Minorities comprise 20% of the population of Canada. But this segment of the population is not homogenous. The composition of this demographic slice of the population pie has myriad ethnicities - Chinese, South Asians, Filipinos, immigrants of African and Hispanic origin etc. Uniting this heterogeneous segment of the population is a very challenging task due to differences in culture, language, customs, aspirations/motivations etc. All of them have their own community based associations. Minorities have yet to produce a powerful and influential pan-Canada leader who can transcend ethnic barriers and rally all these disparate ethnic communities into a union with a common cause, that could turn into a potent political force. 20% is a huge voting block and if the minorities unite, it would forever change the political landscape of Canada. A 20% voting block would have serious bargaining chips. Irrespective of whether the Liberals or Conservatives form the government, this 20% voting block could negotiate whatever they want with the government of the day. And the government will have to listen. Such is the potential of this block.
As they say, "united we stand, divided we fall". The division within the minority community has favoured the majority in Canada, especially the conservatives. So Asaif, in the absence of any serious challenge from minority voting block, Tories will continue to have an advantage. In addition, minorities are not politically organized. Most of them don't even vote in elections. They tend to be apathetic, ambivalent or even oblivious, partly because they tend to think that politics is none of their business. They are enmeshed in their daily grind and in the survival routine. The fact that majority of the politicians are white, only furthers their disenchantment and disinterest. And while the Grits are sympathetic to the problems of the minorities, whenever they have been in power, that sympathy has not necessarily translated into proportional representation in the top echelons of the government and private sector. The abysmal political participation of minorities has meant that several municipal wards, provincial and federal ridings that are largely dominated by minorities, have Caucasian candidates representing them in city hall, provincial and federal parliaments. Such leaders have little insight into the struggles of visible minorities and their representation is seen as superficial, being devoid of authenticity and credibility, furthering stereotypes of the "ruler and the ruled" and disenchantment of minorities with Canada's political system. The problems faced by the aboriginals are somewhat similar to the problems of the visible minorities. Canada's Aboriginal community is divided and they owe their allegiance, first and foremost to their respective clans/tribes but have not been able to rise above their filial affinity and join cause with other aboriginal groups to fight for their rights. The remarkable commonality between the plight of the aboriginals and the visible minorities is hard to miss; both count for little in the milieu of this country. The recent events in Ferguson, Missouri ought to ring a bell in the ears of the Canadian government. The racial makeup of the city was 67.4% African American, 29.3% White, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population. Yet their police department had only one Black officer. Every other important office including that of the City Manager, Mayor, Municipal Councillors - were occupied by white people. That created a situation that was ripe for social strife and tension. The same is bound to happen in Canada as well, in due course of time. The legitimate aspirations and soul of a community, long suppressed, will find utterance, in ways that will both astonish and shock the nation.
As they say, "united we stand, divided we fall". The division within the minority community has favoured the majority in Canada, especially the conservatives. So Asaif, in the absence of any serious challenge from minority voting block, Tories will continue to have an advantage. In addition, minorities are not politically organized. Most of them don't even vote in elections. They tend to be apathetic, ambivalent or even oblivious, partly because they tend to think that politics is none of their business. They are enmeshed in their daily grind and in the survival routine. The fact that majority of the politicians are white, only furthers their disenchantment and disinterest. And while the Grits are sympathetic to the problems of the minorities, whenever they have been in power, that sympathy has not necessarily translated into proportional representation in the top echelons of the government and private sector. The abysmal political participation of minorities has meant that several municipal wards, provincial and federal ridings that are largely dominated by minorities, have Caucasian candidates representing them in city hall, provincial and federal parliaments. Such leaders have little insight into the struggles of visible minorities and their representation is seen as superficial, being devoid of authenticity and credibility, furthering stereotypes of the "ruler and the ruled" and disenchantment of minorities with Canada's political system. The problems faced by the aboriginals are somewhat similar to the problems of the visible minorities. Canada's Aboriginal community is divided and they owe their allegiance, first and foremost to their respective clans/tribes but have not been able to rise above their filial affinity and join cause with other aboriginal groups to fight for their rights. The remarkable commonality between the plight of the aboriginals and the visible minorities is hard to miss; both count for little in the milieu of this country. The recent events in Ferguson, Missouri ought to ring a bell in the ears of the Canadian government. The racial makeup of the city was 67.4% African American, 29.3% White, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population. Yet their police department had only one Black officer. Every other important office including that of the City Manager, Mayor, Municipal Councillors - were occupied by white people. That created a situation that was ripe for social strife and tension. The same is bound to happen in Canada as well, in due course of time. The legitimate aspirations and soul of a community, long suppressed, will find utterance, in ways that will both astonish and shock the nation.
