Racism is not a uniform concept that reflects a singular experience or common reality. On the contrary, different models of racism can be discerned which embody variation in intent, awareness, scope, channels of expression, depth of intensity, and consequences. These variations have led to proliferation of diverse types of racism. (Fleras & Elliott 1996)

From afar, Canada strikes many as a paragon of racial tranquility. Racism may lurk as the single most destructive force in many societies, including the United States (King ‡V 1994), but surely not in Canada where racism is a dirty word in many social circles. Up close, the picture changes. Critic charge that racism is alive and well in Canada; only its worst effects are camouflaged by a Teflon veneer of tolerance and politeness (Walker 1989 and Philip 1992). Rather than an affliction among some isolated malcontents, racism in Canada is chronic and deeply embedded in the very core of our history and institutions, with little or no sign of diminishing. Racism provides the ideological life-support for capitalism at large (Bolaria & Li 1988).