How did I become a minority citizen in my own country?

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   Dave Mathewsposted 13 years ago

   I am a Male, Canadian born, English speaking, Anglo-saxon, Caucasian, Christian, Senior citizen,who today in a multi-cultural metropolitian society has become a visible minority in my own country. How is it possible that I am a visible minority in my homeland?

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      prettydarkhorseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Kuya Dave because of international intermarriages, and  international migration. Canada is a receiving country, the laws are easier for migrants to enter the country.

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         Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Ate Maita: I am aware of this but it does not lessen the fact that I have become minority citizen in my own country. I am starting to feel like a second-class citizen instead of being a naturally born citizen.

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            Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Well Dave, it seems as though, political fear and religious fear which drives society, continues to show itself in many ways.

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            prettydarkhorseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I am sure the Filipino community there makes you special as they look up to you for spiritual guidance. Maybe the government?? do you want a change for some laws and rules. The thing is once you are naturally born or your citizenship was acquired through immigration, laws and privileges apply to all.

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               Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Ate Maita, all who know me, all who know the real me, love me and respect me and look up to me but possible employer, ask the question on their application forms; "Do you consider yourself a 'Visible Minority'?" Because I am a senior citizen, because I am over qualified, because in Toronto, there are fewer and fewer Canadian Caucasian Citizens, seeking work, I consider myself as a "Visible Minority" and people who have substantially less training and qualifications are getting hired over me. This really upsets me.

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                  prettydarkhorseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  I understand now what you mean. Those are businessmen for you, they will always find a way to lower wages and those who are willing to accept lower wages will be hired.

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                     Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Ate Maita I have yet to reach the point in a job interview where I am asked what wage I would be willing to work for. That sort of question is usually asked just before hiring as a part of negotiating.

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                        prettydarkhorseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                        Kuya Dave, the reality is that there will always be discrimination by age, sex, race, social status - education, standing in the community, profession and income.
                        
                        Sad but true.

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      Ralph Deedsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      The same way the Native Americans became a minority in their own country. I do sympathize with your difficulty in finding a job. Many employers do discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, religion and other irrelevant factors. And in the U.S., at any rate, employment discrimination can be hard to prove.

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         Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Ralph what ticks me off to no end is that Human Resources asks the question on Application Forms, "Do you see yourself as a 'Visible Minority' if so Why? For someone like myself I see that as reverse descrimination.

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      Daniel Carterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      So in other words, you don't want the change that the world around you has brought. Perhaps you want time to stand still, and everything revert back to the way it was, where you thought you were safe.
      
      That's a dream that a lot of people have, and it obviously has nothing to do with reality. What is real is what is now. Now is the only place you can make changes for the better. If you don't like your reality, then you may want to consider changing it. Part of change is the way we look at things and our attitude about it.

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      Flightkeeperposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You are experiencing what the native Canadian experienced.

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      Sed-meposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know, but I enjoy your band, sir.

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      Don Wposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I don't understand.
      
      74% of the population is white.
      76% self-identify as Christian.
      80% speak English.
      
      In what respect are you a minority (apart from being male, a senior citizen, and born in Canada)?
      
      Besides, we're all in a minority of 1 because each of us really is unique.

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         gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Don W, thank you.   All this Caucasians will be/is a minority is just pure speculation.   Caucasians are the majority in Canada and the United States.
         
         
         Speculators are fond of conjectures, indicating that by 2030, Caucasians will be a minority with non-Caucasians-Latinos, Blacks, and Asians being the majority.  However, such will not be the case.  Although the birth rate of non-Caucasians, especially Latinos, is higher than Caucasians, it will eventually decrease as non-Caucasians, especially Latinos and Blacks, become more socioeconomically affluent and educated.  Blacks used to be the largest minority; however, with increased education and more job opportunities, many have advanced to the middle and upper middle classes and with more education and affluence, the birth rate among Blacks decreased.   The same will be with Latinos.   By the sheer numbers of Caucasians in both Canada and the United States, there is NO chance that they will become minorities in these respective countries.

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         Sed-meposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         This thread is 3 years old, I don't think he's going to respond... plus he's probably on tour.

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            gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            No, the OP has been BANNED from HubPages entirely.  Just click under OP's username.

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   C.J. Wrightposted 13 years ago

   Decrease in majority birth rate combined with an increase in minority birth rate? Bad immigration policy? Lots of reasons are possible.

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   shoganposted 13 years ago

   As important a question, Dave, is does it matter?  I'm not sure why you're asking, but it seems like the answer clearly could be a multitude of reasons.  I'd say embrace change.  It would be dull if things stayed the same.

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      kephriraposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I bet you're writing that comment from a place where this hasn't happened. The trouble with it isn't about race, it is about culture - when  you don't feel like you belong in a place because it is dominated by a foreign culture. Everyone should be able to have a place that is home, including every culture.

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         I am DB Cooperposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         But culture is always changing. If someone from 1950's America were to hop in a time machine and travel to 2010 America they would feel very out of place. Foreign culture is just one of many things that causes cultural change. I would say technology has just as much of an influence. You CAN have a place that is home, in your own home. You can't stop a culture from changing in a free society.

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         shoganposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         No, I don't think I am.  I don't feel at all like I belong to a particular culture, aside from American.  I wouldn't know a "foreign culture" if it sat down in front of me at this point.

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         Janice Marquisposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I feel the exact same as him. I am a white female whose family came to canada in 1634 from one side. I am not a seniour but I am in my 40s now. I am from eastern canada where we have always been treated as second class citizens compared to the other provinces such as Ontario and Quebec,although we are the oldest province in Canada. I moved to ottawa and I cannot find work for almost 3  years now,but the global recession hit here in 2008.That coupled with 400,000 TFWs a year taking jobs away from locals, coupled with massive immigration,automation, companies moving to asia, companies moved to the U.S due to massive hydro bills in ontario due to liberal mismanagement- we lost 325,000 manufacturing union jobs in the past10 years.
         
         Ottawa is slowly becoming like toronto. Hardly anyone speaks english,they are stuck in their cultures and foreign dresses. You have some men treat women awful due to their backward arab cultures. French people here have priviledge in hiring. You are correct that if you are white and do not speak french you are treated as a second class citizen especially in govt offices and if you are single and do not hold a job for life. I am battlling this right now in my life,being harassed by govt workers. I cannot even find stable housing or work and no one will help me but some immigrants come and land here and have a free house lined up and a big cheque is cut for them. We also have alot of gangs here now that are foreign, we did not have gangs here 20 years ago.

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            Janice Marquisposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            and its sad to see your north american culture dying every day. These people call themselves canadian only for all the social services they get for free including free medical.They have no intention of'changing" although previous waves of immigrants were forced to change and we not allowed to keep their languages and cultures (for example the scots and Irish).

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      Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      My reason is I'm unemployed, The Question is asked on Job Applications about being a visible minority,I'm 63,I'm Canadian Born, I'm over qualified, and the people getting the jobs are immigrants with no training or Canadian experience. That to me is reverse discrimination.

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         Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Hey Dave, the dumbest thing I've ever heard of is being "over" qualified for a job. It's just a company's position to maintain cost effective workers. Or distortion if you want to get to the truth.

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            Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Cagsil: I know what you're saying about over qualified and I agree with you but it is the term being used today by management for not hiring someone they need not train in their ways. The jobs I am applying for I have 10 years experience and specialized training in all aspects. Management wants a "YES DONKEY" an employee who will blindly follow orders regardless if it is dangerous or not and who is willing to perform slave labour until they drop.

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   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   How did I become a minority citizen in my own country? What says you have become a minority citizens?
   
   Minority and Majority is subjective to an individual's perspective. Anything can be seen as a minority and anything can be seen as a majority.
   
   So, I guess it boils down to how "minority" and "majority" are being defined at any given time.

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      Rafiniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know, I think I'd disagree with you about Minority & Majority being subjective.
      
      A Majority is anything over 51%.
      
      A Minority is anything less than the Majority.

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         Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         It's subjective, because it can be applied however one choose to apply it.
         
         Example: Middle class Americans are a majority? The Wealthy are a Minority.
         
         Understand?

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            Rafiniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I do, but probably not as you intended. 
            
            The middle class are a majority because there are more people in the middle class than the wealthy or the lower class.  (numbers don't lie - it can't be subjective because the number of people in middle class isn't dependent on a single persons mind)
            
            The Wealthy are a minority, because there are less wealthy people.  (again, numbers don't lie - it can't be subjective.  the number of wealthy people is based on something outside an individual persons mind)

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               Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               It is the application. Nevermind.

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         Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Facing the various different nationalities in my country, especially in my city, I am a visible minority today.

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   GmaGoldieposted 13 years ago

   I, myself, am confused.  As an apparent Caucasian person, my family tells me that we have Indian (American - red from New Mexico) and also Moroccan blood.  So what do I put on job applications - of two or more - but it is remote and a small percentage and their application has no other place for a pure mutt.
   
   Yes, I am pure mutt and admit it proudly.  An American mutt filled with tons of diversity.
   
   All of this and my Grandmother was mad I was named Kelly because she stated then the public would know we had Irish roots! 
   
   Yes, Grandmother tried to teach me ethnicity - which names were German but I didn't see the sense in that and Grandfather agreed.
   
   The world is changing - the definitions of minority hopefully will become extinct.
   
   Meanwhile, I remain your faithful "American mutt".

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      Ralph Deedsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Good for you, Gma!

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   I think CJ Wright pointed toward the most obvious answers.
   Dave, you say you are a senior citizen. When you were born whites married whites (for the most part). Over time, interracial marriage has become more common and accepted.
   Other ethnicities procreate at a higher rate than whites.
   I don't know the demographics of where you live, but I would venture to guess that the population is skewing younger as the WWII generation dies off and Baby Boomers are no longer the dominant group.
   I live in California and our population is shifting as well.
   Personally, I like living in a multicultural environment. My Irish immigrant grandparents had their day (and passed on a proud heritage!). Newer immigrant groups are Americans too.
   Vive la difference!

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   prettydarkhorseposted 13 years ago

   I think the Bureau of Labor Stat has statistics for incomes and they are the ones classifying citizens whether they are middle class etc irregardless of social status. Based on pure income only.

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      Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      And statistics are never wrong?
      
      Statistics are never manipulated?

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         prettydarkhorseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         That is the only estimates and data we can have as the govt is the one responsible for that data.  If they manipulate data, then they are fooling themselves. Probably they smoothed it out a bit perhaps

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            Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            And, what about incomes that are not included because people don't report them?
            
            You don't have to answer that.

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   Muldanianposted 13 years ago

   As a native English person living in Birmingham, England I too know what it is like to be in a minority.  Although I am only 38, I have seen huge changes in the poulation in my lifetime.  As a child, English people made up the majority of Birmingham's population, now they are a minority.  This is as a result of decades of immigration to the city, an exodus of English people away from the city and the low birth rate of the English compared to those who have made Birmingham their home.
   
   I see this as a process of worldwide migrations.  In previous centuries, it was white people who made up the greatest number of migrants.  Europeans, who made the Americas their home were the immigrants of their day.  So, strictly speaking, white people are not the natives of Canada, the USA or Australia.  The only place white people are truly native is in Europe.  But, as so many millions have left Europe over the centuries, and as a result of two world wars, family planning and the fact that so many Europeans are now single and are choosing not to have families until later in life, if at all, then new people are needed to replace the declining native Western European population.  In Italy there are whole villages, where only a handful of people live, and homes are empty.  If Western Europe is to survive then it will have to be with new people, who come from Asia, Africa and the Middle East.  Canada may be in the same position.

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      Janice Marquisposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      This is all propoganda my dear.We are not having kids because we are pushed into poverty and immigrants are replacing us by taking away our opportunities to live a great life!

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   Zelkiiroposted 9 years ago

   Historically and globally speaking, we Caucasians have always been in the minority. It just so happens that our lame lily-white Western civilization is finally becoming more representative of the world at large.

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