REC-AMEND SYMPOSIUM 2021
"Where are you from?": The complexity of racialization and belonging in so-called Canada
As many racialized graduate students have shared with us, and as we too know, the question, “Where are you from?” is a question that permeates myriad experiences of racialization. For many of us, the question of where we are from never yields a simple answer, even if the expectation is that we answer simply in one-word or in a single sentence. Our panel sought to open dialogue focusing on the impact of this question on communities who experience racialization in various ways. Panelists shared their insight on the impact of meanings of belonging and home. We hope that this can provide a medium for students and community members to openly discuss their own experiences with the hope of complicating questions like, “Where are you from?” and engaging in more purposeful ways of discussing belonging and home. Overall we hope to start a dialogue on varied community experiences of racialization that future groups can build on and explore further.
Panelists:
Ezi Odozor, Master of Education (MEd) degree with a collaborative specialization in global health at the University of Toronto
Ryan Chan, JD Candidate, University of Toronto and Project Lead, Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice
Sandi Wemigwase, PhD Candidate, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto