Narratives of racism and anti-racism mobilization

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.

1. Given the absence of anti-immigration discourse in official, parliamentary politics, where is opposition to immigration and immigrants expressed?
2. Is there a 'racial subtext in Canada's immigration discourses,' when immigration-related policies are discussed in Canadian parliamentary debates?
3. How are Canadian anti-immigration narratives influenced by those from other countries?
4. What types of counter-mobilization strategies are fighting against racist, anti-immigration rhetoric?

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.

This project is ongoing and Phase 2 research activities are underway.

Expected completion: February 2026

• 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)

Racism and anti-racism; anti-immigration narratives; social-justice mobilization; anti-immigration policies and discourse