Narratives of racism and anti-racism mobilization
Project Lead(s)
Team Members
(external link) Kushan Azadah, Amy Choi (external link) , John Carlaw, Phil Triadafilopoulos, Michael Cowan, Ava Redmond, Nisha Toomey
Sub-theme
Dominant and alternative narratives on immigration in Canada
Projects in this sub-theme examine how social media and ADTs influence politics, including immigration politics and public attitudes, focusing on Canada, its migrant and diaspora communities, as well as other countries and transnational public spheres, narratives, and discourses.
Objective
The paradoxes of having 96% of white and non-white Canadians believing that "racism is terrible" on the one hand, and 65% of non-white Canadians experiencing racism on the other, need to be contextualized, particularly in a polarized political environment where xenophobic, anti-immigrant rhetoric has increasingly become pervasive.
This project explores contemporary anti-immigrant narratives and asks where and how opponents of Canadian immigration policy mobilize in an institutional context marked by a stron pro-immigration consensus among major political parties.
Research question(s)
- Given the absence of anti-immigration discourse in official, parliamentary politics, where is opposition to immigration and immigrants expressed?
- Is there a 'racial subtext in Canada's immigration discourses,' when immigration-related policies are discussed in Canadian parliamentary debates?
- How are Canadian anti-immigration narratives influenced by those from other countries?
- What types of counter-mobilization strategies are fighting against racist, anti-immigration rhetoric?
Methodology
The project employs a multi-method approach, including critical discourse analysis of parliamentary and media communications, systematic online analysis of anti-immigration and pro-immigration narratives (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, etc.), as well as qualitative field research involving ethnography, interviews, and focus groups.
Status
This project is ongoing, research activities, including data analysis and coding, are underway. The team is also getting ready to present preliminary findings through multiple knowledge mobilization channels.
Expected completion: February 2026
Outcomes
Past events and conferences:
- Paper presented at the 27th Canadian Ethnic Studies Association Biennial Conference (external link) , in Edmonton, Alberta on November 14-16, 2024.
Related projects
- Contemporary Paradoxes and Struggles of Migration and Belonging in Canada (John Carlaw, Ethel Tungohan, Kushan Azadah, Ji Yon Amy Choi, Alireza Gorgani, Yousef Khalifa Aleghfeli)
Key words
Racism and anti-racism; anti-immigration narratives; social-justice mobilization; anti-immigration policies and discourse
