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Most minorities in BC say they’ve been discriminated against

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – British Columbia may seem like an open, understanding and accepting place, but a new poll conducted on behalf of Vancity seems to contradict that idea. It found most minorities surveyed in this province, say they’ve been the target of discrimination.

“The unfortunate part of the survey was, and the heartbreaking part is, that 82 per cent of respondents who identify as a visible minority, say they have personal experiences of discrimination or racism,” explains Catherine Ludgate with Vancity.

Roughly 1,200 people responded to the survey. “Of that 82 per cent — 33 per cent of them have felt like a target of abuse. That’s disturbing. We think of ourselves as a tolerant and welcoming community,” says Ludgate.

“[And] 29 per cent of that 82 per cent say they believed they faced discrimination or they knew they faced discrimination based on their name. And 10 per cent said they felt they faced disadvantages because of their religious affiliation.”

But reality doesn’t always match perception.

The same survey found 82 per cent of British Columbians surveyed think multiculturalism has been “very good” or “good” for Canada and 76 per cent think the number of immigrants should remain the same (48 per cent) or increase (28 per cent).

“We think we’re doing better than we are,” says Ludgate. “We may talk a great game as British Columbians but reports like this show that we’re not doing as well as we could.”

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