There is a growing consciousness but racism still a humiliating reality in Winnipeg, says BIPOC panel

A Filipino health-care worker in Manitoba says its not uncommon to be told to back off and bring in the white worker instead, while a black Winnipeg woman recalls being asked, while serving at a fast food restaurant, if there were debit machines in her country.

As the City of Winnipeg launched its first-ever anti-racism week, CBC's Information Radio hosted a three-person panel to share their experiences and hopes for a better future.

There have been leaps of progress in the six years since Maclean's magazine dubbed Winnipeg the most racist city in Canada, but racism and its dehumanizing impact is still felt daily, said members of the panel.

"A lot of people are having a lot of conversations around racism and anti-racism work and how to do that self-education. There's so many resources out there and people are taking the time to do that learning — and unlearning," said Sadie-Phoenix Lavoie, a two-spirit Anishinaabe from Sagkeeng First Nation

"I think a lot of people are starting to look across the intersectional lens … and are now understanding how a lot of us are very affected by white supremacy and systemic racism and oppression, and are coming together and supporting each other's voices and uplifting them."

Arya, the Filipino health-care worker, whose real name is not being used as she fears it could jeopardize her career, agrees there has been much more dialogue and visible action, like rallies and marches. 

But the message doesn't reach everyone. She spoke about people who refuse care because of her skin colour.

"You're left feeling lacking confidence because they're choosing people of a different colour than you," Arya said, noting the intolerance also comes from coworkers.

"We've been told 'you're here in Canada just to steal money from Canadians. It's not every day but we do experience those things and there are times when you're at the end of your rope and you need to stand your ground to feel humiliated anymore."

Reem Elmahi, president of the University of Manitoba Black Student's Union, was once subjected to someone screaming "immigrant" at her.

"As if that was a bad thing," the Ontario-born Canadian said.

She also recalled working at a fast food restaurant and asking a customer if they were paying cash or debit. The customer asked "do you even have debit machines in your country?"

When Elmahi explained she was Canadian, the customer then insulted her ancestry.

"People need to stop assuming that BIPOCs are not real Canadians or that we're all immigrants. There's nothing wrong with that, but they say it to make us feel othered," she said.

Earlier this month, when Mayor Brian Bowman announced March 21-27 as anti-racism week, he called it an opportunity for awareness and "to really shine a bright spotlight into the darkness," saying racism remains present and "requires an unrelenting resolve from all of us pushing it back."

A number of initiatives have been organized in Winnipeg in the hopes of starting a city-wide conversation exploring ways to identify and eliminate systemic racism.

The fact there is more open discussion about racism and a strong contingent of BIPOC individuals leading the charge, gives Reem cause for optimism. But she's hesitant about people being too pushy about wanting victims of racism to share their stories.

"It's great that a lot of people want to learn about racism right now but I'm afraid for asking random Black Indigenous People of Colour about their experience because they can be reliving a traumatic event," she said.

Instead, she suggests people read books, listen to podcasts by respected and educated BIPOC people, and seek out the many resources that exist, as mentioned by Lavoie.

Arya, too, welcomes the anti-racism movement — Black Lives Matter and more recently, Stop Asian Hate — and acknowledges there will be difficult conversations.

"Mistakes will be made but we have to keep learning and keep trying," she said.

"It's the only way the world will move forward."