Research shows more genetic differences within individual racial groups than between different racial groups. Racial categories are social and political devices used, both historically and currently, to exert power and control over others. This is visible in the effects of racism, health inequities, racial disparities and the social determinants of health (OHRC, 2005).

Canada's past colonial behaviours, which included racism and oppression toward Indigenous Peoples and slavery of Black people, continue to influence public attitudes, beliefs and practices. Prejudice and discrimination toward these populations still produce harms in all spheres of their lives (CAMH, 2021b).

Before World War II, Canada explicitly developed racist immigration policies that were in alignment with scientific racism. This period, called the building of “White Canada” or the “Keep Canada White” era, gave preference to British and Northern European immigration. These policies were designed to maintain the culture and white British “character” of Canada. Over the years, immigration policies were instituted to exclude most racialized peoples, continental Europeans and Jews (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2021).

The legacy of this history affects Black, Indigenous and other racialized groups by maintaining the advantages and institutional power of the dominant group (i.e., white individuals with higher socioeconomic status). The negative effects of this history are compounded over time and pass on through intergenerational trauma (CAMH, 2021b).