"Let's Talk About Race" photos

[thessa516]

I agree with others that they're not especially deep photos. But I also am a little baffled by the defensive reactions around them. So I'll take one apart...

 

 

So, the photo seems so out there that it makes no sense to you? That confused feeling you feel looking at it? That's the whole point of the photo. You're literally saying that the photo is disconnected from reality and makes you feel confused. That's what it's trying to do. If you do to the store, the vast majority of doll lines still have a single POC doll or a black, Asian, Latina doll each and then a large variety of white dolls. It is absolutely possible for a black girl to stand in a store and see masses of white dolls. I see this happen at our Target, actually, and I assume it's because of stocking - the lines have more limited numbers of POC dolls and I live in a heavily African-American and Latinx neighborhood so those get cleared out first because there's a limited number of them compared to the white dolls. All white Barbies and Disney princesses left and all the Tianas bought already. I know of nowhere that a white girl could stand in a toy store aisle and be surrounded by only black dolls. That's the whole point. Doesn't mean there should be only black dolls. Doesn't mean that there aren't some black dolls. And anyone who thinks that the doll aisle is "so" multicultural these days is pretty deluded, just statistically speaking. Toy companies are still making and selling a lot more white dolls. In regards to this particular photo, doll companies are especially not selling many darker skinned black dolls.

 

As for the nail salons and housekeeping. The point the photo is trying to make is not that we should be seeking out white people to do those jobs. It's literally just to check your reaction when you see white people doing those jobs which are overwhelmingly done by people of a specific race. And if someone's reaction is to be defensive that it's not *my* fault that Asians went into the nail business and what am *I* supposed to do about that, and so on and so forth, then seeing this pushed your buttons and made you uncomfortable, which is something to think about.

 

I think I understand where you're coming from, but I think I didn't explain myself clearly. I'm not confused or shocked because of a white girl standing in front of POC dolls. I was confused why the photo was supposed to be jarring or shocking at all in the first place. Like others have stated in regards to that photo, I had to look for the race aspect to it.

 

As for your second paragraph, you completely missed my point. I think Bluegoat, whom I've quoted below, gets closer to my feelings on the subject. It literally doesn't matter to me what race my nail tech or housekeeper or grocery clerk or doctor or financial advisor is. It comes across as every white woman is inherently racist just because they are white. It literally does the opposite of pushing my buttons. It doesn't give me something to think about. It doesn't facilitate a productive dialogue. The photos are a dead-end for me. Oh look, you're supposed to be shocked and outraged when the races are reversed. If you are shocked, boom! proof you're racist. If you're not shocked and think the photos are disconnected, then boom! you're defensive and uncomfortable, and guess what, you need to go think about how racist you are. It's a dead-end, no-win for anyone conversation that keeps getting played over and over.

 

And dammit, don't I always kick myself when I join controversial threads.  :lol: I should know better than to address sensitive topics on the internet with complete strangers.

 

 

But what does it think our reaction is going to be?  If people notice that the picture is trying to change what the expected demographic would be, what does that say?  I think if people feel uncomfortable with it, it isn't likely because they are uncomfortable with the idea of a reversal or having noticed the flip. It's because they are uncomfortable that it seems like they are being accused of something by the magazine or photographer.  The photo seems to be making assumptions about the viewer that force them into a pre-ordained category.  It almost seems passive-aggressive.

[Farrar]

I think I understand where you're coming from, but I think I didn't explain myself clearly. I'm not confused or shocked because of a white girl standing in front of POC dolls. I was confused why the photo was supposed to be jarring or shocking at all in the first place. Like others have stated in regards to that photo, I had to look for the race aspect to it.

 

As for your second paragraph, you completely missed my point. I think Bluegoat, whom I've quoted below, gets closer to my feelings on the subject. It literally doesn't matter to me what race my nail tech or housekeeper or grocery clerk or doctor or financial advisor is. It comes across as every white woman is inherently racist just because they are white. It literally does the opposite of pushing my buttons. It doesn't give me something to think about. It doesn't facilitate a productive dialogue. The photos are a dead-end for me. Oh look, you're supposed to be shocked and outraged when the races are reversed. If you are shocked, boom! proof you're racist. If you're not shocked and think the photos are disconnected, then boom! you're defensive and uncomfortable, and guess what, you need to go think about how racist you are. It's a dead-end, no-win for anyone conversation that keeps getting played over and over.

 

And dammit, don't I always kick myself when I join controversial threads.  :lol: I should know better than to address sensitive topics on the internet with complete strangers.

 

I responded to the quote you pulled from Bluegoat already, so I'll reiterate a little, but... I think it's okay to acknowledge, without getting upset, that racism is the waters we swim in and that our system and all of us participating in it ARE inherently racist.

 

I don't think the photos are a dead end. They didn't push any buttons for me either... but I also didn't feel the need to be defensive about them. I don't think they necessarily are meant to "shock" people. I think they're simply meant to make people think. If you feel you've already done the kind of thinking that they are asking you to do, then why be defensive and critical about them? And if what you think when you look at them is that the photographer is trying to accuse you of being racist then that really says a lot about where we are in our national conversation about race.

 

Acknowledging that we all live and participate in a racist society is NOT a dead end to the conversation about race. It's the start.

[Guest]

I haven't read the thread, but here's my honest reactions:

 

1. The girl in the doll aisle. That one was uncomfortable, and I noticed immediately what the point was. But I've noticed how "white" the doll aisle is in the past and pondered over what it would be like to be a little girl of color. So this was not a new concept to me.

 

2. The housemaid. I must have lived in Texas too long, because I had to look and look and look before I figured out what that one was showing. I honestly think I'm a bit color blind when it comes to Latina/white because I've been surrounded by it for so long.

 

3. I did notice what the pedicure salon was showing, but I've never been to a salon owned/run by Asians before, so this one sorta left me asking why it was trying to perpetuate a stereotype. I thought it was just that, a stereotype. I didn't realize there was actual racism in that one??? I guess I'm a bit confused.

 

So, right or wrong, those are my reactions. Edited because I'm trying to type more than three words on my phone, and it came out a mess..

Edited May 31, 2017 by Kinsa

[thessa516]

Ahhh, I see. You believe that everyone is inherently racist. I disagree with that notion. I believe that saying we live in a racist society and that people are inherently racist is a step backwards in the conversation about race. I refuse to believe that because someone was born a certain race that s/he is inherently racist. I believe we live in a diverse society and that most people in our society don't believe that a person is inferior to them because of the color of his/her skin.

[Guest]

It's a little hard for me to get worked up about that, considering our country's history.

 

I'm not saying it's right or wrong--just that it is understandable.

 

See, that's the problem right there. You could probably see a 'whites only" sign and say it's wrong without thinking twice, but you can't bring yourself to say the same for the racist "black only."

 

To get rid of racism, ALL racism has to be called out as wrong and NOT tolerated. Period.

Edited May 31, 2017 by Fifiruth

[Guest]

BTW, the New York Times has only one point of view: extreme left.

 

I consider only neutral news sources to be reputable because they don't push an agenda with unrelenting propaganda.

 

Good luck to me in finding one.

[gstharr]

Interesting.  

 

I do admit though that the first thought that came into my mind was that toy store shelves are not filled with Caucasian dolls.   At least, that's not my memory of toy-store doll shelves.  (It's been a while.) 

 

The nail salon one - wow.  Is that an accurate portrayal?  I've never been in one.  I would think there would be more of a mix on both sides.  Sorry if that is clumsily worded; not meant to be insulting.  

 I chuckled at the nail shop photo because of this. 10 years ago, I would fly into Salt Lake City once a month for a day of appointments.  I would play a game of count the minorities I see on my trip.  Always less than 10 Blacks, a few Hispanics, and a few Asians.  Then driving to get something to eat at a place not that far away from the Temple, I spotted a nail shop--I'm going to triple my Asian count!!.  I actually pulled over.  Looked in the window.  Whites were doing the nails.  Been laughing about this ever since.

[Carrie12345]

I wasn't thinking about racISM until people ran to point out exceptions. The tug on my brain made me stop and think about what looks normal to minorities, and how it might feel to live in a world where those images, in reverse, ARE rather normal.

Edited May 31, 2017 by Carrie12345

[MercyA]

NM.

 

In light of other stuff going on, I don't have it in me to quibble tonight.

Edited June 1, 2017 by MercyA

[MercyA]

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you for your contributions to this discussion. 

Edited June 1, 2017 by MercyA

[Katy]

Seems like I read a book recently that was discussing the upper class (those who do have someone wait on them, not just do light cleaning once a week), and how they never hire someone with their own heritage as maids. The explanation was something to the effect of it being too much a reminder of, "There but for the grace of God go I," (phrase said to be from John Bradford).

[KarenC]

What caught my eye is that they are all women.

 

I thought the same thing.  Why are they all women?

[Bluegoat]

I think people will have the reactions they have. Sneezy mentioned that the photo with the dolls was a little triggering for her. Obviously everyone is going to bring their own context to viewing any image. I imagine that generally speaking white and POC viewers would have different reactions to these images. My own reaction when I saw them was to think, yes, slightly clever way to make a point, but not anything I haven't considered before.

 

One thing I think white people (including myself and I'm working on it) need to get over, is the perceived slight of being called racist. If someone looks at these photos and thinks, "This photographer/editor is calling me a racist!" instead of, "Gee, our society has some roles that are tied to race and I can stand to think about that for a minute" then I would say that's a prime example of white fragility. It shuts down conversation about race - and it wasn't the photographer who did the shutting down. I don't think the point of these photos is to demonize white people for being the ones getting their nails done or able to consistently buy dolls for our kids that represent their skin and hair tones. I think it's merely to make us think about that. If someone can't look at it and think about it - and think about it doesn't necessarily mean feel guilty or change anything or think the message is one you agree with, I literally just mean stop and reflect for a minute - instead of saying defensively, "It's not my fault!" and "I can't fix this!" and "I know lots of housekeepers who aren't Latina!" and "How dare they call me racist!" (as if it's really personal) then that's really a statement of where we are with race in this country. And not a good one.

 

I don't think it's about demonizing people.  But because some photographer thinks something is about race or is some kind of revealing image, doesn't mean it's true, or that it isn't being used for less than stellar motives.

 

I think these are kind of the visual equivalent of click-bait.  Identity politics in general are a dangerous approach, I think, and these aren't insightful enough to justify that. 

[Bluegoat]

I thought the same thing.  Why are they all women?

 

Was it a women's magazine?

[Arcadia]

Was it a women's magazine?

It was for Oprah magazine's May issue.

[Bluegoat]

I didn't have a reaction to the doll picture. The other two images were jarring. 

 

They were jarring because we don't see white women, as a group, in the role of servant to non-white women. Whereas - where I live, the nail salon one is the worst for this - the image of Asian women serving primarily white women's beauty needs can be observed in every single mall I've ever been in. 

 

To me, the images speak less of racism and more of colonialism (which, sure, is also racist, but carries extra and specific historical undertones.) 

 

I don't see the images as aggressively calling out anyone as a racist. They are quite simple, in a way, and easy to read, but reflecting on colonialism is always a deeper proposition.

 

It's interesting you see the salon thing that way.  You are much closer to Asia, so I wonder f that's a factor?

 

Here, I tend to group it in with a general trend for first generation immigrants to be small business owners, and usually these are businesses that employ families.  There are some general patterns - a few groups (Greeks, Chinese, Indian) tend to own food related places, there used to be a lot of Chinese laundries, most corner stores are owned by people of middle eastern origin, and also that group seems to own men's clothing stores.  And there are some other examples with Europeans who move here, or in other industries, as well.

 

As time goes on sometimes subsequent generations stay in the same businesses.

 

I don't see this as really being related to these things being service industries, or any colonial past - the explanations are pretty practical - being a business owner is one way to gain permanent resident status, many of those people come from places with a stronger tradition of small business ownership, their communities often make a point of helping newcomers find work, and in some cases it is because being self-employed is easier if your language skills are uneven.

[Guest]

See, that's the problem right there. You could probably see a 'whites only" sign and say it's wrong without thinking twice, but you can't bring yourself to say the same for the racist "black only."

 

To get rid of racism, ALL racism has to be called out as wrong and NOT tolerated. Period.

The hair thing is different. I'm a hair stylist by trade, or used to be, and I was effectively a "whites only" operation because I had abysmal training in natural hair. That wouldn't go both ways for a trained "ethnic stylist" but might for a black barber. For that matter, I was effectively women's only too because barbering is a different liscense.

 

The sign is a bit much but I can envision a scenario where it's tongue in cheek, and prefer to give the benefit of the doubt. Especially where the short end of the stick of systemic, malignant racism is concerned.

 

Moreover, whites only signs are emblematic. They can function as a symbol for the whole ugly business between reconstruction and the final death blow to Jim crow (itself a derogatory name) only 52..._fifty two!!_ years ago. By force, of course.

 

"Blacks only" signs aren't emblematic or symbolic of anything whatsoever. So it's natural, and perhaps pragmatic, not to think twice about a black barber hanging a blacks only sign. Maybe he's human garbage. Maybe it's a funny (in a gallows humor kind of way). Maybe if you're white he'd jack up your hair, so take heed. There's no tellin in the free-wheeling times in which we find ourselves!

 

I do appreciate your zeal for stomping out ALL racism EVERYWHERE, as I'm sure we all do.

[Ausmumof3]

I think for me when I read about injustice or whatever my brain tends to jump to do something mode. Whether it's buy fair trade chocolate or change brands of milk or run my own chooks.

 

So when I look at photos that seem to be pointing out injustice I tend to be looking for what I'm meant to change and I find it hard to see that. As far as dolls go I think there is some diversity in our aisles. But I guess the question is do people only buy dolls that look like themselves? If they mostly do then it's going to be reflective of the population make up.

 

My mil bought a black doll for my dd. I think it's nice and her hearts in the right place but it almost felt racist in a weird way. Like here - now you have a black doll so we've done all the right things and everything is ok.

 

I don't go to nail places and I don't have a maid. So it really doesn't mean much to me. I've noticed the mostly Asian nail places but assumed this was a choice thing.

 

So for me ultimately these kind of photos don't necessarily offer much because they don't offer any kind of follow up action.

[SKL]

I also think the whole project reflects a stereotype that white people think they are better and expect to be served by darker-skinned people.

 

Some (perhaps most) of us have never had the experience of being served by darker-skinned people.

 

At best this is about another time and place from my life experience.

 

It would have been interesting to see reactions to the doll thing several decades ago.  Not so much today.

 

FTR the only doll in stores that "looked like" my kids was Dora - and I find Dora extremely annoying, LOL.  I used to go to a web store called "dollslikeme.com" (which I think went out of business in recent years).  Even there, dolls that looked like my kids were rare, and usually came dressed in Native American garb.  I'm not sure why this would be.  It's not like there isn't a sizeable demographic with lots of buying power and indigenous American looks.

[StaceyinLA]

I've never gotten my nails done by a white person. I'm sure there are white people who do nails, but Asians drastically outnumber them. I was just in a nail salon on Mother's day and every person doing nails was Asian and every single person getting her nails done was white.

 

I love getting pedicures but I always wonder about the people working there. How long they've been in the US, if they are disappointed with their lives here, and if they have the means to fulfill other ambitions outside of this job.

Where we are the shops are owned and operated by Asians with Asian women (and men) doing the manicures/pedicures. The people on the receiving end of them are about 50/50 black-white. I have had exactly TWO pedicures in my life, but I do go in occasionally for an eyebrow wax.

[Sneezyone]

See, that's the problem right there. You could probably see a 'whites only" sign and say it's wrong without thinking twice, but you can't bring yourself to say the same for the racist "black only."

 

To get rid of racism, ALL racism has to be called out as wrong and NOT tolerated. Period.

 

So, out of curiosity, did you hop out of your car in this predominantly black community and ask the man about the sign to find out his purpose/intent or did you read about it somewhere? Your post made it sound like you saw the sign and spoke to the proprietor yourself.

[Sneezyone]

The hair thing is different. I'm a hair stylist by trade, or used to be, and I was effectively a "whites only" operation because I had abysmal training in natural hair. That wouldn't go both ways for a trained "ethnic stylist" but might for a black barber. For that matter, I was effectively women's only too because barbering is a different liscense.

 

The sign is a bit much but I can envision a scenario where it's tongue in cheek, and prefer to give the benefit of the doubt. Especially where the short end of the stick of systemic, malignant racism is concerned.

 

Moreover, whites only signs are emblematic. They can function as a symbol for the whole ugly business between reconstruction and the final death blow to Jim crow (itself a derogatory name) only 52..._fifty two!!_ years ago. By force, of course.

 

"Blacks only" signs aren't emblematic or symbolic of anything whatsoever. So it's natural, and perhaps pragmatic, not to think twice about a black barber hanging a blacks only sign. Maybe he's human garbage. Maybe it's a funny (in a gallows humor kind of way). Maybe if you're white he'd jack up your hair, so take heed. There's no tellin in the free-wheeling times in which we find ourselves!

 

I do appreciate your zeal for stomping out ALL racism EVERYWHERE, as I'm sure we all do.

DH got me a gift certificate once for a blow out and cut at some local salon that was offering a Mother's Day special. He didn't know enough to ask a black woman for recommendations so I called ahead and asked if they do black hair there. When I showed up the stylist did not look comfortable and the end result was a flyaway/bushy mess. It was a nice gesture by DH but I had to redo my own hair the minute I got home. A little truth in advertising goes a long way toward avoiding these things. The lack of signs in salon windows doesn't mean I'm welcome everywhere either. In my experience, stylists who work on kinky hair can work on pretty much any texture hair but the reverse is not true. Edited June 1, 2017 by Sneezyone

[PhotoGal]

I want to thank Farrar for putting some of my thoughts into words. I want to address this,but it is difficult to get across sometimes.

 

Growing up in the midwest, I was taught along the "I don't see race" mindset. It was as if by denying race we could somehow stop racism. I totally understand that point of view. But I have to admit that when I went to college and moved to a more diverse area, I expanded my understanding of the complexities involved in how race affects people in big and small (sometimes many many small) ways.  My family can "not see race" in my little brother (who is black, adopted as an infant), but the truth is that he is out in the world as a black man and is treated as such. Not recognizing the people around him have preconceived notions (whether they are aware of them or not) could actually be dangerous for him. 

 

I think it is also important to note that racism involves a power imbalance. So many injustices exist one way which are not necessarily racism when pointed the other way (although still could be called prejudice).

 

I guess that is part of what strikes me about the photos. Who has the power in each photo? Who owns the company who makes dolls and the store who chooses which dolls to carry? Who is serving whom and what does that mean? Maybe some of these things that we don't typically concern ourselves with are worth thinking about.

 

 

[momacacia]

Meh. We own a small business with 10-12 employees. One of our two engineers is Vietnamese, second generation. Her parents started and owned a restaurant for a living. Come to think of it, my husband's very Caucasian grandparents started and ran a restaurant, too, but it wasn't Asian food (somewhat disappointinglyðŸ˜).

 

Come to think of it, lots of STEM type jobs in our area are overflowing with people of Asian descent (and German). There was no picture about that. I mean, what's an Italian to do? (Build a Ferrari is the answer, I know, but still.)

[Guest]

DH got me a gift certificate once for a blow out and cut at some local salon that was offering a Mother's Day special. He didn't know enough to ask a black woman for recommendations so I called ahead and asked if they do black hair there. When I showed up the stylist did not look comfortable and the end result was a flyaway/bushy mess. It was a nice gesture by DH but I had to redo my own hair the minute I got home. A little truth in advertising goes a long way toward avoiding these things. The lack of signs in salon windows doesn't mean I'm welcome everywhere either. In my experience, stylists who work on kinky hair can work on pretty much any texture hair but the reverse is not true.

Aww haha nice try dh.

 

That what I meant by it doesn't go both ways if you've specialized in black womens hair, because of course not all black people have kinky curly hair, plus relaxers...

 

I actually transferred to "the black school" the last few months of my training where instruction was given in kinky curly hair (the other four schools gave zero!) And no black women would sit for me for hair cuts. They just flat out refused hahaha. I don't blame them **at all**. Every other student there had been doing black people's hair since they could move their fingers around, and I had at Max four months under my belt. Perms, color, roller sets: no problem. But I wasn't going near anyone with shears there.

 

 

The hair issue can be racism or it can be keeping your hair from getting messed all the way up!! White hair is extremely straightforward.

Edited June 1, 2017 by OKBud

[winterbaby]

It's interesting you see the salon thing that way.  You are much closer to Asia, so I wonder f that's a factor?

 

Here, I tend to group it in with a general trend for first generation immigrants to be small business owners, and usually these are businesses that employ families.  There are some general patterns - a few groups (Greeks, Chinese, Indian) tend to own food related places, there used to be a lot of Chinese laundries, most corner stores are owned by people of middle eastern origin, and also that group seems to own men's clothing stores.  And there are some other examples with Europeans who move here, or in other industries, as well.

 

As time goes on sometimes subsequent generations stay in the same businesses.

 

I don't see this as really being related to these things being service industries, or any colonial past - the explanations are pretty practical - being a business owner is one way to gain permanent resident status, many of those people come from places with a stronger tradition of small business ownership, their communities often make a point of helping newcomers find work, and in some cases it is because being self-employed is easier if your language skills are uneven.

 

Well, but it's been specifically documented that the relationship between Asian salon workers and their Asian employers is less than benign.

Human trafficking and labor exploitation in this country doesn't get the attention this deserves and I think that's partly because the details of it don't fit a narrative of good and bad arranged across a color line.

[Guest]

Bluegoat-- I assumed that these sorts of  issues involving race would have different nuances in Canada than in the US. Is that not true? And how do French identities affect racial relationships and power structures in Canada (if at all)? Does Canada have any 'colonial past,' or colonial present, separate from being a colony of England? I mean the US is an ex-colony obviously, but we have since...uh...stuck our fingers in other people's pies lol to say the least. But I am almost completey ignorant of Canadian foreign affairs. Domestic affairs too, for that matter.

[regentrude]

I admit that at first, I didn't "get" the second and third picture at all.

I have never been in a nail salon, but I guess hair salons would be similar? All the hair dressers I have ever had were Caucasian.

The rare cases of domestic help I encountered (I don't run in circles where people have maids) were all Caucasians as well.

 

ETA to clarify: I am not disputing the experience the images are supposed to address; all I am saying is that it is completely opposite to my personal experience where I live, which explains why the pictures just puzzled me.

 

Almost all the Asian women I know are engineering or math professors. (And the ones who aren't are wives of STEM profs.) 

Edited June 1, 2017 by regentrude

[SKL]

The Asian-American women I know are entrepreneurs, community leaders, professors, engineers, doctors, and finance professionals.  (Not to feed another stereotype!)

 

I don't even know what they would think of the idea of doing someone else's nails.  Would they think it demeaning or just another job?  Maybe I should ask ....

[gstharr]

The Asian-American women I know are entrepreneurs, community leaders, professors, engineers, doctors, and finance professionals.  (Not to feed another stereotype!)

 

I don't even know what they would think of the idea of doing someone else's nails.  Would they think it demeaning or just another job?  Maybe I should ask ....

 

The Vietnamese got the idea from Teppi Hedren.  http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32544343

[Bluegoat]

Bluegoat-- I assumed that these sorts of  issues involving race would have different nuances in Canada than in the US. Is that not true? And how do French identities affect racial relationships and power structures in Canada (if at all)? Does Canada have any 'colonial past,' or colonial present, separate from being a colony of England? I mean the US is an ex-colony obviously, but we have since...uh...stuck our fingers in other people's pies lol to say the least. But I am almost completey ignorant of Canadian foreign affairs. Domestic affairs too, for that matter.

 

There are similarities and differences, like a lot of things.  On historic issues, we have a lot of shared history with both the US and England.  So, slavery here for example did exist, but more on the timeline of the UK, and it didn't have the economic importance on some parts of the US.  In some places, like my province, there are large established black communities that came from the US as Loyalists - typically they were given land grants and settled in their own communities - usually on the worst farmland.  Other parts of the country have newer black communities from the Caribbean or Africa.  These groups all can have different history and experiences as a community.  There is a generational poverty effect in some of those communities, in particular the oldest ones.  I think, personally, that there is a tendency for those of european-descent to say race relations here are totally different, and blacks from those communities to say they are just the same, and it's likely somewhere in between.

 

There have also been some fraught periods with other immigrant groups.  Many Chinese came here to work om the railway, and were treated as cheap, expendable labour and not allowed to bring their families.  Many Japanese were interred in WWII and lost much of their property.  Those groups have suffered less in terms of lack of power generationally than black communities have, I think.  Although I live on the east coast and by far west coast has the larger Asian population.

 

Canada does share the British colonial past of course, the aspect most intimate to Canada is probably relations with First Nations peoples.  It's interesting, in some ways it seems to have had a different emphasis than the American  approach - it's tended to be more treaty based though that isn't universal. And today I think the general feeling people have is much more of a two-nations meeting kind of attitude.  But it also has plenty of really unsavoury aspects, I particular the residential schools, which at the very best could be considered a kind of paternalistic colonialism.  There is still a huge problem in this area, with issues like safe water on reserves, poverty, drug abuse, and a huge number of First Nations people incarcerated compared to the general population.

 

The French are interesting, they really are a little different than the rest of the country.  Historically they had good relations with some Native peoples, and the Metis are French and aboriginal.  Quebec today though has a lot of problems around race and language, especially outside of Montreal.  In many ways their cultural tenor is more like France - very secular to the point of wanting to extinguish visible religious symbols, and inclined to be distrustful of what is not francophone and culturally European.  An example is after the sovereignty referendum when the premier blamed the loss on immigrants.  When they go wrong, it tends to be a slide towards fascism.

 

Alberta, too, seems to have a different culture somewhat.

 

Back in the 60's and 70's, the country did embrace a multi-cultural philosophy.  It's not been totally successful all of the time, but I think many people do believe in principle that diversity is important and not something to be afraid of. 

 

I find Canada is in an interesting place with this - a lot of shared history but some differences that can be suggestive.  Plus, we see the American experience very close up - sometimes too close, especially with social media, I see young people at times forgetting that we aren't the same country.