🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <pfleiderer_j.292.00098BBF@wizard.colorado.edu>,
pfleiderer_j@wizard.colorado.edu (Jean Pfleiderer) wrote:

> 
<snip>
> 
> No, Karen, he is "yelling racism" because he is being told he is not
QUALIFIED 
> to do this kind of work (even though, apparently, he has already been doing 
> it, IN CANADA), because his qualifications come from another country. I don't 
> say he is right--maybe, in fact, his credentials are not the equivalent of 
> those needed to obtain a BC teaching certificate, and he should be
required to 
> obtain one.  The article indicates that he is having problems even getting BC 
> to say what more he needs to do to obtain such a certificate; maybe they are 
> telling him he has to start over again with a bachelor's degree, who knows? 
>  
> My point is, whether he is right about the fairness of being excluded or not, 
> and, if he is, whether that unfairness stems from racism or some other cause, 
> he is NOT complaining because he can't "find full-time teaching
positions," he 
> is complaining because he is being told he doesn't qualify to hold one. 
He is 
> not saying that the country "owes" him a job, he is saying that the country 
> ought to recognize his job qualifications and not eliminate him from
competing 
> for jobs. That is a very different complaint.  And if you have any 
> intelligence at all, you know that.  So why do you keep distorting everything 
> you read this way?

An excellent response.  May I add to the mix (without knowing first hand
details about this case) that when I taught high school, it was generally
accepted wisdom in BC that Alberta and BC credentials were roughly
interchangable, but that most other credentials were to a greater or
lesser degree inferior, and their holders were usually required to take
extra courses to bring them up to BC standards.  Although I have been
teaching at the university level the last twelve years, I doubt that the
situation has changed substantially in that respect.

What HAS changed is the introduction of the College of Teachers to the
scene. When confronted with a new or different situation relating to
teacher qualifications, the College can be remarkably slow to respond --
in one case I know of that was first brought to the College for a decision
shortly after it was started (87?) there is STILL no decision.
> 
<snip some more good stuff>
> 
> Karen, there are doubtless abuses of the system by immigrants, some quite 
> egregious.  There are also abuses by native born Canadians.  It is in the 
> nature of political and social systems that they can be abused, and
apparently 
> in the nature of some people to abuse them.  I don't believe this tendency is 
> any more heavily apparent in one race of people than in another.  Do you?  I 
> have to tell you, if you do believe that, then you are, in fact, a racist.
> 
Right on.  Let me add, that like most others my age, I grew up and went to
school with the children of refugees from Eastern Europe following the
war.  Among the parents there was a lot of national prejudice, (Italians
wouldn't talk to the Irish, for instance, and the term "DP" was among the
worst insults one could hurl.) This was as bad as any modern-day racism,
but it was based on language and national origin rather than skin colour. 
We kids didn't care about such things.  I (an anglo fist gen) grew up in
little Italy, and learned to eat pizza before there were any restaurants
serving it.  There wasn't another Anglo in my entire circle of friends,
and very few in the whole school.  We all wore green on St. Patrick's day,
even though if some of the parents knew why, they would not have approved.

Today, my children go to school with those of other nationalities too --
so what if their names are Thoung, Kim or Chan instead of Szczepanczyk,
Scrobogna, or VanDoremalen?  They -- why should their parents, when we
didn't before?

If there is any issue in immigration at all, it is whether there is room. 
Personally, I think there is evidence that the Lower Mainland of BC
already has too many people, and that further immigration (from anywhere)
to this area perhaps should be discouraged.  However, I couldn't care less
whether the immigrants who do come arrive from Calcutta, Seul, or
Halifax.  However, I cannot make the case too strongly -- after all, I am
an immigrant myself (from Calgary) and my father was too (from Manchester,
UK in 1900.)

Karen sounds like someone who has had a bad experience with one immigrant
and is ready to label them all as a result.  BTW, Karen, when did your
family immigrate?

Rick

-- 
Rick Sutcliffe    Assoc. Prof. Computing/Math   Trinity Western University
Canadian Chair, WG13. Not an official spokesperson for TWU or WG13