Research Neighbourhood, DiscriminationResearch and Health: Bulletin page Bulletin Critical Perspectives of Racialized Residents from the Black Creek Area 3 reSEARCH FOR CHANGE Neighbourhood, Discrimination 1 and Health: Critical Perspectives 3 of Racialized Residents from the Income Security, reSEARCH FOR CHANGE Black Creek Area Race and Health Project This bulletin is the This bulletin discusses the relationship between neighbourhood, third in a four-part Research Bulletin racialized inequalities and health by examining economic and series based on a health issues faced by racialized residents in the Black youth and their families. Further, participants spoke study conducted by Creek area. Study findings indicate that negative public about the exploitation and discrimination that racial- the Income Security, perceptions and stigma about the Black Creek area ized youth tend to experience in the workplace, and Race and Health undercut access to stable jobs for racialized Black Creek how such negative experiences systematically push these working group. The residents. Several participants from all focus groups youth towards non-formal income generating activities. study investigated perceived that having a Black Creek address has nega- Study evidence show that in spite of the multiple relationships be- tively impacted their search for jobs. Participants also problems in the neighbourhood, most Black Creek tween employment, questioned the limited number of stable jobs available in residents have a positive view of the Black Creek area. income and health the Black Creek area and discussed challenges of having The current literature on neighbourhood and health insecurities faced to travel far to work in other parts of the city. Residents indicate that living in a marginalized neighbourhood by precariously expressed concern about the growth of temporary can have multiple health-damaging impacts and that employed racialized employment recruitment agencies (temp agencies) and overall health of low-income families living in mar- groups in the temporary, unstable jobs in the neighbourhood. ginalized neighbourhoods tends to be far worse than Black Creek area Study results suggest that limited jobs, high levels low-income families living in wealthier neighbourhoods. of Toronto. of precarious employment and poverty, and a depressed Studies have also shown that residents’ perception of local economy in the Black Creek area have damaging their neighbourhood is also an important determinant impacts on the overall health of the community includ- of health. According to a study conducted by Wilson ing decreasing safety, security and community cohesion. et al (2004, p197), “perceptions about the neighbour- At the same time, most participants firmly believed hood in which people live are just as important for that the increase in police presence, surveillance and health as the neighbourhoods themselves.” On the one security cameras in the community have not resulted hand Black Creek residents were deeply affected by in more safety and security. Participants also criticized place-based stigma and discrimination (perceived and the substandard quality of public services in the neigh- actual). At the same time, study results illustrate that bourhood, including substandard public housing and residents have critical awareness about the root causes of unkempt public parks and playgrounds that negatively the place-based stigma and discrimination. As a result, impacted the community aesthetics and quality of life. residents generally seem able to resist internalizing nega- Residents were particularly concerned about the sys- tive perceptions of the community; instead, many Black temic racial profiling and criminalization of racialized Creek residents exhibit firm political will to collectively youth in the community (especially Black youth). Study challenge the increasing spatial marginalization of the results indicate that this practice has long-term negative Black Creek area by strengthening their sense of com- impacts on the employment security and health of these munity and activism. > KEY FINDINGS FINDING 1 Negative public per- and poverty, and the depressed eras in the community does not youth and their families. ceptions and stigma about the local economy in the Black Creek lead to more safety and security. FINDING 4 In spite of multiple Black Creek area undercut op- area have detrimental impacts FINDING 3 Systemic racial problems in the neighbourhood, portunities and access to stable on the health of the community, profiling and criminalization most racialized Black Creek jobs for racialized Black Creek including decreasing safety, se- of racialized youth in the Black residents have positive views residents. curity and community cohesion. Creek area has long-term nega- of their community and many FINDING 2 Limited jobs, in- At the same time, increasing po- tive impacts on the employment are actively involved in local creasing precarious employment lice presence and security cam- security and health of these community-building activities. page Neighbourhood, Discrimination and Health: Research 2 Critical Perspectives of Racialized Residents from the Black Creek Area reSEARCH FOR CHANGE Bulletin 3 ABOUT THE STUDY METHOD AND FRAMEWORK In line with community-based research principles, Profile of the Black Creek Area we recruited and trained several residents from the The Black Creek area is a composite of four neighbourhoods Black Creek area to collaborate with us as research (Humber Summit, Humbermede, Black Creek and Glenfield-Jane partners (peer researchers) in this project. Peer re- Heights) located in the northwest inner suburbs of Toronto. While searchers were actively involved in all phases of the “Jane and Finch” is a common reference used by media and non- project including developing the research questions, residents to refer to this area, most residents and service providers data collection, analysis and writing. prefer the name Black Creek. We conducted eight focus groups with differ- The City of Toronto identifies all four neighbourhoods in Black ent racialized groups living in the Black Creek area Creek as “priority neighbourhoods”. Priority neighbourhood desig- (n=105). Focus group participants completed a sur- nation is based on a set of indicators developed by several city-wide vey at the beginning of the focus group. The sample audits including the Poverty by Postal Code report (2004) and the size for the survey is 78. All participants self identi- Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force (2004). The 13 neighbourhoods fied as being precariously employed. Focus groups in Toronto that have been designated as priority neighbourhoods were organized by language and ethno-specific are those with high levels of social and economic disadvantage, groups and were facilitated by peer researchers from poor access to services, and high violence and crime (Janhevich, these backgrounds (Vietnamese-speaking, Spanish- Bania, and Hastings, 2008). The priority neighbourhood label can speaking, Hindi/Urdu-speaking, Arabic-speaking, be a double-edged sword. While meant to boost investment and Black community, Canadian-born community, an development in the community, it may create negative perceptions all-male focus group, and one mixed focus group). and stigmatization of residents as being deficient. We also conducted three focus groups with service Based on Census 2006, the Black Creek area has one of the providers working in the employment, settlement highest percentages of immigrants and racialized people in the city: and community services sector in the Black Creek 78.1% of residents are visible minorities (compared to 47.4% for the area (two with front line staff and one with manage- city of Toronto) and 63% of residents are immigrants. The percent- ment staff). The Black Creek area was selected for age of children and youth 15 years of age or younger is more than the study because it has one of the highest propor- double the city average (22.5% for the Black Creek area compared tions of racialized residents in Toronto, and high to 10.8% percent for Toronto). The Black Creek area has one of the levels of poverty, unemployment and sub-standard highest percentage of racialized youth (79.9%) in the city. Lone- housing and services. This community was also parent families comprise 28.2% of Black CreekHwy residents 7 compared selected because of the rich history of resident-led to 20.3% for the city. social activism in the area. 407 By “racialized groups” we refer to non-dominant Dr Valley Pine ethno-racial communities who experience race as a key factor in their identity through racialization Steeles Ave W Keele St Keele Martin Grove Rd Martin Grove Islington Ave Islington Rd West0n St Dufferin Bathurst St (Galabuzi, 2001). Racialization is the process where- Jane St by racial categories are constructed as different and York University unequal in ways that lead to regressive social, eco- nomic and political impacts (Galabuzi, 2001). While 427 400 Statistics Canada uses the term “visible minorities”, Finch Ave W Access Alliance and many other organizations in- cluding the Ontario Human Rights Commission use Kipling Ave Humber the term “racialized groups”, as the former term is River more static and relates primarily to number and colour while the latter recognizes the dynamic and Sheppard Ave W Albion Rd complex process by which racial categories are so- cially produced by dominant groups in ways that entrench social inequalities. Rexdale Blvd Wilson