This problem of race is in every profession, all over North America & Europe. Of course, this problem is more defined in some professions than others. This is one of the primary reasons why a majority of immigrants, regardless of intelligence & competence, never rise to the top, whereas, Caucasians, with their entrenched networks in the society, get to the top of their career ladders, much more easily.
Furthermore, I get confused when people tell me to network to land plump jobs. Yes, statistically, it is proven that about 80% of the jobs are found through networking & those jobs are usually the good ones. Problem is that the people in your network are not only ready to help, but are also influential enough in their own organization, by virtue of their own positions or through their networks, that they can get you in the door, for those plump jobs.
That's where immigrants have problems. Their networks are usually full of people of similar backgrounds, & hence, they are, in all likelihood, are in the same boat as you, with having the same kind of "weak" network. They themselves are in the lower levels of corporate hierarchy in their own companies, & hence, they are devoid of any influence, & their networks are full of people who also don't command much influence, if any at all.
So, the most probable end result will be a two-tier society, with most of the Caucasians in the society at the upper tier (who got there with their entrenched & strong networks) & most immigrants are left in the lower tier (due to a lack of an entrenched & strong network). Eventually, that gap in workplaces carries into income & wealth gap, which affects immigrant families in regards to their residence location (ghettos at the extreme), kids in criminal activities, educational & recreational activities available to kids etc.
Sometimes, I think, that North America & Europe may have abolished slavery decades & centuries ago, but this concept of "networking for jobs" is creating nothing else than more slaves to serve the Caucasians of North America & Europe. History seems to be repeating itself again.
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While he has encountered blatant racism – a client once called him a “sandwich boy,” – Toronto lawyer Shawn Richard says it is the invisible barriers non-white lawyers face that remain harder for many to overcome.
Mr. Richard, 36, an associate at a Toronto family law firm, says in law school he felt surrounded by white students who, unlike him, all seemed to have family members in the profession or appointed to the bench.
“The legal profession is still a profession where you find that lawyers are often the children of lawyers. Race affects that issue only because the legal profession is still a white profession,” he said in an interview. “If you’re not white, chances are your parents are not lawyers & judges & politicians in this country.”
This kind of subtle barrier is among those laid out in a Law Society of Upper Canada consultation paper that says many lawyers from black, Asian & Middle Eastern backgrounds feel alienated by the dominant white culture of many of the province’s law firms, where conversations among white lawyers are often about “playing golf, going to the cottage & watching hockey.”
This feeling of not fitting in, the report says, has real consequences. The lack of a built-in network of family & friends already in the legal profession, the report says, adds to the trouble some from non-white backgrounds have finding mentors to champion careers. The result is that many non-white lawyers end up leaving larger firms for smaller firms or to practise on their own.
The Law Society’s report says 57% of Ontario lawyers who self-identified as “racialized” told an online survey they felt disadvantaged in their career. Large percentages also said their background was a barrier to entering the profession, & felt they had to perform to a higher standard than other lawyers.
The report, on which the law society has been holding consultations, recommends a series of proposals to address these barriers, including improved mentoring programs. But the report also suggests that law firms be forced to disclose demographic data on their diversity, or lack of it, to the Law Society, which regulates lawyers in Ontario.
The law society itself already collects demographic data from all individual lawyers in Ontario, but the submission of the data is voluntary. That data do show a large increase in the number of lawyers who self-identify as “racialized,” up from 9% in 2001 to 17% in 2010. (Aboriginal lawyers are not included in this statistic.)
Linc Rogers, a partner with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP & long an active member of CABL, applauds the report. But he said the Law Society should be promoting, not regulating, diversity in the profession.
“Part of the problem with mandatory requirements is it can often just become a check-the-box exercise,” Mr. Rogers said. “You don’t necessarily have the buy-in & commitment that you are looking for.”
Furthermore, I get confused when people tell me to network to land plump jobs. Yes, statistically, it is proven that about 80% of the jobs are found through networking & those jobs are usually the good ones. Problem is that the people in your network are not only ready to help, but are also influential enough in their own organization, by virtue of their own positions or through their networks, that they can get you in the door, for those plump jobs.
That's where immigrants have problems. Their networks are usually full of people of similar backgrounds, & hence, they are, in all likelihood, are in the same boat as you, with having the same kind of "weak" network. They themselves are in the lower levels of corporate hierarchy in their own companies, & hence, they are devoid of any influence, & their networks are full of people who also don't command much influence, if any at all.
So, the most probable end result will be a two-tier society, with most of the Caucasians in the society at the upper tier (who got there with their entrenched & strong networks) & most immigrants are left in the lower tier (due to a lack of an entrenched & strong network). Eventually, that gap in workplaces carries into income & wealth gap, which affects immigrant families in regards to their residence location (ghettos at the extreme), kids in criminal activities, educational & recreational activities available to kids etc.
Sometimes, I think, that North America & Europe may have abolished slavery decades & centuries ago, but this concept of "networking for jobs" is creating nothing else than more slaves to serve the Caucasians of North America & Europe. History seems to be repeating itself again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
While he has encountered blatant racism – a client once called him a “sandwich boy,” – Toronto lawyer Shawn Richard says it is the invisible barriers non-white lawyers face that remain harder for many to overcome.
Mr. Richard, 36, an associate at a Toronto family law firm, says in law school he felt surrounded by white students who, unlike him, all seemed to have family members in the profession or appointed to the bench.
“The legal profession is still a profession where you find that lawyers are often the children of lawyers. Race affects that issue only because the legal profession is still a white profession,” he said in an interview. “If you’re not white, chances are your parents are not lawyers & judges & politicians in this country.”
This kind of subtle barrier is among those laid out in a Law Society of Upper Canada consultation paper that says many lawyers from black, Asian & Middle Eastern backgrounds feel alienated by the dominant white culture of many of the province’s law firms, where conversations among white lawyers are often about “playing golf, going to the cottage & watching hockey.”
This feeling of not fitting in, the report says, has real consequences. The lack of a built-in network of family & friends already in the legal profession, the report says, adds to the trouble some from non-white backgrounds have finding mentors to champion careers. The result is that many non-white lawyers end up leaving larger firms for smaller firms or to practise on their own.
The Law Society’s report says 57% of Ontario lawyers who self-identified as “racialized” told an online survey they felt disadvantaged in their career. Large percentages also said their background was a barrier to entering the profession, & felt they had to perform to a higher standard than other lawyers.
The report, on which the law society has been holding consultations, recommends a series of proposals to address these barriers, including improved mentoring programs. But the report also suggests that law firms be forced to disclose demographic data on their diversity, or lack of it, to the Law Society, which regulates lawyers in Ontario.
The law society itself already collects demographic data from all individual lawyers in Ontario, but the submission of the data is voluntary. That data do show a large increase in the number of lawyers who self-identify as “racialized,” up from 9% in 2001 to 17% in 2010. (Aboriginal lawyers are not included in this statistic.)
Linc Rogers, a partner with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP & long an active member of CABL, applauds the report. But he said the Law Society should be promoting, not regulating, diversity in the profession.
“Part of the problem with mandatory requirements is it can often just become a check-the-box exercise,” Mr. Rogers said. “You don’t necessarily have the buy-in & commitment that you are looking for.”
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