representation)
Beauty
Self image
Power (even in relationships between two good friends)
“There is make-up for dark people, too.” You can follow up by
exploring how the production compares to light make-up (quantity,
price, lack of many darker shades, etc).
“More stuff is made for white people because there are more white
people buying things here.” You can explore how white people are not
numerically dominant on a global scale, yet band-aids in Africa are
still white-skin toned. Also, you can explore why there are more
white people in Canada (i.e. Chinese Head Tax, other discriminatory
immigration policies, genocide of indigenous people). You can also
explore distribution of wealth.
You may want to explore the issue of consumerism and corporate
efforts to reach the non-white consumer by including some visible
minority models in their marketing campaigns. Many of these non-
white models tend to have very white facial features and lighter skin
except when used in an “exotic” context.

4. What do you think this skit is about?
5. How were the girls in this skit feeling?
6. Why was the one character upset?
7. Why do you think one friend is so oblivious to the other’s feelings?
8. What could either of the girls have said or done to make the situation
better?
11. How would you define “white privilege”?
12. Why do you think we don’t learn about systemic racism and white
privilege?
13. Where else do you see examples of systemic racism and white
privilege?
14. How do you see this type of racism happening in your day-to-day life?
15. How are visible minorities portrayed in the media (TV, movies, etc)?
16. How do you feel about the way visible minorities are portrayed in the
media?
17. How do you define beauty? How would you describe a “beautiful”
person?
18. What does the word “nude” mean?

IGNORANCE IS BLISS
Background
This skit resulted from audience responses to the skit, “Whose Story?”
After performing “Whose Story?”, the youth were often asked why the
students in that skit didn’t speak up. After discussing this question, the
youth decided to recreate actual scenarios from classes where they did
speak up to illustrate the responses they received.
These three skits deal with issues including, but not limited to:
Systemic racism
European-centred school curriculum in social studies classes. This
also extends to other subjects such as science classes (i.e. the
scientific method is a very western methodology and it is the
primary, if not only, one taught in Canadian schools)
How teachers/authority figures often deal with issues of racism
How schools/teachers/guidance counsellors deal (or don’t deal) with
racism
Biases in curriculum and textbooks
Internalized racism
Racism within groups
Mixed race realities
“I don’t think the teachers or guidance counsellor are very realistic.”
The youth realize that not all teachers and counsellors are like this.
That said, the examples in these skits came directly from the
youths’ lives where actual teachers and counsellors said the very
lines spoken by the teachers and counsellor in the skit.
“Our school doesn’t have racism because we’re a very diverse
school.” You can explore the broader definition of racism and the
ways in which systemic racism is prevalent in all schools.

1. What did you see happening in these skits?
2. Do these skits seem real?
3. Can you relate to any of the characters in these skits?
4. What do you think these skits are about?
5. Have you ever tried to bring up these types of issues in the classroom
or workplace? What types of responses have you received?
6. Would you bring up these types of issues in the classroom/workplace?
7. How would you bring up these types of issues in the
classroom/workplace or to your friends/colleagues/parents?
8. Do people think racism exists at your school/workplace?
9. Why do people hesitate to bring up issues of racism in the
school/workplace?
10. How does your school/workplace deal with issues of racism?
11. Is bullying in schools a form of racism?

GOT CULTURE?
Background
Based on responses to date, this skit continually proves to be one of the
most challenging skits for audiences. It is often met with a great deal of
frustration, defensiveness, aggression, mocking, and confusion.
Cultural appropriation
White privilege
Internalized racism
Colonialism
“This is stupid. What am I supposed to do—ask every person in a
different culture for their approval before I even get dressed in
the morning?”
“I really don’t get it. Isn’t it more racist not to share things from
other cultures?”
“It’s totally fair to share things from cultures that we like.”
“Don’t we all do this?”
“This is stupid. It’s not my fault that I’m white.”
“Isn’t it the artist’s role to push boundaries and educate people?”
“What if one person gives you something as a gift but someone else
from that culture is offended? What am I supposed to do then?”
“There seems to be a double standard because immigrants get to
share our culture when they move to Canada but then they’re
offended when we ask about their cultures.”
“It bothers me that people always act like white people don’t have
any culture.”

Some things that have helped the youth facilitators deal with these
questions and comments include the following:
The goal of this skit is to raise awareness about the privilege
associated with cultural appropriation so people think about it and
make their own decisions accordingly.
Acknowledge that this is a challenging topic and that there is no
rule book.
Differentiate between receiving a gift and taking something.
Address the persecution that has occurred/occurs when people of
colour practice some cultural traditions that are considered cool
when appropriated by the dominant group (i.e. an elderly Indian
woman wearing an Indian outfit or a bindi is not considered cool and
is still met with racist slurs).
Explore perspectives (i.e. what is sacred to one person is
considered art by another).
Acknowledge that it is likely that you will always offend someone
and that the offended person has a right to feel offended. It isn’t
about pleasing everyone.
Acknowledge that some ceremonies/items are part of more than
one culture/religion and have different meanings in each one.
Allow plenty of time for follow up.
1. What is the point of this skit?
3. How do you define “cultural appropriation”?
4. What are some examples of cultural appropriation?
5. What are some examples of cultural appropriation in your life?
6. Will this skit alter the way you make any decisions in your life? If so,
how? If not, why not?
7. What impact do globalization, communication technology, and global
media have on cultural appropriation?

NOT SO GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Background
These five skits deal with issues including, but not limited to:
Stereotypes
White privilege
Media
“typical” ways of representing)
Beauty and self image
Internalized racism
Power (even in relationships between two good friends)
Peer pressure
Family expectations/pressure
Maintaining aspects of culture
Sex
The slumming comment in the third skit can be used to initiate a
discussion around the power dynamics between the friends, white
privilege, and cultural appropriation.
The final two skits often elicit a reaction from youth who may be
dealing with interracial dating and family expectations. Depending on
the comfort and safety of the group, youth will talk in either lots or
very little detail about the topic of interracial dating.
1. What did you see happening in these
skits?
2. Do these skits seem real?
3. Can you relate to any of the characters in
these skits?
4. Why do you think the “slumming” comment
isn’t addressed in skit #3?
5. Do you think one friend has more power
than the other in skit #3? Who? Why?
6. Do you think there’s a difference between
interracial friendships and dating?
7. How is premarital sex viewed in different
cultures?

THE POWER OF JUDGEMENT
Background
Post 9/11 realities
White privilege
Media
Markers other than race (accents, clothing, etc—things that make it
easier for some to blend into mainstream society than others)
Fear of the unknown/fear of the “other”
Internalized racism
The role of the media in portraying Muslims since 9/11
Referral to a counsellor as the default/standardized/recommended
solution
People often have a hard time discussing this skit because there is
fear of being politically incorrect or being perceived as someone who
is racist.
This skit can lead to a discussion examining many current events
including the invasion and occupation of Iraq, recent global riots and
unrest, views on the U.S., terrorism, “homegrown” terrorism, media
portrayal of these events, etc.
4. What are the issues in this skit?
5. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Muslim”?
6. What are the stereotypes of Muslims?
7. How can you counteract these stereotypes?
8. What are other markers/things that are associated with various
groups of people?

WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKPACK?
Background
This activity is designed for audience participation. It is based on Peggy
McIntosh’s article, “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”. A more extensive
list can also be found at
seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~mcisaac/emc598ge/Unpacking.html
This skit/exercise deals with issues including, but not limited to:
White privilege
Systemic racism
Media
Stereotypes
Consumerism and marketing
“typical” ways of representing)
“What am I supposed to do? Give every Asian I see $5 and tell them
I’m sorry?” Guilt. The youth make a point not to indulge in guilt when
facilitating workshops. If it comes up, they usually tell the audience
members that guilt is a chosen emotion and they have a choice to
either stay stuck in it or move past it.
“More stuff is made for white people because there are more white
people buying things here.” You can explore how white people are not
numerically dominant on a global scale, yet band-aids in Africa are
still white-skin toned. Also, you can explore why there are more
white people in Canada (i.e. Chinese Head Tax, other discriminatory
immigration policies, genocide of indigenous people). You can also
explore distribution of wealth.
“White people aren’t really dominant in the world. There are more
coloured people.” or “When I’m traveling in Japan, I’m the minority.”
You can explore the broader definition of “dominant”. When we use
the phrase “dominant group”, we don’t always mean numerically. We
are referring to power, influence, etc.

1. What did you think about the activity?
2. How did you feel when you did this activity?
3. How would you define “white privilege”?
6. Why do you think white privilege goes unnoticed?
7. Why do you think we don’t learn about systemic racism and white
privilege?
8. Where else do you see examples of systemic racism and white
privilege?
9. Why are white people the dominant group in Canada?
10. How does the media affect our lives?
11. How are visible minorities portrayed in the media (TV, movies, etc)?
12. Is there anything you can do to change systemic racism? If so, what?
If not, why?
13. Who is responsible for addressing systemic racism in Canada?
14. What factors, in addition to race, affect the level of privilege of
individuals?

Voice It! Short Films
“Routes” by Eva Campbell
“Sticks and Stones” by Dano Underwood
“An Other Western” by Adeline Huynh
“First Winter Last” by Ana de Lara

ROUTES (by Eva Campbell)
In the director’s own words:
Background
This short film deals with issues including:
Colonialism
Stereotypes and Representation
Racialization
Identity and art as a means of expressing identity
Black history in Canada and in Victoria
Alienation
Community
Subjectivities of “othered” people
Immigration and finding one’s position in a new country
Constructedness of Victoria as a part of “Olde Englande” as well as
constructions about people of colour in Victoria
Some Symbolism Used
Colour: red dominates the imagery in the film as a reference to the use
of red in most of my paintings. Red to me is symbolic of the body, earth,
blood/family, and life.
White: there is a flash of white after the image of Queen Victoria. This
and the white mug may refer to constructions of whiteness. The
tea/coffee in the mug adds colour to the white. I used this imagery
because of the associations of tea and coffee with plantations in places
like the Caribbean, particularly in the context of colonialism. The coffee
in the white mug also refers to deconstructing whiteness in Victoria.
The airport, passport, sea: travel, immigration, visas, also metaphors
for personal journeys of discovering one’s identity.
The cemetery: history, ancestry, connections to the past.
The boy and the father: future, community, family, the present reality
of the living black community in contrast to the past represented by the
cemetery, hope.
Eyes and faces: the gaze, returning the gaze, agency, and empowerment
through the gaze.
1. Are you familiar with the history of immigration to Canada?
2. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “colonization”?
3. What does “whiteness” mean to you?
5. Who benefits from leaving out the histories/stories of Indigenous,
Asian, Black peoples of North America? Of BC? Of Victoria?

STICKS AND STONES (by Dano Underwood)
Background
Overt racism
How racism and sports can feed off one another
Colonization
Learned attitudes
Stereotypes
Some Symbolism Used
Black and white film style: a question comes to mind, “How far have we
come since the 1920s?”
Scoreboard: The game starts very politically correct and as pressures
increase, so does the censorship of people’s real thoughts and words.
**Please Note: It may be helpful to pause the film to point out the
definition and origin of lacrosse, as well as the terms on the scoreboard.
1. What do you think is the main message in this video?
2. Can you identify cases of racism in other sports?
3. Does the film seem real to you? (Note: this film depicts actual events)
4. How realistic are the representations of racism in this video?
5. What is the role of leaders in society (in this case, the 2 coaches) in
promoting racism or anti-racism?
6. How much do you know about First Nations history in North America?
Canada? BC? Victoria?

AN OTHER WESTERN (by Adeline Huynh)
Background
Doubleness of identity (Asian-Canadian identity)
Cultural colonization
Master cowboys & indians narrative—how it is used to subjugate
Indigenous peoples in North America and beyond (including colonial
language used during the Vietnam war by American military and
policy-makers)
The hidden/lost stories of Indigenous peoples of North America,
Black peoples, Asian peoples, etc
Whiteness vs. Others (is this a useful binary?)
Some Symbolism Used
What qualities/characteristics do the following words often encompass?
Cowboys Indians the Wild West
the Orient Chinaman Whiteness
1. What does it mean to have a hyphenated identity (eg Asian-Canadian)?
2. How are cowboys and indians icons in North American society? In
other societies/cultures? What images/symbols do they represent?
3. What does “whiteness” mean to you?
4. What does it mean to be an “Other”?
5. Who benefits from leaving out the histories/stories of Indigenous,
Asian, Black peoples of North America? Of BC? Of Victoria?
6. Can a Vietnamese Grandpa be a cowboy? Why or why not?

FIRST WINTER LAST (by Ana de Lara)
Background
Awakening to racism
Long term effects of racism
Stereotypes
Racialization
Overt racism
Identity
Immigration and settlement
Alienation
Some Symbolism Used
Winter: Cold can be anger. Frozenness is also the static society that
white people wish to keep in place to keep newcomers and change out.
The dead crow: Death of old life (culture, language, friendships,
identity). Journey unwillingly taken. Children and the society whose minds
are frozen in place.
“Fragments of Black”: Minority in a white society. Being out of place.
Foreign. Not belonging.
Running theme of protection: Boxed body. White armored. Skin coated.
Learned protection. Protection from “foreign” elements.
Immigration: The gauge for the quality of life.
Colonization/War: American involvement in the Philippines.
Ignorance: On both sides. Learned ignorance from Grandmother.
White power: External: Height, size compared to telephone poles.
Universal Language: Hatred needs no translation.
1. What do you see as the main message in this video?
2. Have you ever felt out of place or like you didn’t belong?
3. Is peer pressure a factor in name-calling? How so?
4. How do you define racism?
5. What are some examples of systems?
6. Do you think there is racism in your
school/workplace/community/family etc?

FIRST WINTER LAST (Poem text by Ana de Lara)
our paths your last journey
crossed my first
long ago
when i was we both arrived
a child
strange
a newcomer how we met
to the True North
in the Philippines
i came upon my grandmother
your flightless corpse a war widow
held still swooning
in winter’s arms from the pillow talk
of an American veteran pension
fragments told me
of black "White people are as tall
in the icy calm as telephone poles”
your last winter they were not
my first much taller than i
when they marched by
i arrived shooting
you left “chink”
“chink”
strange like metal spit balls
how we met
a foreign sound
i dreamed to my ears and tongue
for you but not to my heart
a warmer
burial hatred
through needs no translation
the gentle shade
of banana leaves their wet bullets
smacked my flesh
obedient hands
haul my blood hurt
your boxed body
i searched for solace
trailed in your frigid eyes
by black veils but you were static
damp with sorrow like the land
trailed frozen
by curious eyes
quietly questioning a sleeping sentry
the journeys white armored
we unwillingly take
your slumber
yours my awakening
mine
my first winter
death your last
as certain
as my father my skin
and mother’s still coated
judgment in their slobbery laughter
of a better life

Our Voices
Our Truths
Our Stories

Leslie-Ann Paige12 years old. I like to play basketball (even
though i'm no good at it!) and .... i like to do
lots of other stuff just can't think of them at
the moment. I joined YAR at first because it
sounded interesting and i guess i just
wanted to check it out. So yeah, this is my
2nd year at YAR.
Residential Schools
"It's in the past. FORGET ABOUT IT!"
Why? Why should I forget about it? Yes, it is in the past but why should I forget
about it? It killed off a lot of my people and the survivors were scarred for life,
which led them down a road of drugs, alcohol and basic addictions. What people
don't understand is that, from what I know, healing for such a traumatic crime runs
through generations. Generations of women and men, who don't know what to do
and who they are.
The whole point of residential schools was to strip First Nation peoples of their
identity by denying us our language and banning us from practicing our traditions.
People are still trying to revive what has been lost spiritually. Relatives and loved
ones were killed. It's only natural that you are lost in life. So why should I forget
about it? When my family members are going through hard times (which affect me
too) and these hard times are directly linked to residential schools. Then it affects
me. Even though I was not born in the 60’s, I am impacted by the family members
in my life who were part of the 60's Scoop (or some other heinous crime by
European settlers A.K.A. the government, that affected my people).
The “Sixties Scoop” happened from the 1960s until the 1980s when the highest
numbers of adoptions took place because native children were literally scooped
from their homes and communities. Without even the consult of parents, family
members or bands/tribes! They were then placed in white communities or foster
care outside either their home community, province or country.
It affects me directly if I see people who I love going through pain because of
addictions to drugs or alcohol, so why should I forget about it?

Leslie’s Speech
Today I am going to talk to you about racism. Did you know that the last residential school closed in 1996? If you don’t know
what a residential school is, then don’t worry, I’ll tell you later. I will be mainly talking about Systemic Racism and touch on
White Privilege. Just so you know, residential schools tie in with systemic racism. Now that you know that fact, you won’t be
thinking that all these residential school facts came from some random pocket of space, it actually has something to do with
racism.
Firstly, I’ll talk to you about White Privilege. Do any of you guys know what white privilege is? White Privilege is basically free
“perks” that white people have and well….don’t deserve.
Now, I’m going to tell you guys some stuff on Systemic Racism. Systemic Racism is racism to do with systems. One good example
of systemic racism is the government. Now what does the government have to do with systemic racism you ask? Well, many
things actually. One example is how the government has some sort of power in what gets put in the textbooks you use in school
everyday and they can make it biased. “Biased” means that a situation is only seen by one point of view. So many of the
textbooks we use are biased, especially when it comes to First Nations issues and history.
Another good example of systemic racism is the media. Have you noticed that most of the T.V shows you watch have mostly white
people for actors? Or, if you ever see say….a black person on T.V they are usually portrayed as a gangster? Yes, some black people
can be gangsters but that doesn’t mean that all of them are. Have you ever seen a native person like me on popular T.V shows or
movies? Also, have you ever noticed that practically the only time native people get mentioned on T.V is on Thanksgiving? Even
then it is usually casually slipped in, in some form of joke on a comedy-show.
Now, I am going to talk to you about residential schools. Residential schools are part of my rant on systemic racism. So, I’m not
done yet! Now, I’ll tell you what residential schools are. Residential schools were/are schools that basically taught native children
to act more “white”. Which must’ve been pretty hard since how do you “act more white”? You got me. Indian Residential
Schools were run by both Catholic and Protestant Churches. The last federally run residential school, the Gordon Residential
School in Saskatchewan, closed in 1996.
Before that, the government made it mandatory for Indian Residential School attendance. Some parents (mostly ones from high
status families) didn’t allow their children to go to these schools. Therefore, most of the students that went were either from low
status families, orphans or were sick children. There, the children were abused and punished for the most ridiculous things like
Indian dancing or “talking Indian”. Which is how a lot of the language was lost.
The educational historian, Jean Barman has, I think, wisely stated, “While teachers and administrators of good will were able to
relieve the worst aspects of the system for their pupils, all of the individual good will in the world could not have rescued a
system that was so fundamentally flawed.” The government’s stated goal of the Indian Residential School program was to “Kill
the Indian, Save the Man.” It turned out to be approximately a 100 year program that killed half of the children taken there and
scarred the survivors for life.
Because children in residential schools were never parented, they never learned how to become parents themselves, which today
is a big issue in the native community. During this destruction of the native communities, the government didn’t initiate an
apology until 1991 to the First Nations People of Canada. Now that pretty much wraps up my speech, so I hope you learned
something about racism anyways! Thank- you for listening.

SCOTT BILLIAS
AGE: 17
Born and brought up in Tokyo Japan, then at the age of
5 schlepped across the globe and tossed into the fray in
North America. I have lived in Victoria now for about 8
years, having also lived in California and for a brief
time in Salvador, Brazil as part of an interchange
with cisv.org.
My experience with YAR has been impeccably thought
provoking liberating because I’ve been exposed to all these
realities that I had either ignored or tried to deny before. I
feel like i’ve made a definite connection with the other
members since it takes a lot of courage to share these
uncomfortable and sometimes painful experiences with a group. even if we aren’t friends
for life, i know we at least have a mutual understanding that we acknowledge
and respect each other’s turmoil, and are all hoping for better circumstances . plus it’s
difficult not to get closer when you’re spending 9 hours of a day in the same room
filming a movie!
Message to the world: you have the right to knowledge, empower yourselves. have no
shame. place no blame. never do anything halfheartedly cause you might live to regret it.
Outside, the wind howls, carrying with it the agonizing moans from the land of a thousand tears,
countless fears, and a steady stream of malicious jeers. Opportunities to reveal a hidden empathy are
discarded due to a petrifying uncertainty that overwhelms our conviction and renders us devoid of any
ability to connect with one another. Many suffer, few notice, even fewer care.
Those who resort to diabolical cunning will win the upper hand in any particular affair they choose. But
have they no perception of what they forfeit in the process? Power and wealth can evaporate like so many
summer dew drops, but the trust and respect of your peers is something that can not be bought back, even
by the most opulent princes. Nor can it be stolen, even by the most adept jewel thief. Once lost, it is gone
forever. Study not the ways of the wicked, for theirs is a fate deserved by few but chosen by many. Those
who are pleased by the pathos of our fellow companions really only hurt themselves. Call it karma. Call it
Newton's Third Law of physics. But the simple truth is that aggressive force cannot be used to bend a
situation in your favour. No matter how hard you push, an object will always push back. The reciprocal
return of the dispersed energy is not always immediate, but there definitely is a balance that seems always
to restore itself. And besides, it’s pretty clear to see when someone is trying to scamper to the top by
constantly shoving everyone else down. Maybe there will come a time when the entire world can live in
lasting peace, perhaps not. Regardless of the outcome, we cannot give up hope or pretend we have no
responsibility in the preservation and maintenance of humanity. If we leave our species to their own
devices, our planet is sure to plummet into the utter anarchy of blissful destruction.

It seems so silly
All this fuss about skin
When really, we’re mostly the same within.
Where does heritage end and the person begin?
Who is immune to the warmth of a grin?
True friends have a way to heal and console
Making a desperate situation much more comfortable.
A heart feels content when its stomach is full.
But nobody’s life is predictable.
When the rain falls, it doesn’t fall on one house only.
Even the finest succumb to hatred and greed.
There is no single person who has never been lonely
Or taken something that they really don’t need.
Everything eventually will crumble to ash,
Then transmute to a magnificent phoenix.
And the painful remembrance which lingers in past
Will cause you to reach for the Kleenex.
On this stage of life, each performer plays their role
There is a reason for every face.
Body no more than container for soul,
Sharing a stone sphere floating through space.
If all you see is colour, you are so blind.
Trapped inside the prison of your own mind.
Judge a man by his word, and a book not by cover,
And treat every human like you would any other.

Cassie Leone
12 years old, Cree Nation,
soccer extraordinaire, who
enjoys playing guitar, joined
YAR because she likes to have
discussions about racism and
likes hearing other people's
opinions and experiences.
"Yes I'm native, and yes my life is like yours.”
When people find out I'm part Native, they assume I do the typical "Native“ things. Yeah I've been to pow-wows and I've
smudged but that's not the every day story for me. I go out and play soccer, I go to dances, I go home and do my hobbies like
play guitar. I hang out with my friends and I go on the computer on msn. I don't paint my face or wear a feather in my hair.
It's all these stereotypes that make people think I'm one thing, when I'm really not. They just assume I would act different at
home than I do around my friends. When I don't tell people what race I am and they find out later, they ask, "Why didn't you
tell me you were Native?" I'm not just going to say “and by the way I'm Native.” They think I'm hiding my race and they
automatically assume I'm also hiding what I do in my culture. When we talk about Native history in socials class, and they
wonder why I get a C+. They think just because I'm Native, I'man expert on the history.
RACISM
The times I think of all of those people of
different colours and different backgrounds.
Made fun of for who they are
and they stood by and took the
pain of Racism and nothing’s done about it.
Like swimming under water out of air you
cannot breathe.
Or left alone where you don’t want to be.
The stuff that will ruin your day when you
wake up. And we all get fed up with so I
ask you this: is it worth making someone
feel bad so you can feel good? Me, I don't
think so.
Don't be Racist. Thanks.
Gordy Murray
His friends call him “G” for
short. He is a gamer, Xbox,
CPU, puzzler and all that.
He drinks tea four times a
week. So now u no me.

Lissa Senatus
14 year old attending Spectrum
Community School in Victoria, BC.
She moved from Haiti when she was
four and a half years old. She enjoys
hanging with friends and family,
beading, and listening to music.
I Wish I had your Skin
I find it funny how I have a lot of friends and a lot of people love my skin colour because it is dark and it is different and it is
beautiful. They spend a lot of time and money and many hours to get their skin half the colour as mine. I always think about this
when I flip through magazines and never see anyone that looks like me and watch TV and never see anyone that looks like me and
when they do look like me, they are playing the gangster or the scum of the town. I always find this funny, how it is a flip. How one
minute they can tell me I’m beautiful and the next minute slap me with a racist joke, or say that I’m supposed to be “ghetto”, or that
it is so funny that I am so “white”. I just don’t understand. How do I act so “white”? I just do what I’ve been taught to do, and say
what my family teaches me to say. So yeah, I don’t live in the hood, and my parents aren’t black and I almost feel like I need to be
blacker than I am. I feel like I need to be the gangster, bullet popping person that everyone assumes that I am. I feel like I have to be
talking slang and be a bully that everyone assumes that I am and then go home and be who I truly am. The problem is that I don’t
even know the slang other than the stuff that goes around school. I don’t know anything more than that. So I feel at a loss, people
say when I use slang that “I’m so great, I love having a black friend, I get to learn so much”. Then that gets me wondering if they
are friends with me just because I’m black. If I was white, would they not like me? These are the things that come to mind for me,
everyday when I walk down the street with people looking at me. I guess I kinda stand out. I feel weird all the time because I don’t
know what they are thinking about. I don’t know, this is the life of a minority I guess.
People also say that my skin is so soft compared to theirs. I had a girlfriend who told me she touched the skin of this other black guy
at our school and she said that he had soft skin too. Then she said, “What is up with black people having soft skin?” I don’t
necessarily think it is our generation or our skin colour. I use cream on my skin so it doesn’t look chalky. It is frustrating living and
standing out a lot but there is nothing much I can do about it and sometimes I find myself getting really tired when I have to stand
up and stick up for myself and half the time, I don’t even bother. I just let them say all these racist comments and have them walk all
over me but what the hell am I supposed to do about it?
When I say something is racist, and they ask me “how is this racist?” I don’t have the words to name it, or when I do explain it, they
say they don’t understand. I wish I could go somewhere else, say maybe Toronto, even Vancouver, somewhere that I am not the only
black female in my school. There is a difference between a black male and a black female. It is almost if one is idolized more than the
other at school.
I also noticed at school that all the Indian students hang out with Indian students, the white people hang out with everybody and the
Asians hang out with Asians. But I don’t have anywhere to go, so I just hang around my white friends. I also have friends from
different cultures, but after being in YAR, I’ve been observing things and people. What I see is the world is a pretty racist place. I
guess you have to decipher what you are going to do with what you see.

Li Xie
14 years old
I was born in a typical Asian family in southern China. At
age one, I was brought to the Tibetan Plateau, where my mom
is from. I lived with my grandparents for two years until
my parents moved to Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, a
city full of skyscrapers. I have lived in many places and
find myself similar to my family ancestors, who migrated
from place to place during Qing Dynasty.
I came to Canada on June 7, 2004 and started my long term
plan for access to the best university in North America.
I like to play soccer and was on the school team for most of the years. I am also good
at playing piano and have won numerous prizes in city and provincial competitions
before I came to Canada. In China, I have a big collection of Italian handcrafted model
cars, valuable coins, and CDs. I am also a fan of computer games such as Red Alert,
Need for Speed, and FIFA. In my spare time, I always like to learn about Chinese
naval history.
In YAR, I had discussions with many interesting people. I liked to listen to other
people’s ideas and experiences and, slowly, my understanding of racism has
developed in my mind. We have to learn the fact that racism is still around us but
sometimes we see racism without noticing it. This includes when we watch TV, read
fashion magazines, and talk to other people.
I also realized that people tend to make wrong stereotypes of other races and they all
come from our media. Also, racism could be between, or even within, any races. We
are youths, a young and powerful group. We are the future of the world. We must
realize that everyone can make a difference and, one day, racism will be totally
eliminated.
Canadian History and Racism
Before I came to Canada, I read many books about the Canadian history. In those
days, I did not have many thoughts because I did not really care about Canada
(apparently because it was hard to hear Canada’s voice on TV because the U.S.
was always speaking loudly). And then I joined the “Youth Against Racism”
group and took part in lots of discussions about different issues including “the real
Canadian history”. I started questioning and denying “the Canadian history” I
had read in those books…
European Canadians wrote those books. The content of the books were very
similar. The authors usually spent one page to talk about the native Canadians

(and sometimes the Vikings) at the beginning of the book. Then they would spend
numerous pages to talk about the white history: the “great forefathers” of Canada,
the fur trade with the natives, the competition for land between the British and
French Empires and how the British had won the battle on the Plains of
Abraham… After that they talked a lot about the confederation and the
development after the Second World War. One of the books had talked about
Canadian foods including food brought by the European settlers and “ethnic
foods” including Chinese, Greek and Italian food. After hearing about many racist
facts that happened in the Canadian history, I totally disagree with those authors
for not writing them in their books. Of course they all know those facts but why
did they try to make the Canadian history “prettier” by ignoring them? And is
that what a historian is supposed to do? These questions bothered me for a long
time.
Like the U.S., Canada also has its own history of racism. It probably started when
the first Europeans landed on the east coast. In the Canadian history, racism had
happened to and between many different races and it had different reasons and
purposes and the First Nations and immigrants from different places such as East
Europe, Scandinavia, China and Japan had suffered from racism. But I’ve never
seen this in those books. I was tired of hearing the names of the “forefathers of the
country” such as General James Wolfe, Alexander Mackenzie, William Leon
Mackenzie and Sir John A. Macdonald, but I never heard any names of the
Ukrainian farmers or Chinese railroad builders in those books.
Today, most of the Canadian history books have not told the whole Canadian
history, this includes the school textbooks. This is not what we want because we
can move forward only if we use our history as a mirror, find out the mistakes
we’ve made, and try to prevent it in the future. Racism had happened in Canada in
the past, and today, most of the Canadians think racism doesn’t exist in Canada
anymore. But it still does, racism still does exist.
Systemic racism exists in many places around us, although we don’t always see it.
We can easily find systemic racism in movies, magazines and television programs.
If you open a magazine, you will find that most of the models are white, and the
makeup products in the advertisements don’t match dark skins, but they say that
their products “match YOUR skin”. In a white-dominated society like Canada,
white is considered “normal” and the standard.
We have to understand the fact that today’s Canada is still a racist country. Why
do English people make fun of French people? Why do people and the government
always ignore First Nations? Why do highly educated immigrants have to study
from the beginning again in order to qualify for a job in Canada? I think it’s the
time to deal with these issues seriously and we are the generation to do that.

Katia Armstrong
Katia was adopted from Haiti at 23 months. Before she
was adopted her name was Joy. She loves music and
singing. She also likes to sew and hopes to get into the
fashion business, whether it’s make up or hair design, as
long as it has to do with fashion. She joined Youth
against Racism at the beginning of this year. Last year
she saw the group perform and all her life she wanted to
stop people from being racist but did not know how. She
learned that you can’t make people stop but you can let
them know how it affects you and hope that they will
think before they say racial slurs, or try to encourage
their friends not to.
My Truth
Hey my name is Joy-Katia Innocent and I was born in Haiti, Port Au Prince on
December 17, 1988. My dad died either before I was born or just after, I ended up living
with my mom till I was 18 months old then I got really sick—deathly ill. I was put in an
orphanage because my mom couldn't afford to pay for the treatment I needed and she
was very sick herself. When I was 23 months I was adopted and brought to Victoria B.C,
by Judith and my older sister Karen. My name was changed to Katia Armstrong.
When we stopped in Montreal it was snowing. I didn’t like it then and still don’t. I went
to St Christopher’s pre-school and loved it, I started kindergarten at St Patrick’s. This
school is located in Oak Bay which happens to be one of the richest areas in Victoria and
the whitest. The first day at school I already felt different, the only reason I actually
went into the class room was because there was a little girl who was darker (not as dark
as me but darker (Indian)) with her mom who was almost darker then I was. Well, me
and that little girl became best friends and we did everything together. I started realizing
that my teacher hated me, I couldn't figure out why she would hate me. I was always the
last to be allowed to go out for recess, another little girl spat at me so I spat at her and
the teacher knew that we both were in the wrong but I got 30mins…well a long time in
the time-out chair and she got to play.
There weren’t any black dolls, there weren't any brown skin color markers but there were
for white people? All through elementary I got made fun of by the people who were and
weren't my friends for looking different. They couldn’t understand why I had to wear
fake braids to help my hair grow, so kids called me “fake hair”. One day I cut my braids
off and wanted to shave my head so it would grow back straight. I was finally finished
the elementary school that I hated so much and I was looking so forward to going to
high school. The school that I wanted to go to was St Andrew's; my mom couldn't afford
it so I ended up going to Oak Bay High school. Oak Bay High, like St Patrick’s, is
located in Oak Bay. I was just so happy to be out of St Pats and out of the place that
people made fun of me. I did well in grade 8. I loved it because people started liking me
because I was black, beautiful and exotic!

After a while I started to question if that was the only reason for people liking me.
Well all through going to Oak Bay I would randomly get really racist remarks. Like I
told you before, I’m adopted, that has been really hard as well. People not listening
and believing me that my mom is white and that I have never had a dad. This one guy
who I didn’t get along with so well was like, “yeah so your birth mom didn’t want
you?” And he was like, “oh she’s dead? She probably had AIDS—all you Haitians
have AIDS…like everyone in Africa. You better not sleep with _________(my
boyfriend at the time) cause he is my homeboy and I don’t want him to get AIDS.”
That hurt! Because it wasn’t long before that that I had found out that my mom had
died, which really affected me, and having him say that didn’t help.
The specialness of being in high school was wearing off, so I wasn't doing as well in my
classes. All my life I had the wish of getting reunited with my birth mom because she
is my mom and I wanted to know where I come from. In grade 2, we were asked to fill
out our family tree and like who’s eye color we had, where you got your tallness or
shortness and all those little things from, all the little facts that people don’t realize
how lucky they are to know. Well I remember asking to go to the washroom and
crying because I didn’t know and I never would.
In either grade eight or nine I got to go to Haiti. Even though I had asked her to, I
didn’t know my mom had been doing a search for my birth mom. When I was there I
went to work in a home for people with disabilities. One day this guy showed up and
gave me this paper, saying that my mom had died two years before that. I felt like I
couldn't breathe, I felt every emotion possible. Happy that I knew something,
confused, in wonderment.... if I had tried two years earlier would I have gotten to
meet her? Alone...how could my mom do that, first she doesn't want me and now she
died without saying good-bye. I'm a person who hates it when people see me cry, so I
found a room and cried to myself, wishing that I had my mom and dad there
comforting me. I got the feeling that they were there in a way in the room comforting
me.
Well when I got back from Haiti, I was mad at the world. It has been really hard
being a minority. For a while there I didn’t handle it so well, now I have grown to love
my skin. Last year I got to see the Youth against Racism group because my friend was
in it and still is a part of it. Right after, I knew that was what I wanted to do. I
wanted people to hear the stories so people can be better educated on how being a
minority affects people. I have had a lot of troubles in my life, I started smoking weed
so the things people would say wouldn’t hurt so much, I stopped going to school
because I figured that’s what all “black” people did anyways. I have learned so much
from this group, and from life. I have learned yeah there always will be racist people in
the world but the best you can do is educate them and let them take it from there.

Genevieve Sneddon
14 year old attending Oak Bay Secondary.
She has been with YAR since 2004.
I am of both Chinese and Scottish background and I’ve spent the
last little while trying to figure out which one I am and sometimes
felt like I don’t belong in either one. But the truth is that sort of
stuff never bothered me until I went to high school. There were
some incidents that stick brutally in my mind. There are always
people who, after I tell them that I am Chinese, look at me in shock
and say, "but you have BIG boobs, Chinese people DON'T" and I
say, "I’m just going against the impossible then". Sometimes I felt
like I wanted to be white because it would we a lot easier to go
through my days without having people tell me I needed to grow an ass and then correcting themselves by
telling me it was because I’m Chinese. It bugs me some of the time, and other times not. Being of both
races I get mistaken of being a totally different race all together and sometimes that frustrates me even
more. I don't think it would as much if people didn't have all those stereotypes already for every single
race. One incident that still plays clearly in my mind was when a group of my friends and I were walking
to someone’s house. And I said something completely irrelevant to the conversation and a friend said
something like, “Oh god, Gen you are so stupid.” He said this in a joke-like way so I didn’t take any
offense. But after our little laugh about that, this one girl said, “you can’t blame her, I mean she’s Asian,
and they don’t know anything.” There was a small chuckle from a few people before they registered what
she had just said. I didn’t want to say anything; I mean it was true wasn’t it? That was one of the first
incidents where I just wanted to be white. There are also all the stereotypes of Chinese women that I get
called on everyday. I know if I was white and had the same body as I have now, it would never be spoken
about. I know I am different than the “average” Chinese person because I am tall, I do have large breasts,
and I have the double eyelid. And when I tell people I am half-Chinese they look at me in disbelief because
I am, to them, some “exotic” chick. I am also referred to as a native whore and sometimes people assume
that I’m easy because my race isn’t easily recognizable. Anyway, now I know that I am not either
Chinese or Scottish, I’m both.
Darcy Island
If you ever heard of a place called Darcy Island, you may be talking of the big
island just off of Victoria, BC. It had a community of people on it who were
placed there to ensure they could not escape the island because it was behind a
bigger island. Darcy Island was a leper colony during the late 1800s and the
early 1900s. It was for Chinese men who had leprosy and they were basically
taken to the island to rot. A boat would come with food every three months but
in reality it came every 4-5 months. The lepers made their own garden and the
stronger ones helped make sure that the cuts were not infected on the others’
swollen hands.

Leprosy is a disease that starts small and it can rest in the body for 2-40
years. It starts with a small boil on the hand and begins to spread through the
body and soon the lepers can no longer feel anything in their hands and feet.
During this time, rats on Darcy Island would eat their fingers as they slept as
they did not have any feeling and wouldn't wake up. There were a number of
suspected suicides. Their noses would collapse and with their feet infected,
some wouldn't even consider them human beings.
The interesting thing is that the white men got taken to a hospital in New
Brunswick where it was properly owned and their family could visit. The Chinese
men got taken from everywhere across the country mostly staying in a wooden
box for the long train ride. There was only one white man who was sent to Darcy
Island, but he died the next day of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis was a common
disease on Darcy Island as well as pneumonia. This goes to show not all of
Canadian history was good--too bad we don’t learn this in history class.
Kari Carmel, 16, white
she has lived in california all of her
life. although it was painful to hear
the difficulties of other peoples'
realities, she stayed in YAR to
raise her own awareness of the
world around her. her favorite part
of YAR was the unity of the group.
she is glad that she can educate
people about systemic racism that
they see as everyday life.
in her spare time she likes to do
anything artistic. she also likes
doing nothing (you should try
doing nothing sometimes, it's good
for stress).

Marisa FarwellMarisa is a proud Haitian-born
Canadian. She was adopted at 3 years
old. She came to Victoria on February
21, 1994, 12 years ago. Growing up in
Canada, she feels privileged to live here.
I hate how the media portrays black people. It’s so annoying how everyone thinks that
all black people talk ghetto and act it. Hip-hop culture has influenced the culture of
young people today. I hate seeing white people acting “black”, especially when they
think it’s like a trend because of hip-hop music. I think young whites use hip-hop music
and the black culture to rebel against their parents because most of white America
opposes hip-hop and gangsta rap. Most of the rappers have this fabricated image of
“oh I grew up on the streets… I was shot nine times…. Oh at the age of twelve I was a
drug dealer…” etc. There is this image the rappers have to portray but sometimes I
wonder if they are doing it to rap about how hard their life was or if it’s only for the
money.
I also hate how minority women are portrayed as sexualized objects. I hate how now
days the typical black woman in music videos is curvy, with a big ass and gorgeous. This
has the rest of the world thinking that black women all have big asses and are pretty.
Since we are so used to seeing this stereotype, if you don’t fit the mold, you’re not
considered black enough. The same thing goes for acting “black”. I can act “black” if I
want to, but most of the time I don’t want to because it isn’t me. Since when did
acting a certain way determine how black you are? As far as I’m concerned the way
your skin is doesn’t determine how you act and who you are.
Our whole society is pretty fucked. I hate our school curriculums. I hate that when we
hear about the colonization of Canada, we hear about how the Europeans settlers had
a great relationship with the Aboriginal peoples, but this is so far from the truth.
People don’t teach the truth, they don’t want to mention how the Europeans hurt and
killed Aboriginal Peoples. The teachers teach the sugar coated version because it’s
safer. I think our view towards natives would change if we learned about their history.
I think we would receive a better understanding about their culture and traditions. No
one wants to re-write history, especially if isn’t representing the dominant white
culture. In Canada, there aren’t just whites there are Aboriginal peoples too, but their
realities are not represented. Aboriginal people are always portrayed as trash in
Canadian society. It’s sad that we have this stereotypical image of them, and we need
to change and acknowledge their contributions to Canadian society.
Things I Hate

I’m happy to be living in Canada and I’d rather live here than the States because
the racism towards blacks seems harsher in the States. Here, I’ve never
experienced blatant racism, except for one time. I was on the monkey bars at Sir
James Douglas Elementary and while I was going across the bars, some girl said I
looked like shit. At the time I didn’t think it was mean and even now it doesn’t
seem that bad—at least it wasn’t the N-word.
At times I don’t even know how I would react towards the N-word. I know it’s the
worst word out there but I’m so used to hearing it now because of hip-hop culture
but I think if someone said it to my face I’d smack them. I’ve always envisioned
myself hitting someone if they said that to my face. Sadly, I think I’d just stand
there or walk away. At times I feel I can’t say anything back especially if it was a
white person. Sometimes, I feel insignificant around white people.
Arberesha Bishaj, 16 years old
I was born and brought up in Kosova Prishtina until the
age of 9, when I immigrated to Canada on May 25, 1999.
I first lived in Greenwood, Nova Scotia and then moved to
Victoria on July 20, 1999. I’m half Kosovare and half
Ulqinake(or Albanian in English terms.)
I enjoyed being part of YAR because it helped me to identify
my individuality of who I am and what I believe in. Before
YAR I was afraid to have a voice on issues like racism and
bullying. When I would see it take place in front of me I
wouldn’t really challenge it. I would just kinda go along
with what other people felt even though I’m the kind of person that will usually call you on
stuff when you’re wrong or if I disagree with you. But when I would hear people be racist
against one another or against others I would some times keep my mouth shut but now after
being more aware of this knowledge, I have the confidence and the voice to speak out when it
comes to racism and bullying.
I learned that racism isn’t just one thing; it is labels, and systems; where a government or
society builds up how we see racism in the media, at least that’s how I see systemic racism in
my point of view. Something that is built for one reason only—to blind you from the truth—
if you’re not knowledgeable enough to go challenge it.
I like to travel and I like to be active. I play soccer and tennis. I also enjoy spending time with
my friends.

Journey to Freedom—by Arberesha Bishaj
It was my sister’s birthday—the first day of March. She was turning one year old when my mother and father ran into the
backyard, calling my grandparents, cousins, and I back inside. There was a tone of worry in their voices. They turned on the
television and told us to listen to the breaking news being broadcast. Of the half hour of silence my family spent in front of
the TV, all I understood was that my country, Kosovo, was being invaded. The Serbian military, led by Milosevic, was
attacking us. I didn’t understand what was going on or why my grandmother was crying with a frightened expression frozen
on her face. Later that night, I asked my mom to explain what was going on to me, but all she said before tucking me into
bed was that everything was going to be okay.
The next morning, I got up and got ready for school just like any other day. By around 9:45, my friends and I headed for
school. When we got there, everything seemed to be normal, but as the days went by, I couldn’t help but notice that my class
was getting smaller and smaller. The students weren’t coming to school anymore. I remember that on March 15, I too, said
my goodbyes to my classmates. The hardest thing to do was to say goodbye to my best friends and my favourite teacher, Mrs.
Sofia, with endless tears running down my cheeks. That night, I couldn’t go to sleep. I was trying to understand the
meaning of the word “war”, even though it was right in front of me. On March 17, my family and I packed important
belongings such as clothes, necessary documents, family photo albums and food. Then we drove to my grandparents’ house
since the Serbian soldiers were just days away from the capital city—Prishtina, to attack. When we arrived at their house, I
felt much safer because I was surrounded by family and love.
That night at around 9:30, we had to leave my grandparents’ house and walk up two blocks to where my mother’s uncle lived
and spend the night with them. The reason for this was that our Serbian neighbours that I grew up with started shooting
with the snipers at the houses. My grandparents’ house was made of wood, and any bullets aimed at us would have easily
gone through the walls. Afraid we would be hit, we moved to my grand-uncle’s house, made of solid bricks.
When we all gathered in the guest room to make sleeping arrangements, I realized that half of my mother’s relatives were
there. It felt like a family reunion, but we were gathered for the wrong reasons. At about 11:30, the ground started to shake
and the small children started to scream. At this point, I was in shock. Too much was going on at once for me to be able to
comprehend at the time. My mom grabbed my brother, sister, and me and held us tight. I remember praying to God during
the shaking. It lasted for around five minutes, but felt like an eternity. I wondered if it was ever going to stop. Finally, the
ground stopped trembling and you could hear gunshots. At that point, I started to understand what war really meant and
wondered why people would ever choose to have a war.
We stayed in that house for five days. The last day, I remember waking up early in the morning for a glass of water. I found
my mom sitting still in a chair, looking out the window, crying silently with the lights off. I called her name but she
wouldn’t respond. The expression on her face didn’t change a bit. Confused, I looked out the window to see what she was
staring so intently at. It was then that I saw the Serbian tanks heading our way. I remember screaming so loud that I woke
everyone up. My 19 year old cousin ran through the kitchen door and started calming me down. Seeing my mom frozen in a
state of terror, she threw a glass of cold water on her. We watched the tanks for a few minutes until, for some reason, they
started turning around and heading back to where they came from. I still don’t know why, but I am thankful they did.

Later that day, my parents decided it was a good idea to leave Milefc. They thought we should go to my mom’s aunt’s house.
The only problem was that my dad and grandparents would not come with us. My grandparents refused to leave their house
of three generations behind. Nothing anybody could say or do would change their minds. As for my dad, he would have to
stay behind and fight in the army for Kosova. My mom was angry, frightened and confused. She was concerned for the safety
of her husband and her parents. My uncle, Ali, decided to come with us.
We stayed at my great-aunt’s house for a week before finally deciding it was time to leave Kosova for good. That morning, my
mom dressed me in three layers of winter clothing. Since we couldn’t carry suitcases with us, we wore as much as we could
since that was all we would have to wear for a while. We also packed food and our passports. We started to follow the
neighbours and pretty soon, we had a group heading towards the nearest train station. When we got there, there was blood
smeared on the walls and corpses lying everywhere. It was like walking through the set of a horror movie.
When the train arrived, the captain announced that it was leaving for Macedonia. Within seconds, there was chaos. People
were pushing and shoving to find a way onto the train. It was jam-packed and my family just managed to squeeze into the
last car of the train. Two hours into the train ride, we heard more gunshots. The same gunshots we were leaving the country
for. Apparently, fifteen fully armed Serbian soldiers had snuck into the train and were killing everyone they could. Everyone
on the front half of the train was threatened. People were getting beaten up, shot, and women were getting raped in front of
their children. It was as if those soldiers enjoyed ruining others’ lives. One soldier opened up our cabin to find my older
cousin on the floor as her stomach was hurting. He yelled at her in Serbian, which, in English, means “sit up, you animal!”
Then he left muttering things like, “Animals like those shouldn’t exist.” I felt scared, not knowing where we were going.
Finally, after about five hours, the train came to a halt. When I looked out the window, I saw lots of people gathering on two
large fields. It looked quite safe to me; safer than Kosova a few days ago. When we got off the train, I noticed that everyone
seemed to be pointing at the ground, where small mines were sticking out. They were intended to blow up the next train
arriving at the station—us. If anyone stepped on one, all the mines would have gone off. The conductor instructed us to
stay in a line and watch where we stepped. There was a tone of definite urgency in his voice.
That night, we slept on one of the fields with no shelter. The night was cold, but I was glad my mom made me wear all those
clothes. We stayed there for two cold nights and, on the third day, we lined up to be transferred to a camp which was called
Stankovec. When we arrived at Stankovec, the American UNICEF handed food rations to everyone. The next morning, they
gave each family a separate tent and handed out sleeping bags. During this time, I couldn’t help but wonder what was
happening to my dad and grandparents. Since we left, we hadn’t heard from them and I wondered if they were still alive.
Camp Stankovec was different than other refugee camps. It provided three meals a day, medical care, schooling, activities for
children, and summer clothing. All this was sponsored by UNICEF. After a month and a half at camp and not hearing from my
dad, everyone assumed he was dead but me. I never gave up hope until one day, May 11, when it was the first day relatives
outside of camp were allowed to visit. One of our family friends had informed my mother that my dad was alive and would be
coming to see us. That afternoon, we all waited at the camp entrance for my dad but he never showed up. After that, I
convinced myself that he was gone and that I needed to be there for my mom and the rest of my family.
The next day, after school, I walked into our tent to find my father on the couch, talking to my uncle. Tears of joy were
streaming down my cheeks as I hugged my father, almost in disbelief. It felt like a dream and I didn’t ever want to wake up.
Over the next couple of days, my dad stood in line-ups to get us registered so we could leave the camp. He got to pick any

country in the world for our family to live in. His top two choices were Canada and America. He picked Canada as his first
choice because it was a free country and the people had a voice, unlike Kosovo. There, you were killed for protesting or even
disagreeing with the Serbians. He also picked America because fifty percent of his family lived there. It took under a week
for our family to be enlisted for Canada. It was pure luck and our family was glad.
We stayed at Camp Stankovec for another month and on May 20, we boarded for Canada. Saying my goodbyes to my cousins,
not knowing when I would next see them, was the hardest thing I had to do. We arrived in Greenwood, Nova Scotia that same
day. When we got there, the Red Cross provided all new clothes and shoes. The next day, they gave us medical care such as
shots and took blood and urine samples. We stayed in Greenwood for one month until all the Kosovars got transferred to
Aldershot. There, they took us to visit public schools and later put me in grade four.
I felt scared going to school with Canadian kids, not understanding what they were saying or asking me. I remember my first
day like it was yesterday. When the teacher walked in, I got up on my feet and said, “Good morning, teacher.” I thought you
had to do that in Canada, just like in Kosovo. Whenever the teacher asked math questions that I knew the answer to, I put my
hand straight up and waited for her to pick me. When she did, I would walk to the board and write the answer because I did
not know how to say it in English. At recess I would go outside and try to understand what they were saying to me. In the
beginning, the most challenging thing was to learn the language and learn how to communicate with people until I did. The
most culture “shock” that my family and I encountered was meeting people of different colours and religions. At first, I
found it hard to accept people, but I got over that quickly.
July 20, 1999 was the day I moved to Victoria, BC. The reason we moved here was that my parents felt it would be a good and
safe place to raise us three kids. After we settled in, I attended George Jay Elementary School. I was in their ESL program for
one year, where I learned to speak, read and write in English and made a lot of new friends, including Shruti Sirohi, my best
friend until this day. This is how I, Arberesha Bishaj, immigrated to Canada.

SOME USEFUL DEFINITIONS
Authenticity: The imposed ideal of being “true” and representative of one’s
culture which is imposed on members of minority groups to either include
or exclude. Example: “We have adopted the old imperialists way of
conquering and dominating, adopting a way of confrontation based on
differences while standing on the ground of ethnic superiority. We shun
the white-looking Indian, the ‘High yellow” Black woman, the Asian with
the white lover, the Native woman who brings her white girlfriend to the
Pow Wow, the Chicana who doesn’t speak Spanish, the academic, the
uneducated.” Her difference makes her a person we can’t trust. Para que
sea “legal”, she must pass the ethnic legitimacy test we have devised.”-
Cherry Moraga in her book Haciendo Cara
Identity: A process of becoming selves, not something determined simply by
ethnicity, culture, or tradition. We are diverse people with our own
personalities, tastes, and creative styles that can change over time.
Intersectionality of Identities: Identities are intersecting and relational.
They are fluid, non-permanent and continuously shift through time and
space. We are more than the markers that are socially created and we
have many layers to our being.
Minority: Understood as being smaller or less than.
Mixed Race: Many of us come from multi-racial, multi-cultural parents and
families. We draw from many cultural, racial, ethnic, linguistic
backgrounds, and are not determined by just one culture, even though
sometimes, one culture, race, ethnicity or religion is seen by society to be
more valued than others.
Race: An old school concept to classify people into categories based on so-
called "scientific", biological traits. Biologically based races do not exist,
yet most people still use the term, "race" in everyday language to
distinguish between groups of people who look different. It is a problem
when people use the term "race" to explain differences between people.
Racialization: A set of historical processes by which certain (usually
negative) attributes, definitions, characteristics, and socio-economic,
political and cultural positions are attributed to, and imposed on, a certain
group, and come to operate as social markers of differentiated identity,
usually in relation to a systematic norm.
Systemic Racism: The racism that exists in systems, laws, and structures
that dictate the norms in society to follow. The systems are inclusive and
exclusive of certain groups to maintain the power structure of the people
and groups in power. Some examples of systems are media, government,
and schools.

Tokenism: Refers to a policy or practice of limited inclusion of members of a
minority group, usually creating a false appearance of inclusive practices,
intentional or not. Typical examples in real life and television include
minority races (such as a black character in a mainly white cast, or vice
versa) and women. Classically, this character has some reduced capacity
compared to the other characters. Their difference may be
overemphasized or made exotic.
Whiteness: In Canada, Whiteness is an elastic concept that has changed over
time, but now includes everyone of European background who is middle
and upper class, speaks English, is Christian, and is a member of the
dominant groups in society. Whiteness and Canadian-ness are often
collapsed into each other and seen as one and the same.
White Privilege: The unwritten and unearned privileges people with white skin
have without even knowing they have these privileges. Examples: Band-
aids that match the skin tone; walking down the street without people
noticing their skin colour; not being identified by skin colour or ethnicity;
to be able to ask for the person in charge and most of the time have
someone with the same skin colour or ethnicity respond; to be able to
turn on the TV and see themselves represented by the ethnicity or skin
colour of the actors and media spokespeople.
Xenophobia: A phobic attitude towards strangers or the unknown and comes
from the Greek words ξένος (xenos), meaning "foreigner," "stranger," and
φόβος (phobos), meaning "fear." The term is typically used to describe
fear or dislike of foreigners or in general of people different from one's
self.
Examples of Xenophobia in Victoria, BC: The following are headlines from
the Times Colonist in 1999 during the wave of Chinese refugees dropped
off on the North Island.
“Go Home,” in Times Colonist (Victoria), August 15, 1999, Final Edition,
p.A1
Lee, King. “Expert View: Soft-touch reputation hurts us, prof says,” in
Times Colonist (Victoria), August 14, 1999, Final Edition, p.A3
Moore, Dene. “Police hunt for fugitive migrants,” in Times Colonist
(Victoria), August 26, 1999, Final Edition, p.A1
Young, Gerard. “Boat people: Taxpayers stuck with $200,000 tab,” in
Times Colonist (Victoria), June 29, 1999, Final Edition, p.A1
Youth of Colour: A political term describing youth sharing a common history
of oppression due to colonization, slavery, indentured labor, and western
imperialism. It does not privilege skin color as an identifier, but is often
mistakenly used in this way.

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