Making it all Real: The Personal Experiences of Consumer Racial Profiling…

1. Making it all Real: The Personal Experiences of Consumer Racial Profiling… Dr Judy Haiven Dept of Management Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS jhaiven@smu.ca jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

2. August 2012: • North Branch Library, Halifax • African-Nova Scotians, Black Canadians, Black immigrants • Millbrook First Nation, Truro • Aboriginal people from that reserve and community • Dartmouth North Community Centre • African-Nova Scotians, Muslims, visible minority immigrants CRP Focus Groups jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

3. Definition: CRP is the practice of singling out the shopper or consumer for discriminatory treatment due to their race • “Friendliness of Maritimerscontrasts with a certain reality…” in: • Shopping, restaurants • Being followed, searched • Being denied service • Services, such as catching taxis • Employment • Police CRP Zones jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

4. “When you go into the store, they put the change on the counter, and they don’t put it in your hand. It’s so degrading.” African-NS woman • “With white people if they get served by a black person that is a legitimate complaint for a white person. Not with us.” African-NS man • “I went into Sobey’s for fresh bread early in the morning. Two girls are standing as cashiers. One says ‘look he’s gonna pass you.’ I slowed down and said ‘oh you are looking at me.’ I didn’t want to face this at 9 am. I called the manager and she made excuses.”– Muslim-Canadianman Shopping jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

5. “I went into a store in Truro. I was waiting for service and I had to go to her [the clerk] to say what I was looking for. I was told I had an accent. Then she said I don’t think we have something you can afford.” Mic Mac woman from Millbrook • “I watch people go into Walmart. 5 times out of 7 if there is a non native person, they give them the cart, not to me.” Mic Mac woman from Millbrook • “I hear Aisle security -- Aisle 7 – I’m right there!...If you don’t buy anything it’s worse, I go into the store with nothing in my pockets, my kids can’t bring anything like a toy into the store.” Muslim-Canadian man • “Their code for a black person or a funky person, or a native person, at Zellers they say over the loudspeaker Code 29 when those people come in the store.” Mic Mac woman from Millbrook Shopping (2) jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

6. “I went into SportChek as the Black Golf Tournament was coming up. I thought, wouldn’t it be good to have black golf balls, maybe I can buy them here and donate them. A young fellow who served me said ‘I don’t know,’ then he hollers over to the next clerk. That clerk hollers back ‘it must be a Tiger Woods thing’. I’m trying to deal with this as I don’t want to be locked up ’cause I have my 15 year old son with me. …” African-NS woman Shopping (3) jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

7. “In terms of preparing to go into a shop, to go shopping, to have your bags checked. How do you do something about that? We also have a receipt. Don’t lose it, so many things we do automatically because we have lived through all the experiences. How do you carry yourself? Be alert, on top of things, be prepared for the questions that might come, have everything together. It’s mentally exhausting. You have to be so conscious all the time. What is the black part in that, what is the woman part? –-African-NS woman Shopping (4) jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

8. “I thought I didn’t have major issues, but last week I went to a coffee shop and had a cranberry drink. The woman was handling my drink, she broke the cinnamon stick in her hands and into my cup. She had just handled money! I said, ‘you didn’t wash your hands, and you shouldn’t do that.’ The woman behind me in line said “Really?” sarcastically. So I didn’t drink it or pay for it. … If I said something else I’d end up in jail.” African-NS woman Restaurant … jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

9. “A couple of people have said my getting angry is ‘going black’ – even when I do my good Negro routine.” African-Canadian man • I go to places where I’m standing in line and watching… When a white person comes up, the clerk says, ‘Good afternoon, can I help you?’ when a black person comes along ‘what’s going on man?’ or ‘hey bro what do you need?’ I need your boss! Diversity to you means you ask like someone from a 1972 sitcom. I’m complaining to your boss about the diversity training!’’ African-NS man There is a pricetag for a person who is a racial minority speaking out: A person of colour has to watch himself or herself so they don’t get angry and create a ‘problem.’ If they create a ‘problem’ it is likely the Police will be called. The person could be arrested and tossed in jail. The pricetag is that racial minorities have to swallow their anger and not speak out, not make a fuss. If they make a fuss, a white person might say “Aren’t WE sensitive” or “They are playing the race card.” Not-so-Hidden Injuries of Race jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

10. “A bus driver told me I have to carry ID for my 4 year old– though it’s free till she is 5.” African-NS woman • “I have even gone to a psychologist. He said ‘change your name.’ No I said, I believe I have enough energy to face it…After facing it every year, and day – I’ve considered it.” Muslim-Canadian man, immigrated here 12 yrs ago • “I avoid going into a store in my black clothes coming from mosque. I’m strategic. I’ve been called Taliban. With the scarf they tell you to take it off in employment interviews.” Muslim- Canadian woman • “I’m from the West Indies. I only speak English. They ask you what language you speak. I say English. They say, Oh you know two languages then.” African-Canadian man. Denied Service… jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

11. “Yellow Cab wouldn’t pick me up at the cab line at Scotia Square. I complained to the Yellow Cab office. I went there and the boss supported his driver for ‘what every red- blooded Canadian would do.’ African-Canadian man Denied Service (2) jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

12. “I’m driving pilots to the airport in my taxi. ‘I may not make it to the airport,’ said one pilot. ‘What do you mean by that?’ I asked. He said it again. A flight attendant got out and said ‘I hope you get your virgins.’ ” Muslim man, who is Canadian born and white. “I worked for Future Shop which had a code when a black person came into the store: ‘The Eagle has Landed’. I quit my job over it.” African-NS man “At the hospital there is a diversity policy. They hire new immigrants and there is lots of diversity in the night shifts, the cleaners are people of colour but not the professionals…” African-Canadian immigrant Employment jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

13. “I’m a dietician and I did an internship at the IWK. All the dieticians were white. I had an appointment with a Muslim family, I knew because the woman wore hijab. I said ‘Salam Aleikum’ and we went into a counselling room. It should take 15 min. but it took 35 min. The woman spoke Arabic and the husband was translating. I worked with my supervisor for two weeks and also saw white families. At the end of my internship, the report on me said ‘Huda is more comfortable counselling Muslim families than white,’ without discussing or asking me anything! I took it up with the head supervisor, ‘this is not right’– she was uncomfortable.”--Muslim-Canadian woman Employment (2) jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

14. “[Racism] becomes an issue what you bring up, and where you bring it up. It can affect your life, when you call someone on it, it is a ‘security’ issue – with the police involved. You can end up spending the night in jail or you can just say I’m not going to shop here anymore.” African-NS woman • I’m asked for extra ID whether I’m in jeans or in a suit and tie. I thought being in nice clothes I’d be treated different. When I got [hassled] as a young person I thought when I grow up and get money, it will go away --it hasn’t.” African-Canadian man • “We try to raise our youth to be educated, not racist, have good values. My fear is that when my sons leave my house they will be beaten by police, because of racial profiling. I live with it every day. I tell my sons the first chance you get, go out of Nova Scotia. – African-NS woman Police jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax

15. “Our Prime Minister puts out a statement that ‘the major threat is still Islamicism.’ 1 You look on TV and black people are gangsters; Indians are tomahawk throwing; the Muslims all the time are being degraded. This is government policy and no one is talking about it. MuslimCanadian man, who is Canadian born and white. • 1. CBC News. “Harper says 'Islamicism' biggest threat to CanadaPrime minister says Conservatives will bring back controversial anti-terrorism laws” See--http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/09/06/harper-911-terrorism-islamic-interview.html -- Sept. 6, 2011 The Prime Minister sets the stage… jhaiven@smu.ca-cashra2013-halifax