EVERYDAY RACISM

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Everyday Racism: Black and racialized Torontonians face more frequent discrimination

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TORONTO, March 21, 2023—According to the 2022 Toronto Social Capital Study, racialized Torontonians, and especially those who identify as Black, are significantly more likely to face discrimination on a regular basis than white residents of the city. In fact, racism is the most common form of discrimination in Toronto. 

"As we mark another International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, it’s critical that we examine the direct experiences of discrimination faced by Black and racialized Torontonians and the very detrimental effects it has on our society as a whole,” says Sharon Avery, president and CEO, Toronto Foundation.  

“The 2022 Toronto Social Capital Study provides the most in depth data on discrimination in Toronto,” says Andrew Parkin, executive director, Environics Institute. “Now we’re further exploring the findings through this research brief, Everyday Racism: Experiences of discrimination in Toronto. What’s clear is that, for many residents of our city, racism is a prevalent and persistent experience.”  

The data was gathered by asking over 4,000 Torontonians how often they experienced each of 10 types of discrimination, such as being thought of as dishonest or being followed around in stores

   SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

Racism is the most common form of discrimination in Toronto 

    • 61% of racialized Torontonians who experience discrimination, say the reason they are discriminated against is because of their ethnicity or race; this rises to 76% for Black Torontonians who experience discrimination.
    • The frequency of experiencing the 10 different types of discrimination covered in the survey were also combined into an index of everyday discrimination. Among the largest racial identity groups in the city, Black Torontonians have the highest index scores. White Torontonians (46%) are almost twice as likely as their Black counterparts (25%) to have a very low index score.

 

   BLACK TORONTONIANS

Black Torontonians report more frequent discrimination  

Fear

    • 18% of Black Torontonians experience people acting afraid of them at least a few times a month – twice the proportion of white Torontonians (9%);  
    • The proportion of Black Torontonians who report never experiencing people acting afraid of them (46%) is lowest among the largest racial identity groups in the city - 19 percentage points lower than white residents (65%).   

Suspicion 

    • 19% of Black Torontonians experience people acting as if they are dishonest at least a few times a month – twice the proportion of white Torontonians (9%);  
    • The proportion of Black Torontonians who say they are followed around in stores at least a few times a month (15%) is twice as high as than that of white Torontonians (7%);  
    • Only 2 out of 5 Black Torontonians (41%) report never being followed in stores, 28 percentage points lower than white residents (69%), and also much lower than the percentage of those from the other of the largest racial identity groups in the city.  

Being looked down upon

    • Black Torontonians are more likely than those from any of the other of the largest racial identity groups in the city to experience people acting as if they are better than them, at least a few times per month. This happens this frequently for 35% of Black Torontonians, compared to 23% of those who are white. 
    • The proportion of Black Torontonians who say that, at least a few times a month, other people act as if they think they are not smart is also higher than for any of the other of the largest racial identity groups in the city. This happens this frequently for 25% of Black Torontonians, compared to 17% of those who are white. 

 

   SOUTH ASIAN TORONTONIANS

South Asian Torontonians also experience many forms of discrimination on a regular basis 

  • South Asian Torontonians (20%) are more than twice as likely as those who are white (8%) to report receiving poorer service at restaurants and stores. 
  • South Asian Torontonians are the most likely of the largest racial identity groups in the city to report being treated with less respect than other people are, with 25% reporting they experience this at least a few times a month, compared to 14% of those who are white. 

 

RELATED FINDINGS

Launched by Environics Institute and Toronto Foundation, along 15 local partners, the 2022 Toronto Social Capital Study examined the experiences of discrimination for racialized Torontonians and how these experiences intersected with factors of individual and community wellbeing.  Disaggregated data is available for Torontonians who identify as Black, Chinese, South Asian, and white (these are the largest racial identity groups in the city) or as a member of another racialized group.   

 

   PARTNERS

The Study was launched by Environics Institute, Toronto Foundation and 15 local partners. 

    • Lead partners: Environics Institute, Toronto Foundation, Metcalf Foundation, MLSE Foundation, Northcrest, Ontario Trillium Foundation, TAS, United Way Greater Toronto, YMCA of Greater Toronto and Wellesley Institute.  
    • Collaborating partners: Atkinson Foundation, CAMH, CivicAction, The Counselling Foundation of Canada, Crosswalk Communities, Laidlaw Foundation and Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy.  
    • National survey partner: Community Foundations of Canada.

 

MORE INFORMATION

MEDIA CONTACT

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Claire DeVeale-Blane, director of communications

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