Election Critique: The Ethnic Vote

Source: http://community.icontact.com/p/upfromtheroots/newsletters/dwaynemorgan/posts/election-critique-the-ethnic-vote

The census confirms that I exist,
Yet I am the invisible Canadian,
Whose experiences and concerns are ignored.

Except for when an election is called.

Suddenly, everyone cares about the plight of those who identify as non white; They call me the ethnic vote.

Our votes are like numbers in Bingo, The more of them you have, the better your chances at winning.

So we hold candidates hostage with our ballots. Watching as the roles reverse. And we are now the ones in power.

There can be no majority, without us minorities, so we wait to see who will have the courage to put their promises in writing, because talk is cheap, and our experiences are too rich to be given away with nothing in return.

So photo ops with souvlaki and butter chicken won't be enough this time around.

Mrs. Singh, and Mr. Chow are now demanding more, and this is the new face of Canada -- a new reality that must be addressed if we are to move forward.

Multiculturalism has to be more than rhetoric because we are more than just a strategy to get you into office. More than a statistic. More than just a demographic to be conquered like many of our homelands.

Who will show us that they care and truly understand?

We are a land suffering from a shortage of medical staff,
yet we have policies that keep doctors driving taxicabs.

Who will speak for the faces being displaced to gentrification?

We are a nation that still fears what lies behind the veil as we tighten our borders to keep the undesirables out.

We still don't recognize that when the funding of our youth is cut, the growth of our most needy and brilliant is also cut.

When having young people play on monkey bars is less important than having them play behind bars. There needs to be a shift in our thinking.

We are still a country that has native women disappearing faster than their land, rights, and autonomy. What promises can you make to me that you can actually keep?

Up until now, you've been see through like windows, and we've seen enough.

We are sick of promises and are demanding actions.

Who will speak to us in our language with empathy and compassion, knowing that our experience of being Canadian is just as diverse as our cultures.

We are the new face of this country, and without us, the future lacks hope.

So we'll be saving our decisions until Election Day,

Sincerely,
The Ethnic Vote.

Dwayne Morgan

Dwayne Morgan is a Toronto based poet, speaker, and social critic.
dmorgan{at}upfromtheroots.ca

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