Minorities in a Minority: Lack of Rights and Respect in Ontario's Election

In a place like Toronto, Canada an interesting situation which rarely exists in many cities in the world is common place in the streets of Canada's largest city. Immigration is seen as a staple of Canadian society and economy, with over 50% of Toronto being foreign born, but at the same time the divisiveness of institutions in Canada while being open to everyone, does not take into account much of the layered societies which live in the country. Often the Government gives priorities towards larger immigrant groups and avoids addressing smaller immigrant minorities in processes of health, immigration procedures and education.

Institutionally, the Government in the Province of Ontario in Canada offers many programs for new immigrants in society, but when the issue places minority groups against other minority groups the Government has often institutionalised and tried to justify some groups getting funding, while others go without. No other issue makes this evident beyond funding of only Catholic Schools in Ontario. In Ontario it is prohibited for other religions to have access to funding for faith based schools with the justification being that opening funding for faith based schools promotes the "segregation" of people in Canada. Despite this statement it goes without mention from the same Government representatives that their current policy is doing precisely what they are campaigning they are strictly against. While no one is anti-Catholic in any manner, it is completely unjustified to prohibit funding for some groups and not others. This was raised as a problem of inequality in a 1989 UN Report on the issue that suggested that there was no other just measure unless all are funded or none are funded. In addition to this fiasco, the Government two months ago were criticized for funding ethnic communities in Ontario without properly recording the funding going out and to which organizations. The opposition was called on as being anti-immigrant and racist upon questioning Ontario Primier McGuinty, only to find out that in an Official Inquiry into the issue that undocumented funds were given to many minority societies without documentation and with funds well above the requested amounts. This embarrassment of Ontario's ethnic communities and involvement in a corrupt process has gone unresolved to date. An election highlighting these issues is taking place Oct 10th.

Immigration is also an issue facing Canadians. While most developed countries seek out the best and brightest, Canada's immigration system often forces the middle class immigrants out of the process and leaves those middle class and below to apply via the refugee system. The current policy also invites highly educated migrants to come to Canada only to make them re-study much of their professional degrees at very high costs and at very long periods of retraining while they are prevented from entering any lucrative labour roles in Ontario society due to lack of Canadian Experiencewhatever Canadian experience isThis is the opposite of most other developed countries who seek the best and brightest and let them prosper and grow the economy and country. The result is a lack of Doctors in Ontario as well as thousands of internationally qualified professionals and university educated immigrants driving taxis and living in a state of poverty in downtown Toronto.

In the end, those minorities within larger minorities are dependent on a social system which does not address needs past majorities in society and they are unable to rely on deep social connections to neutralise the negative effects on becoming a newcomer in society. Social connections, whether they exist or not, are also greatly relied upon in the formal immigration system as well. This is often the case of those seeking some support or sponsorship from their larger community in larger cities in Canada when looking for support or sponsorship.

A unique community in Toronto and worldwide, Prithi Yelaja of the Toronto Star wrote an article about Jewish People of Indian Origin and their life in the Greater Toronto Area. While Jewish communities of European and North American origin are often written about and make up the majority of known media and history of the Jewish people in English language and most of Western media, a large number of Jewish people come from what are seen as unlikely places where Jews would exist. The list is broad and includes such countries as Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen and India, just to name a small few. Jewish people of Indian origin which number 400 in Toronto and 4,000 in India as mentioned in the article did not know much Anti-Semitism in India, and only in Canada was there the idea of feeling as a true minority in different senses.

A minority in Canada is one common identity that many possess like the Indian Jewish Community of Toronto. While there are differences in society and with institutional issues above, they are still Canadians. There is also an issue of being a minority in the Jewish community in Canada. While many see all Jewish people as being the same, in reality Judaism is a religion which comprises many cultures and can often be confused as being only one culture, or one religion comprising one culture as well. As a minority in a minority however, even a Canadian with such a diverse background might be and often are left out of the folds of decisions made for Ontarians for the majority and those larger minority communities to which are seen as the only important groups for policy considerations. The thousands of other smaller minorities within minorities have to contend with the lack of political power indefinitely until more become citizens and can work to have economic and political pressure groups in society.

With issues such as labour, education and health reflecting Canada's majorities, issues raised in Constitutions of equalities for all minorities will never be addressed as long as smaller groups and individuals have no political pressure groups in society. While Canada is a good place to live as a minority, not having rights and equality for all minorities, or using them for political games is an abuse of individual rights and respect in a society where most people will soon be born outside of Canada and are often minorities within larger minorities living across the country.