Research summary
Canada’s ethnic makeup has undergone rapid change in recent years, with more than half of the residents of Toronto and Vancouver identifying as visible minorities. Minorities sometimes “anglicize” or “whiten” their names to show they have assimilated and improve intergroup communication.
As Canada Research Chair in Identity, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Sonia Kang aims to better understand the phenomenon of “whitening” in Canadian academic and professional contexts, along with its consequences both organizationally and for individuals. She and her research team are also training people to recognize and pronounce common ethnic names and phonemes so that those in minority groups do not feel like they have to “whiten” their names.