HOLD THE HYPHEN

{LETTER TO THE EDITOR, NATIONAL POST}

MORE THAN FIVE MILLION OF US DESCRIBED OURSELVES AS PLAIN OLD CANADIANS IN THE LAST CENSUS. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE BUREAUCRATS OF STATSCAN, WHICH HAS BECOME MORE OF A POLITICAL LOBBY AND LESS OF AN IMPARTIAL GATHERER OF FACTS.

STATSCAN MAKES NO SECRET OF WHY IT ASKS US ABOUT OUR RACE: IT NEEDS THAT INFORMATION FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO DESIGN ITS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS. THE TROUBLE WITH FIVE MILLION PEOPLE CHOOSING “CANADIAN” IS THAT THE BUREAUCRATS HAVE NO IDEA WHO HAS DARK SKIN AND WHO LIGHT. SO STATSCAN IS THINKING OF REMOVING “CANADIAN” AS A CHOICE.

STATSCAN’S CLUMSY LIST OF OFFICIAL ETHNIC CHOICES INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM SKIN COLOURS TO CONTINENTS TO CITIZENSHIPS. THIS IS LESS SCIENCE THAN POLITICS. INDEED RACIAL INVENTORIES ARE ALWAYS ABOUT POLITICS. THE RACE-BASED REGIMES OF SLAVE-ERA AMERICA, NAZI GERMANY AND APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA EACH TRIED TO INVENT A SCIENTIFIC VENEER TO COVER THEIR POLITICS. ANTEBELLUM U.S. LAWMAKERS DEVISED A RACIAL TAXONOMY, WITH SUCH WORDS AS QUADROON AND OCTAROON. THE NAZIS HAD A LEGAL DEFINITION OF HOW MUCH JEWISH BLOOD WAS TOO MUCH. SOUTH AFRICA EMPLOYED RACIAL INSPECTORS WHO MEASURED THE CURL OF PEOPLE’S AFROS AND THE SIZE OF THEIR FACIAL FEATURES TO MAKE THEIR RACIAL DETERMINATIONS.

WHENEVER A GOVERNMENT DEMANDS THAT WE IDENTIFY OURSELVES BY RACE, CANADIANS OUGHT TO WORRY.

LET CANADIANS ANSWER THESE DOOR-TO-DOOR INTERROGATORS THE SAME WAY THEY WOULD IF ANY OTHER HUCKSTER WHO CAME TO THEIR HOMES WITH INTRUSIVE QUESTIONS. IF THIS STRANGER ASKS ABOUT YOUR RACE, TELL THEM, “I’M CANADIAN, PERIOD.”

DEFINITIONS

ANTEBELLUM == BEFORE THE WAR; OFTEN MEANING BEFORE THE U.S. CIVIL WAR.

QUADROON == THE OFFSPRING OF A MALATTO AND A WHITE PERSON; A PERSON HAVING ONE NEGRO GRANDPARENT.

OCTAROON == THE OFFSPRING OF A QUADROON AND A WHITE PERSON; A PERSON HAVING ONE NEGRO GREAT-GRAND PARENT.

POLITICS == THE ADMINISTRATION AND ORCHESTRATION OF PEOPLE.

SCIENCE == KNOWLEDGE [FACTS OR PRINCIPLES] GAINED BY SYSTEMATIC STUDY.

HYPHENATED CANADIANS QUESTIONS

(IN CONJUNCTION WITH LETTER TO THE EDITOR)

1) WHAT IS A HYPHENATED CANADIAN?

2) DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A HYPHENATED CANADIAN? (DO YOU HYPHENATE IN YOUR FAMILY?)

3) WHY DO SOME PEOPLE, LIKE THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR, DISLIKE THE CONCEPT OF HYPHENATED CANADIANS?

4) WHY DO SOME PEOPLE REFUSE TO SELF-IDENTIFY ON THE BASIS OF ETHNO-RACIAL IDENTITY?

5) IS THERE A "POLITICAL MOTIVE" BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (LIKE STATS CAN) FOR COLLECTING DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (ON ETHNO-RACIAL BACKGROUND)?

6) ARE INDIVIDUALS IN EVERYDAY LIFE FREE TO SELF-IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS CANADIAN, RATHER THAN AS A ETHNIC OR RACIAL GROUP?

7) IF EVERYBODY IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS CANADIANS, LIKE THE LETTER SUGGEST, WOULD 'RACE-BASED REGIMES" AND "INEQUALITY" DISAPPEAR?

8) WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A "SCIENTIFIC" DESIGNATION OF ETHNO-RACIAL CATEGORIES AND A "POLITICAL" ONE?

9) ARE "RACIAL TAXONOMIES" (BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATIONS) DANGEROUS (AS LETTER SUGGESTS)?

10) SO, WHAT IS CANADIAN CULTURAL IDENTITY?

I AM CANADIAN

I'M NOT A LUMBERJACK OR A FUR TRADER. I DON'T LIVE IN AN IGLOO OR EAT BLUBBER OR OWN A DOG SLED. AND I DON'T KNOW JIMMY, SALLY, OR SUZY FROM CANADA, ALTHOUGH I'M CERTAIN THEY'RE NICE. I HAVE A PRIME MINISTER, NOT A PRESIDENT. I SPEAK ENGLISH AND FRENCH, NOT AMERICAN. AND I PRONOUNCE IT ABOUT, NOT ABOOT. I CAN PROUDLY SEW MY COUNTRY'S FLAG ON MY BACKPACK. I BELIEVE IN PEACEKEEPING, NOT POLICING. DIVERSITY, NOT ASSIMILATION. AND THAT THE BEAVER IS A TRULY PROUD AND NOBLE ANIMAL. A TOQUE IS A HAT, A CHESTERFIELD IS A COUCH. AND IT IS PRONOUNCED ZED, NOT ZEE, ZED. CANADA IS THE SECOND LARGEST LANDMASS, THE FIRST NATION OF HOCKEY AND THE BEST PART OF NORTH AMERICA. MY NAME IS JOE, AND I AM CANADIAN! (WWW.IAM.CA.)

SOCIOLOGICAL QUESTION AND AFTERMATH

UNLIKE THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR, THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND QUESTION IS NOT ---- “IS IT WRONG FOR PEOPLE-CATEGORIES {ETHNICITY — ‘ETHOS’ — MY PEOPLE == OR == RACE — “RAZZA” – BREED, LINEAGE, COMMON DESCENT} TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING FROM SKIN COLOURS TO CONTINENTS TO CITIZENSHIPS?”

— BUT —

“WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF USING {HOW AND WHY DOES IT BECOME SIGNIFICANT TO USE} ETHNO-RACIAL CATEGORIES TO UNDERSTAND AND ORGANIZE THE WORLD?

THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR’S UNGROUNDED ASSUMPTIONS

{{{IF YOU BEGIN WITH CONTAMINATED PROPOSITIONS YOU END WITH “CONTAMINATED” CONCLUSIONS}}}

1) COLLAPSES THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN “ETHNICITY” AND “RACE” == [IF IT SEES A DISTINCTION IT IS UNCLEAR, AND IF IT DOES NOT THEN IT IS CONFUSED == IT USES THIS UNCLEAR AND CONFUSED PROPOSITION TO MAKE A SEEMINGLY CLEAR POINT OR CONCLUSION].

2) IMPLIES THE GOVERNMENT DEMANDS WE IDENTIFY OURSELVES BY RACE, WHEN IN FACT THE GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO SELF-IDENTIFY BY ETHNICITY.

3) SUGGESTS THAT “THE GOVERNMENT” USES INFORMATION ON RACE TO DESIGN “AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS” WHEN THERE ARE NO GOVERNMENTAL AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS IN CANADA.

4) CALLS “OFFICIAL ETHNICITY” CATEGORIES AS “UNSCIENTIFIC” AND “DANGEROUS” == AND ATTEMPTS TO SUBSTANTIATE THE CRITIQUE BY EQUATING HISTORICAL AND REPRESSIVE “RACE-BASED REGIMES”

5) FAILS TO EVEN ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN WHY HIS POSITION [THE UNDEFINED “I’M CANADIAN”] IS MORE SOUND, OR SCIENTIFIC, OR OTHERWISE AUTHORITATIVE.

***SOCIOLOGICAL MORAL OF THE STORY === TRUE COMPREHENSION FIRST REQUIRES “PRECISION” AND “CLARITY” IN CONCEPTUALIZATION {{{ANALYTIC TOOLS}}}.

THE SOCIOLOGICAL RATIONALE

EX: SOCRATES VERSION OF “CLEAR-HEADNESS” IS STILL THE HISTORICAL EXEMPLAR FOR SOCIOLOGY HERE ===

EX: — HE ADVOCATED THE THEORY OF “ANTINOMY” REFERING TO “THE OPPOSITION BETWEEN LAWS OR PRINCIPLES — A CONTRADICTION” === MEANING — “A THING CANNOT BE ITSELF AND ITS OPPOSITE [I.E., NOT ITSELF] AT THE SAME TIME” === THEREFORE — IN ORDER TO HAVE A “GOOD SOCIETY” WE HAVE TO AVOID CONTAMINATED THINKING AND UNDERSTANDINGS AT ALL COST.

;;;

SOCRATES SOCIOLOGICAL LEGACY IS THAT WE STILL BELIEVE IN OUR DISCIPLINE THAT THE GOOD LIFE IS ACHIEVED THROUGH “PRAXIS” — THEORY INFORMED BY ACTION IN PURSUIT OF THE “RATIONAL” SOCIETY.

{FOR SOCRATES THERE IS NO SEPARATION BETWEEN IDEA FROM THEIR CONSEQUENCES — THEORY FROM PRACTICE.}

APPLIED SOCIOLOGY IS ABOUT VIABLE ACTION AND SOLUTIONS TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

— OR —

APPLIED SOCIOLOGY IS ABOUT CREATING CULTURES IN WHICH PEOPLE FLOURISH.