Disrupting an imposed racial identity or performing the model minority? The pursuit of postsecondary education by young African immigrant men in Southern Ontario, Canada

Perspective Chapter: Behind the Exceptional Educational Pathways of Canadian Youth from Immigrant Background - Between Equality and Ethnic Hierarchy

“…Even when elements of the curriculum are not Eurocentric, the students observed a penchant for Anglo-Saxon assumptions and premises. Similar perceptions were reported in studies of immigrants from the Caribbean, Central Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa [38,44,45].…”

“…In qualitative terms, examples of perceived discrimination and racism have also been reported by students. Among other things, they refer to a stigmatization of otherness founded on a lack of linguistic competence or accent [39], an unexpected, increased categorization of "minority" status and racial difference by the majority group [39,44], and violence (harassment, bullying, and threats) experienced in the academic environment [23,45]. In addition, the prejudices and ideology of the dominant group, and the stereotypes, prejudices, and pure and simple ignorance of the teaching staff in relation to the Other [racialized students] contribute to provoking stress, despair, and a feeling of alienation in immigrant students and have a negative effect on their school performance.…”

“…Of all students belonging to racialized groups, Black student in particular are most at risk of experiencing discrimination, which considerably reduces not only their chances of accessing postsecondary studies, but also their perseverance in them. Qualitative studies conducted on these students reveal how constantly they are faced with racial stereotypes and prejudices: they describe teachers and, more broadly, academic staff tending to underestimate the students' levels of academic engagement and consequently their academic competency [38,44]. At the high school level, students mentioned the fact that guidance counselors pushed them toward less demanding and less valued studies, such as lower-level courses, with the effect of restricting and even eliminating their chances of being admitted to university [38,44].…”

“…Qualitative studies conducted on these students reveal how constantly they are faced with racial stereotypes and prejudices: they describe teachers and, more broadly, academic staff tending to underestimate the students' levels of academic engagement and consequently their academic competency [38,44]. At the high school level, students mentioned the fact that guidance counselors pushed them toward less demanding and less valued studies, such as lower-level courses, with the effect of restricting and even eliminating their chances of being admitted to university [38,44]. Once in postsecondary studies, their risk of dropping out is the highest (29%), as shown in a study conducted by Abada and Tenkorang [7] in the province of Ontario.…”

Youth, mobilities and multicultures in the rural Anglosphere: positioning a research agenda

“…In Canada, Wilson-Forsberg et al (2018) detail how young Black masculinity is essentialized in rural settings through a long heritage of enforced racial stereotypes and mass media interpretations of race and poverty. The authors' participants, young men aged between eighteen and twenty-four who had immigrated to Canadian towns and cities from several African nations, describe being perceived as "troublemakers" and "under-underachievers" in their Canadian schools, though felt these experiences were less pronounced in smaller towns.…”