Unmasking Discrimination: LMLIP Study Reveals Surprising Patterns in London and Middlesex

The London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership (LMLIP) commissioned research on experiences of discrimination in our community with the Network for Economic and Social Trends (NEST) at Western University. The purpose of this research was to better understand who discrimination is happening to in our community, where it is happening and how it is happening in order to gain deeper insights about what we can do to counteract it.

One of the areas of insight that came from this research was better understanding who the perpetrators of discrimination in our community are.

Respondents that reported that they had experienced discrimination in at least one context in the last three years were asked to describe who generally discriminated against them, including the perpetrators' gender, age, and race or ethnicity.

Immigrants, Visible Minorities & Indigenous Peoples all reported that perpetrators were most likely to be middle-aged and White. Interestingly, Immigrants and Visible Minorities identified their perpetrators to be more often female, whereas Indigenous Peoples reported perpetrators were more likely to be male.

While of course not exhaustive or exclusive, these results help us begin to better understand where discrimination is coming from - and more specifically what demographic is most likely to outwardly demonstrate discriminatory acts.

Now, this information leaves us with many questions. Knowing who the perpetrators of discrimination are in our community we must identify ways to engage them. Our next steps include trying to access this part of our demographic that is actively contributing to discrimination in our community. We must find avenues to listen, communicate, educate, and create opportunities for open dialogue. It is easy to get stuck in a cycle of running workshops and events for the same group of people who are already actively engaged in growing to become more inclusive community members who practice anti-racism, anti-oppression and anti-discrimination. By the same token, of course not all Middle-aged White males and females are perpetrators of discrimination. This research simply helps us identify patterns by listening to those who have experienced discrimination.

We must now advance our messaging to reach and include those who may be direct perpetrators, or who may simply need to see things from a different perspective and broaden their understanding of topics such as diversity and immigration. After all, we must always come together for change to occur. This is where we plan to go with this research.

If you are interested in learning more about this research, read the full report! We are always interested to hear your thoughts and insights, so drop us a line in the comments if you have things to share.