Strangers in Paradise

First, people tend to support business establishments owned and operated by the people of their own backgrounds, Whites will like to do business with whites. Blacks will try to sport black businesses. Unfortunately, Asian businesses have no other alternative but to depend upon the people from their own background to do business with. These Asian immigrants are afraid of expanding or starting a new business in other than their own community. According to the Time Magazine article, there is a great resistance among Black Americans, " who do not like 'foreign' businesses to take money out of their neighborhoods." Because of the same attitude, almost every big North American City, including Toronto, has several areas of business, which only belong to different ethnic communities.

The second area where the seeds of racism can be found, is the job market. In the common job market situation, for example, corporations, factories, and government jobs, minority groups often complain about favoritism and discrimination. I can understand the feeling and frustration of the Indian doctor, who have to accept lower paying jobs because of racial discrimination. I personally had the same experience when I applied for a carpet salesperson's job. This job was advertised in local newspapers by a very well known carpet store with more than one location in the city. During the interview, the manager told me I was the most suitable and experienced person for the job. He was quite impressed with my knowledge and my seventeen years experience in the field. He told me he was going to hire me, but still he had to get his boss or owner's approval. After a few weeks of waiting without any response, I called the manager to remind him of our interview. He said, "I am sorry. Because of company policy, we are unable to offer you a job at this time." He never explained the policy clearly to me, but gave me impression that his boss did not want any colored person in his organization. This discrimination made me feel humiliated, hurt and insecure. I was not able to do anything but was very angry. Now, when I think about that time, I realize that because of their discriminative policy they are loosing a lot of talented people that they could profit from. If they had considered my abilities, rather than my color, the company might have benefited from my knowledge and experience.

The third kind of racial discrimination is very visible in everyday life. Generally people do not feel comfortable with groups who are not of their own background. So they do not make friends out of their own racial community. They only go to gatherings, socialize or marry with their own kind. Inter-racial marriages are often confronted with resistance and hatred. I know a friend from Pakistan, who married an Italian, lady. He is having a lot of problems with his wife's parents and family. People also prefer to live in the community of their own ethnic backgrounds. Some people are so racially oriented they even resist others trying to live in their residential community. As the Time Magazine article reported, "Local hostility forced Asian Indians out of Washington State in 1907. During World War II, Japanese Americans were forced to liquidate their assets and relocate to detention camps." Note that nothing has changed since 1907. Some Americans still discriminate against and hate Asians, and want to throw them out of America if they can.