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Polite Racism and Cultural Capital: Afro-Caribbean Negotiations of Blackness in Canada

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  • Karine Coen-Sanchez

    (School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada)

Abstract

Blackness, both as a racial identity and a marker of cultural difference, disrupts the hegemonic norms embedded in dominant forms of cultural capital. This article examines how first- and second-generation Haitian and Jamaican communities in Ontario and Quebec negotiate Blackness within a Canadian context. Drawing from international literature, it introduces distinctly Canadian concepts—such as polite racism, racial ignominy, and duplicity of consciousness—to illuminate local racial dynamics. Using Yosso’s (2005) framework of community cultural wealth, the study analyzes six forms of cultural capital—linguistic, aspirational, social, navigational, resistant, and familial—as employed by Afro-Caribbeans to navigate systemic exclusion. The article expands the limited Canadian discourse on Black identity and offers theoretical tools for understanding how cultural capital is shaped and constrained by race in multicultural democracies.

Suggested Citation

  • Karine Coen-Sanchez, 2025. "Polite Racism and Cultural Capital: Afro-Caribbean Negotiations of Blackness in Canada," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-23, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:14:y:2025:i:8:p:451-:d:1708035
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan, 2021. "Linguistic Capital in the University and the Hegemony of English: Medieval Origins and Future Directions," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(2), pages 21582440211, June.
    2. Karine Coen-Sanchez, 2025. "Navigating Identity and Policy: The Afro-Caribbean Experience in Canada," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-17, March.
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