www.notcanada.com

We've all heard the rude remarks and/or seen the bigotry in action: the Chinese are taking over Vancouver, Muslims are violent people, or Hindus are untrustworthy (this is usually a remark regarding "brown" people, but frequently bigots will use "Hindu" instead, not realizing that Hinduism is actually a religion and not a race).

As White folk, I'm really insulated from this kind of prejudice, unless, of course, you want to attack me for being French and/or Italian, but really, I can honestly say that I do not experience discrimination when it comes to my background. A colleague of mine is an immigrant and a visible minority. I am always eager to hear what she has to say about her experience immigrating to Canada, learning English and just trying to get a job. It's hard and I don't think non-visible minorities in Canada have any idea what it's like.

"Sue", my colleague, is a very, very strong person. She has always looked after herself, went to university and took care of her ailing parents. She speaks more eloquently than I do and with only the slightest detection of an accent. Yet, she says that without a doubt, moving to Canada was the single most difficult thing she has ever endured.

I am critical of the Conservative 2006 Budget on many fronts, but I must say that I applaud the Conservatives for realizing the need to recognize foreign credentials. In his budget, Flaherty promised to set aside funds to help immigrants get their foreign professional credentials recognized in Canada, a major obstacle for many forced into low paying jobs here.

"Sue" is also happy and I'm sure the surgeon-turned-cab driver who took me to Kits on Monday is also appreciative of this.

Recognizing foreign credentials is not just good for immigrants, but for all of us. We would all benefit from having more qualified doctors and nurses in Canada. But still, this is just the beginning and it can't just stop there.

Legal discrimination is much different from systemic discrimination. The Government can always open up the way for immigrants and visible minorities, but unless we change our views and stop seeing these people as the "others", they will continue be regarded as second-class citizens.

I would encourage everyone to check out this site. It is created by a team of former Canadian citizens who detail the experiences of immigrants in Canada. Very humbling.