Canada is a nation with a multicultural identity. As Canadians we brag about how diverse we are, but our country is not yet a paragon of tolerance to people of all cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. We still have a long way to go. I am proud of my ethnic background. Everybody in the world has a unique ethnic background that they should be proud of. If we were all the same, we would be very boring...Yawn. Unfortunately, there are many, who do not believe so.
There are some affluent neighborhoods in Toronto where they wouldn't hire me for a part-time job that they advertised. They only hired people of Caucasian descent. Eventhough I was adequately qualified and spent most of my life in English speaking countries, I was questioned extensively about my ethnic background and where I grew up in my interviews. Since I was not born in an English speaking country, they were quick to conclude that I did not know English well. My most humuliating experience was when I went to a Karate workshop in an affluent neighborhood. I was grilled about my ethnic background, education, family's financial background, location and education. Although I speak fluent English, the sensei kept asking me if I understood the meaning of every word and phrase he spoke. He said that he was judging if I was worthy of going to his Karate class that had never had any color people till now. Needless to say, I walked out of that place.
As Canadians, we need to open our minds. We can not keep up with this ignorance. We are already witnessing developing countries around the world gaining economic strength. In order to do business in the global market, Canadians will have to communicate with people from all over the world. Half the readers of major news papers, magazines and books do not speak English as their first language. Simple and effective communication skills that get the message across will be the primary focus of future communication in the global world. Adding challenging vocabulary and pharses to speech and writing might confuse and alienate listeners and readers. That is not the point of communication. I guess, I made my point. Next time, you meet colored people, who speak English as their second language, do not write them off.