“The
Treatment of
Racialized Peoples in
Canada”
ELIZABETH SHIN
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The focus of my practicum was the topic of
racism and its influence on the treatment of
racialized peoples in Canada.
Specifically, I looked at exemplar cases of
“Driving While Black” (DWB) and “Flying
While Arab” (FWA).
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Why is this sociologically relevant?
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Has potential to dispel or challenge certain myths
Lead to a more open-minded or informed politics
Why is the issue of racial profiling a problem?
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Because Canada is a multicultural nation
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Critical Race Theory
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Argues that racism is the main factor that obstructs
racialized people from achieving equality (Degaldo, 1987;
Alyward, 1999)
Structure of society
Racism core role
“Colour-blind” approach
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Themes Found in Research:
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Research uncovered racialized inequalities in the
Canadian criminal justice system
Process of criminalization - Way we label or identify
immigrants
Post 9/11
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To what extent is racism in the criminal justice
system associated with the phenomenon of
“Driving While Black” (DWB) and “Flying While
Arab” (FWA)?
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Content Analysis
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Secondary data collection and analysis – within last 5-10
years
 News articles of cases
 Scholarly research
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Examined 4 cases (2-DWB & 2-FWA)
 DWB – Kingston and Wilson
 FWA – Arar and Toronto Four
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“Driving While Black” (DWB)
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Kingston Case (2001)
“Flying While Arab” (FWA)
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Arar Case (2003)
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Findings from this research help us understand the
nature of the connection between immigration and
crime by dispelling certain myths and bringing this
nexus more in line with the reality of minority or
immigrant conflict with the law.
“Once an immigrant, always an immigrant”
I conclude that there is no clear-cut line indicating
the specific extent of racism and its influence on
various outcomes within criminal justice.

Development of a formal policy because research
shows us that people are policed differently
according to individuals’ ethno-cultural
backgrounds
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Need to ensure that practice of racial profiling is
eliminated – because it exists, is discussed, and it
violates the human rights code and Charter (both of
which outlaw discrimination on the basis of ethnocultural background)

Build body of evidence that includes data about the
ethno-cultural background of those in conflict with
the law
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Draws on the perspectives from both victims of
racialized policing & officers making arrests

University of Manitoba


Faculty of Arts
Department of Sociology

Professor Lori Wilkinson

Professor Mary-Anne Kandrack
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Class of SOC 3100
THANK YOU!