Fight Intimidation | Proud to be different

“Do not ask yourself questions about your differences,” Isabelle raced to 10,000 high school students who gathered on a webinar on Wednesday morning. The Language Agglomeration Police Service (SPAL) held this conference on diversity after learning that students from cultural communities were subjected to threats regarding the origin of COVID-19.

Emily Bilodo
Tap

In turn, host Isabelle Rasikot, author Kim Thai, rapper Samian and police chief Fadi Dagger discuss their time in high school. “I find it very difficult because I want to look like the majority,” Isabelle told students at the Mary-Victorine School Service Center who were listening live to the Rasikot meeting.

Born to Algonquin’s mother and Quebecois’ father, Samian, an artist, described his schooling and his adolescence as a “great challenge.” “In the reserve, the young men beat me because I was white to them. When I went to my father in Amos, the young men beat me because I was a Native American for them. […] This is writing that teaches you how to grow. ”

With age, Samian came to terms with his origin. He says he is now proud of his Algonquin culture and language. “I feel 100% Cubacois and 100% Algonquin. I do not need to separate them,” Algonquin will be releasing the album in a few months.

Author Kim Thai has also felt “between the two chairs” for a long time. “I am not proficient in either French or English. I didn’t feel like I was a Quebec or a Vietnamese. Today, she embraces her culture and sees her differences as an asset. “I would never write books if I didn’t have her differences, this different culture, this different background. It gave me the material to write.”

Isabelle Rasikot is believed to have gotten jobs to “honor quotas” thanks to her skin color. “Every time I was here, I said,‘ I don’t care what is being kept here. I will show them that it is right to be there! ””

“Don’t be ashamed to be elected for your differences,” she said encouragingly.

“It gave me hope”

Since the outbreak began, the police chief of Langueil’s community has been concerned about the suffering he experienced in detention during adolescence. Schools in its territory have also reported cases of intimidation targeting students from ethnic groups. So Fody Dagger decided to speak directly with the youth to encourage them to see their differences strongly.

“We want to introduce them to young, young, actors from so many different backgrounds so they can see that they can be successful,” Dagger explained next to Webinar.

On Wednesday morning, 15 schools were connected to the meeting at once. At Saint-Jean-Baptist School, second-year high school student Daniela Adao Manuel da Silva said she was touched by the stories told by webinar speakers. She is a victim of hurtful and racist remarks at her school.

“People often ask me where I came from in Africa because of my skin color. But I was born right here. I have only been to Africa once in my life, ”she said as an example.

Neeh Malik was also happy at the end of the webinar. “We had a lot of meetings in high school, but they were boring. This is the first time I’ve really connected with animators,” said the fifth-year student.

“Their stories and tales, as a person of color, gave me hope for the future,” said Neh Malik.