Canada's Multiculturalism - Worth Defending | Amira Elghawaby | TEDxOttawa
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares her journey as a Muslim-Canadian, reflecting on her childhood experiences of embracing multiculturalism and the challenges she faced after 9/11. She discusses the importance of representation, the rise of discrimination, and the need for unity and diversity. The speaker calls for action to combat racism and discrimination, emphasizing the role of education, media, and individuals in fostering an inclusive society.
Takeaways
- 😀 The speaker fondly recalls growing up in Ottawa's East End in the 1980s, embracing the multicultural environment and participating in various school activities.
- 🍽 The school's hotdogs were a point of exclusion for the speaker due to dietary restrictions, highlighting the challenges of fitting in with certain cultural practices.
- 🏫 The speaker was inspired by school figures like Mr. Ron Coleman, who encouraged her and her friends to present on Islam at a school assembly, fostering a sense of belonging and pride in their cultural identity.
- 🌍 The speaker's high school experience was marked by further engagement with multiculturalism, with the multicultural club playing a significant role in her life and education.
- 👩🏫 Monsieur Mikolaj, a teacher with a Haitian background, is highlighted as an influential figure who instilled pride in one's cultural heritage and encouraged the celebration of diversity.
- 🎓 The speaker's university experience was characterized by a continued sense of belonging and the eagerness to learn and engage with peers and professors from diverse backgrounds.
- 🧢 The decision to wear a headscarf marked a significant moment in the speaker's life, leading to a deeper exploration of her faith and a confrontation with her father's concerns about fitting in.
- 📰 The speaker's career as a journalist allowed her to practice her faith while challenging stereotypes and advocating for representation and diversity in the media.
- 🔍 Post-9/11, the speaker noticed a decline in the multicultural 'kool-aid' as experiences of racism and discrimination became more pronounced, affecting the Muslim community and other minority groups.
- 🌐 The speaker calls for a renewed commitment to multiculturalism and inclusivity, emphasizing the importance of representation, education, and advocacy in fostering a more diverse and accepting society.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the story presented in the transcript?
-The main theme of the story is the personal journey of the narrator, who is a Canadian Muslim woman of Egyptian heritage, reflecting on her experiences with multiculturalism, identity, and the challenges faced by Muslims and other minority groups in Canada.
What was the narrator's childhood experience with school hotdogs?
-The narrator's childhood experience with school hotdogs was one of exclusion because her mother couldn't be certain that there was no pork in them, which led her to sit out the hotdog lunches while her friends ate.
Who was Mr. Ron Coleman and what did he teach the narrator?
-Mr. Ron Coleman was the school principal who taught the narrator to embrace her differences. He encouraged her and her friends to present on Islam at a school assembly, which was a pivotal moment for her.
What is the significance of the 'kool-aid' mentioned in the transcript?
-The 'kool-aid' is a metaphor for the distinctly Canadian flavor of multiculturalism. The narrator drank the 'kool-aid' when she embraced her identity and the multicultural values of Canada, which she carried with her throughout her life.
What role did the multicultural club play in the narrator's high school experience?
-The multicultural club in high school was a source of inspiration and motivation for the narrator. It allowed her to share her culture with others and learn about the diverse backgrounds of her peers, fostering a sense of belonging and pride in her heritage.
How did the narrator's perception of Canada change after 9/11?
-After 9/11, the narrator's perception of Canada shifted as she became more aware of the marginalization and discrimination faced by Muslims and other minority groups. This event highlighted the challenges and the need for continued advocacy for human rights and social justice.
What was the narrator's father's concern when she decided to wear a headscarf?
-The narrator's father was concerned that wearing a headscarf would create barriers for her, standing in the way of her career goals and fitting in with Canadian society, as he had faced racism and discrimination himself.
How did the narrator's career as a journalist influence her views on representation and diversity?
-The narrator's career as a journalist made her realize that representation and diversity were still a work in progress, especially in newsrooms and higher levels of leadership. This realization led her to advocate for more inclusive narratives and policies.
What are some of the challenges faced by the narrator and other Muslims in Canada, as described in the transcript?
-The narrator and other Muslims in Canada face challenges such as being attacked, vilified, and experiencing vandalism or arson of their places of worship. They also face unfair suspicion, stigma, and discrimination, which has been exacerbated by events like 9/11.
What is the narrator's call to action for creating inclusive communities?
-The narrator calls for a collective effort to embrace and protect diversity, to stand up for equity and inclusion, to support policies and leaders that reflect the demographics of Canada, and to promote education and media narratives that represent the contributions of all communities.
How does the narrator suggest that individuals can contribute to unity, diversity, and love?
-The narrator suggests that individuals can contribute to unity, diversity, and love by getting to know each other, sharing a smile, voting for diverse candidates, supporting inclusive policies, addressing systemic discrimination, and promoting education that represents the diversity of experiences.
Outlines
🌟 Embracing Multiculturalism
The speaker reminisces about growing up in Ottawa's East End during the 1980s, highlighting the cultural diversity and the inclusive environment fostered by school and community activities. Despite feeling different due to dietary restrictions, the speaker was encouraged to embrace their differences by school principal Mr. Ron Coleman, who invited them to present on Islam at a school assembly. This experience, along with participation in the multicultural club in high school, instilled a deep appreciation for multiculturalism and the pride in one's cultural heritage.
👳♀️ The Impact of 9/11 on Muslim Identity
The speaker shares their journey of exploring their spiritual identity and the decision to wear a headscarf, which was met with initial resistance from their father due to concerns about fitting in and potential discrimination. Despite this, the speaker found support and inspiration from educators like Mr. Coleman and others, which led to a successful career as a journalist. However, the events of 9/11 drastically changed the landscape, leading to increased Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims. The speaker's work in the media provided a front-row seat to the challenges faced by the community, including attacks on places of worship and the need to defend human rights.
🚫 Confronting Racism and Discrimination
The narrative shifts to the present, where the speaker discusses the ongoing struggle against racism and discrimination, particularly against Muslims and other minority groups. Personal experiences of being targeted and the broader societal issues are highlighted, including the rise in hate crimes and the emotional toll on communities. The speaker calls for a collective effort to stand up against racism, advocating for systemic change in media representation, workplace diversity, and education to foster a more inclusive society.
🌈 Fostering Unity and Inclusion
In the final paragraph, the speaker offers a message of hope and a call to action, emphasizing the importance of unity, diversity, and love. They suggest practical steps for individuals and society to combat discrimination, such as voting for diverse candidates, supporting inclusive policies, and promoting accurate media narratives. The speaker also stresses the critical role of education in shaping a truthful understanding of history and fostering inclusivity. The narrative concludes with an optimistic vision of a society where everyone has a place, symbolized by the availability of diverse hot dogs for everyone, reflecting a stronger and more inclusive community.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Multiculturalism
💡Discrimination
💡Islamophobia
💡Representation
💡Stereotypes
💡Headscarf
💡Advocacy
💡Racism
💡Unity
💡Inclusion
💡Systemic Discrimination
Highlights
Growing up in Ottawa's East End in the early 80s with a sense of belonging despite cultural differences.
Exclusion from school hotdogs due to uncertainty about pork content, leading to feelings of being different.
Embracing cultural differences with the help of a supportive school principal, Mr. Ron Coleman.
Presenting on Islam at a school assembly, a pivotal moment in embracing multiculturalism.
High school experiences with the multicultural club and the influence of a passionate teacher, Monsieur Mikolaj.
The annual multicultural show as a celebration of diversity, attracting a wide audience.
The decision to wear a headscarf as a personal spiritual choice and the support from inspirational figures.
The challenge of convincing her father about the decision to wear a headscarf and its potential impact on her life.
Navigating a career as a journalist while practicing her faith and challenging stereotypes.
The realization of underrepresentation in newsrooms and the broader implications for diversity.
The impact of 9/11 on the perception of Muslims and the increase in discrimination and racism.
The shift from journalism to advocacy in response to growing intolerance and hate crimes.
The personal toll of experiencing racism and discrimination in her own community.
The importance of standing up for human rights and the rights of all Canadians in the face of discrimination.
The role of media in shaping perceptions and the need for diverse and empathetic storytelling.
The critical role of education in fostering truth, diversity, and representation in schools.
The call to action for individuals to speak out against fear and division and advocate for equity and inclusion.
The vision of a society where everyone has a place, symbolized by the availability of diverse hot dogs for all.
Transcripts
[Music]
[Music]
this is a story about hotdogs and
kool-aid let me explain
I grew up in ottawa's East End in the
early 80s remember the 80s Inspector
Gadget was our early morning cartoon
video hits was our source of music neon
belonged on all our clothing and Brian
Mulroney was the Prime Minister back
then there weren't a whole lot of newly
arrived immigrants
bike hours and yet I didn't feel too
differently
our parents encouraged us to take part
in everything the lighting of the
Christmas tree at school caroling with
the brownies troupe exchanging
Valentine's Day cards and my classmates
and of course trick-or-treating our
neighbours houses but there was one
thing the school hotdogs those or a
no-no you see my mom couldn't be
absolutely certain that there wasn't any
pork in them and so I had to sit that
one out and while my friends chow down I
felt different and when you're 9 years
old
different feels weird but any
embarrassment I had about that or other
things like how hard it was to pronounce
or spell my last name was alleviated by
a school principal who taught me to
embrace my differences mr. ron coleman i
remember his name to this day one
afternoon he came up to me in the
hallway and he said Amira
would you and your friends like to
present on Islam in at a school assembly
me I remember thinking present in front
of the entire school
absolutely
now I didn't know a whole lot about the
topic but I must have figured I could
get up to speed on 1,400 years of
history in no time I convinced my
friends there were about five of us and
our moms were on board we gave a great
presentation it was a lot of fun and
that was the moment the moment I drank
the kool-aid you know that distinctly
Canadian flavor called multiculturalism
I carried that childhood memory with me
right to high school where I filled up
on even more of that sugary drink the
school's multicultural Club was a source
of inspiration and motivation for a
student body that represented over 100
countries and Monsieur mikolaj a pilot
well he was both my science teacher and
kool-aid dispenser extraordinaire you
see for years he'd give up one lunch
break every week to supervise our club
he would offer us get guidance and
advice and his beautiful Haitian accent
he was so proud of his culture and it
was infectious he taught us all to
appreciate where we came from we would
share that pride once a year at the
annual multicultural show it would
attract students and parents from right
across the city and throughout the year
we take opportunities to bring dishes
from home we try out foods we've never
ever heard of sometimes couldn't even
pronounce but found delicious
were there any hotdogs any of those
casseroles probably but the sheer
variety meant that no one had to sit
those gatherings out empowered by those
sorts of experiences it was off to
university I was eager and open to
learning about my peers and professors I
was unafraid to ask questions and make
arguments and classes of up to 200
students it felt so good to
wholeheartedly belong now up until then
I didn't know much about Canada
Colonial shameful relationship with
indigenous communities and I didn't know
anything about anti black racism or
other forms of discrimination honestly I
hadn't even heard of Islamophobia back
then I didn't wear a headscarf and clad
head to toe in Gap clothing I fit right
in
sure sometimes someone asked me you know
where are you really from but I always
took it as a question that of curiosity
never out of malice Canada was a
beautiful mosaic and I was just happy to
be a part of it then came the time that
I decided I wanted to explore my
spiritual inheritance faith from me up
until then was I don't know celebrating
Ramadan with an Eid party who doesn't
love a party right or once in a while
going to the mosque with my family and
if I hadn't studied for exams a hurried
prayer for good measure I decided that
my heart needed more and for me the
first step was to dawn a headscarf and
you know who I had to convince of my
decision well my dad you see he had
major reservations even before 9/11
which completely changed people's
perceptions of my clothing choices after
all he had emigrated to Canada with a
simple hopes that his kids would fit in
succeed live the Canadian dream he had
faced racism and discrimination
firsthand as he struggled to establish
what would eventually be a successful
career in engineering you know he even
considered naming me Karen
my mom when that argument I remember
spending an entire weekend hashing
things out with them are you sure you
want to do this he asked me it's going
to create barriers for you
he was so worried that such a visible
change in how I looked was going to
stand in the way of my career goals but
remember I had drunk the kool-aid dad I
told him with all the inspiration and
confidence inspired and me by mr.
Coleman and Missy
epaulettes and countless others if I
can't be who I want to be here in Canada
and fully contribute to society where
else could I do it and I convinced him
and I proved to him that I had been
right to have drunk that kool-aid
I found steady work as a journalist I
was able to both practice my faith and
dispel stereotypes while doing it at the
Toronto Star one of the few Comus of
color congratulated me for being the
first woman in a head job to work in the
newsroom and I appreciated his words but
I also remember thinking why had it
taken so long it was slowly starting to
dawn on me that despite all the song and
dance and samosas that representation
was still a work in progress I was
starting to realize that in newsrooms
for instance the vast majority of
reporters editors colonists were often
male and pale
I would soon learn that in many civic
agencies and companies true diversity
remained elusive especially as one
looked at higher and higher levels of
senior leadership I started to finally
understand why my dad had been so
worried and then tragically 9/11
happened since then the kool-aid has all
but run dry that painful period was a
hard slap for those of us who had been
blind to racism those of us who'd been
privileged enough like me to not have
experienced the marginalization that far
too many faced 9/11 brought all of that
to the forefront for me in a way I could
not have anticipated soon Muslims and
those perceived as Muslims were being
attacked vilified their houses of
worship vandalized sometimes even set on
fire working in the media I had a
front-row seat to the questions people
were asking and I was grateful to be
there to help look for answers I
remember booking one of my journalism
professors for the morning show Kareem
Kareem had just published a book that
looked at how Western media had often
portrayed Muslims as a threat he told
our listeners he thought that it was
only going to get worse now and one year
later I reported on how our communities
were still reeling still scared forced
to bear the unfair suspicion and stigma
I long to believe that I could still be
who I was a proud Canadian Muslim woman
of Egyptian heritage but some women were
removing their head scarves worried
about being assaulted on the streets or
feeling a chill at work from
colleagues and supervisors who seem to
value their contributions a little less
my journalism would evolve into advocacy
I would find myself at the forefront of
defending our human rights and by
extension the rights of all Canadians
joining like-minded folks working in
civil society we would stand up against
racist policies and racist bullies
bullies who'd never known what it was
like to be excluded ignored racist
bullies who had never wanted to drink
the kool-aid we would watch social media
weaponized against our communities
amplifying misinformation and lies and
some politicians would take advantage
using fear and ignorance to win popular
support time and time again we found our
loyalty being questioned and our
humanity diminished today there are
plenty of people who don't believe I
belong here I've had cars and trucks
swerve dangerously close to me as their
drivers yell go back to where you came
from or take that thing off your head to
experience these things in the very
neighborhoods I grew up in has been
deeply hurtful and disorienting I feel
sick to my stomach when I read polls
that say things like one in four
canadians believes it's more and more
acceptable to discriminate against
muslims or that 40% of canadians
believes that there are too many
immigrants in canada and too many who
are non-white hate crimes targeting
Muslims Jewish people black people and
others are at record level highs online
hate in this country grew by 600 percent
during Donald Trump's presidential
my daughter 11 at the time learned about
the massacre at a Quebec City mosque
from a friend on Facebook
the murderous rampage that led a young
man so consumed by hatred to walk into a
mosque after evening prayers and kill
six men in cold blood he left 17
children without their fathers two years
later my daughter was at a sleepover
with friends and they were on snapchat
they would stumble on a video of another
Massacre happening half a world away in
Christchurch New Zealand we were all
asleep we didn't know they were looking
at footage of the shooting of over 50
worshippers at two mosques when we woke
up we could barely make sense of the
horror ourselves let alone comfort our
children to be a Muslim to be a minority
to be an immigrant or the child of
immigrants to be different is so much
harder now than it ever was for me
growing up it's looking over your
shoulder when you're standing at a bus
stop it's looking over your shoulder
when you're standing in prayer in a
house of worship
it's hoping you get a job even though
your name sounds the way it does it's
trying to ignore the dirty looks you
sometimes feel when you're standing in
line at the grocery store or when you're
picking up your kids from school it's
having to explain why so many of our
communities feel let down by public
institutions that were meant to protect
them and represent them and yes it's
having to talk about things like brown
face and black face and having to push
so hard to have a deeper conversation
about the daily discrimination that's
happening too far too many of our
communities all the time it's having to
talk about systemic discrimination and
how it's holding us back
but every day we face more and more
unapologetic racism we would be foolish
if we were to ignore the rise of white
supremacy here and around the world so
how do we solve for this how do we
nurture the inclusive communities all of
us deserve to live in well here's what I
tell myself and my kids and my dad as
long as there are people like you out
there people who are willing to listen
to each other to bear witness to
humanity's differences to accept them
embrace them and yes protect them then
we can push back against these forces
and yes we can
make sustainable positive change as long
as there are people who stand up for our
Charter of Rights and Freedoms that
belongs to all of us equally people who
believe that no one should be treated as
a second-class citizen not for the color
of their skin their gender what they
wear on their head or any other
characteristic that makes them who they
are you are the hope that keeps people
like me going and together I know that
we could be champions of unity diversity
and love but what does that even look
like well it's a simple things it's
getting to know each other sharing a
smile but it's also more complex its
voting and supporting candidates for
public office who reflect the
demographics of our country it's
supporting elected officials who
actually listen and respond to the
concerns raised by all communities it's
looking at systemic discrimination in
our own workplaces in public agencies in
all decision making and asking ourselves
who's not at the table how do we get
them here how do we remove barriers to
participation to ensure full
representation
and then there's the media it has to get
this right media narratives shape
people's perceptions of reality media
can build empathy and understanding we
should expect more stories that share
the wonderful incredible contributions
of people of all backgrounds to the
success of our country and then there
are schools our schools are critical I
was so lucky I had wonderful experiences
in public schools but we know that
that's not always the case for all young
people first and foremost education must
be about truth-telling
about our country's history and its
present curricula should represent the
vast diversity of experiences of all
students and our teachers should reflect
the demographics of the classrooms
they're teaching in whatever role you
play in society whatever position you
hold each and every one of us can speak
out against fear and division and speak
up for equity and inclusion we can do it
offline online with their colleagues
friends and families put another way
it's time to fill up on that
multicultural kool-aid like never before
in nowadays there are hot dogs for
everyone
there are hotdogs for everyone vegan
kosher halal there are space for all of
us and we are stronger for it thank you
[Music]
[Music]
you
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