Miu Chung Yan

This study sheds light on the persistent racial discrimination faced by minority youth in Canada despite the country’s reputation for multiculturalism and inclusivity. The issue has become increasingly pressing as immigration rates continue to rise. The current research aims to explore how young people from ethnoracial minority groups navigate racism and resilience in their daily lives within the Canadian multiculturalism context, using the Interpretive Description methodology. The study investigates the factors that contribute to or hinder resilience, identifies racism-related risks in unique contexts and circumstances, and examines how youth cope with challenges in the context of sociopolitical impacts. The study uses a resilience framework, acknowledging its potential while recognizing the need to examine the concept of resilience critically for it to better serve marginalized communities. Grounded in critical theory and a social justice perspective, this research highlights the significance of centering lived experiences and recognizing power dynamics in the fight against racism. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data generated through focus groups and individual interviews with 18 young people in Vancouver from ethnoracial minority groups who had self-identified as experienced racism. The study concludes that subtle and overt forms of everyday racism continue to dominate, and systemic racism is often hidden under the Canadian multiculturalism ideology. Youth have developed creative ways to respond to racism. In general, resilient responses for youth meant taking sole responsibility for diffusing racist encounters or relying on internal resources to reduce the negative impact of racism. Participants felt that their communities (e.g., neighbourhood, school) were limited in supporting them against systemic racism. The findings have theoretical implications for dominant resilience theory and suggest a need for a new conceptualization of the construct. These research findings, situated within the broader literature, likewise offer practice recommendations for professionals working with youth, including educators, healthcare professionals, social workers, clinicians, and policymakers.

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