Hi,
I’ve been closely following this thread.
I’m fairly fresh off the boat (been here for only five years) and I’m a visible minority.
Yes, Canadian demographics have changed and ideally the CF should be reflective of this. But what has stopped the “non white male” groups from applying? Information about the CF is freely available to most Canadian. Every applicant should be given an equal chance and the best person should be matched with every job opening. I can’t speak for Caucasian women, Aboriginals or other visible minorities. However I can speak for people from India because that’s where I came from. The Indian Army has several battalions of Sikh and Gurkha troops. Both the Sikhs and Gurkha are well recognized martial races. They both have a history of serving the Crown, numerous VCs, Orders of Merit, etc. The British Army had till recently toyed with the idea of raising a British Sikh Regiment. An idea that had been supported by none other than Prince Charles.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1555507/Sikh-regiment-dumped-over-racism-fears.html
Why do we not see more Sikhs or rather people from the Indian Subcontinent applying to join the CF? I’ve been in the recruiting process for three and a half years now. During this time I’ve made numerous visits to the recruiting centre. I’m trying to remember when or if I ever saw another applicant there who looked like he/she was of Indian descent. Sadly, I have to say that I’ve seen only one other brown guy. I clearly remember this dude because he had showed up for the CFAT five minutes late, he was wearing town jeans, unshaven, had shoulder length hair. To top it all he was arguing with the staff at the front counter why they did not provide free parking. All in all – he didn’t give the impression of being the best candidate, but I could very well be wrong.
Anyway, getting back on topic – is there any statistic available which shows how many people belonging to visible minorities show up at the RCs inquiring about jobs? Once this number is ascertained, it’ll be easy to see why there are so few coloured people/ females in the CF.
I’ve asked several of my Sikh and other Indian friends (I’m not Sikh) if they’re interested in a career in the CF. The answer is a unanimous NO. In fact they turn my question around and ask me why I’ve been doggedly jumping through all the recruiting hoops and the net result is still zero. I do know a few blokes who’re interested but the idea of being in the queue for a few years because of foreign implications deters them from applying. Anyway, this is a separate topic and I’m not going to get into it.
The majority of Indians I’ve spoken to, do not want to join the forces because they live in joint families and can’t bear the thought of relocating. My father served in the India Army. One of his postings was to a Self Propelled unit. This unit recruited only Sikh troops. I remember the pride that they had for serving their country. For the troops and some of the officers who were also Sikhs, they were following the footsteps of their ancestors. There is also another reason which some of my pals have told me – “lack of respect”. A number of them compare the forces of the two nations based on the perception in the minds of the general public. I have lived in India, so I can see where they’re coming from. The military presence in India is huge. Civilians routinely see military personnel and vehicles in their cities and villages. A number of the cities have cantonments. Because of all these reasons, there is a great sense of awe among the civilian populace. Travelling in buses and trains, it is normal to see civilians leave their seats for a military member. In Canada, on the other hand – I have not been around much and I’m still relatively new here, so I can’t really say what the general perception is towards the Forces. I do think that, there is a great deal of respect for soldiers and veterans.
The same friends I spoke to regarding the forces are trying to join various police departments. So the fear of putting oneself into harm’s way is not the case. If I’m not mistaken, there are more Indians in the Reserves than in the Regular Force. Which again reinforces my earlier point about why most Indo-Canadians do not look at the CF as a career option.
Now, speaking about the Cadets. I volunteer at a Cadets unit. It’s heartening to see kids from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Kids belonging to Indian ethnicity are certainly not a minority in this particular unit. A number of the senior ranking cadets are Indo-Canadians. On asking them if they have any intention of joining the Forces, the answer again is “no”. The cadet program, I’m told by them is only for “resume building” or because the parents wanted someone to instil some “discipline” in their kids. A number of the Caucasian kids (girls and boys) on the other hand can’t wait till they’re of age, so that they can apply to join the CF.
What I have said may not appeal to certain people and it is not my intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments. Thank you to those who have taken the time to read this post.
Cheers.
eace:
