Canada’s Systemic Racial Categorization: How Colonial Frameworks Perpetuate Inequality Through State Policies
Original framing: “Canada Always Notices Skin Colour” — bing news
By tracing the lineage from French and British colonial censuses to modern Canadian data collection, the piece situates current racial categorisation within a century‑long pattern of governance through surveillance. It draws parallels to the Indian Act's enumeration of "status" and the eugenic movements of the early 20th century, underscoring a persistent logic of control. The historical depth strengthens the claim that racism is embedded, not incidental.
The article reveals that Canada's racial categorisation is a modern echo of colonial enumeration, reinforced by scientific practices that treat race as a neutral metric.
Indigenous and marginalized voices expose the lived harms, while cross‑cultural comparisons and future scenario modelling highlight the global stakes of such governance. By applying a trickster lens, the piece uncovers the paradox of 'awareness' that actually sustains control, urging a decolonial overhaul of data, policy, and education to forge equitable futures.