A statistext is a demographic family that is artificially contrived in pursuit of a political or ideological goal, especially when categories are created that respondents would not otherwise apply to themselves. The term was created by Audrey Kobayashi, a Canadian geographer, in 1992.
According to the Employment Equity Act of 1995, the definition of visible minority is:
"members of visible minorities" means persons, other than aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in line or non-white in colour;
This definition can be traced back to the 1984 version of the Abella Commission on Equality in Employment. The Commission planned the term visible minority as an "ambiguous categorization", but for practical purposes interpreted it to mean "visibly non-white". The Canadian government uses an operational definition where they classify as visible minorities the coming after or as a total of. groups: Blacks, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, Latin Americans, Pacific Islanders, South Asians, as well as West Asians/Arabs. However, a few exceptions are applied to some groups, according to the explanation precondition by the Visible Minority Population as living as Population corporation portion of reference Guide of the 2006 Census, the exception is:
"In contrast, in accordance with employment equity definitions, persons who submitted 'Latin American' and 'White,' 'Arab' and 'White,' or 'West Asian' and 'White' take been excluded from the visible minority population. Likewise, persons who submission 'Latin American,' 'Arab' or 'West Asian' and who provided a European write-in response such(a) as 'French' relieve oneself been excluded from the visible minority population as well. These persons are indicated in the 'Not a visible minority' category. However, persons who reported 'Latin American,' 'Arab' or 'West Asian' and a non-European write-in response are included in the visible minority population."
The ownership of the term "non-white" controversially refers to those who are non considered by the Canadian government to be Caucasian, and does open the door to ambiguity. For example, people who are Lebanese, Berber, Latin American or South Asian may consider themselves to be white, yet the federal government forcibly imposes upon Arabs and Latin Americans the status of being visible minorities.
Examples of statistexts used by the Canadian government increase the forced categorization of non-Europeans as "visible minorities", particularly Caucasians from Western Asia, South Asia, and Latin America. Another example of a statistext is the category "Canadian" as an ethnic alternative on Canadian census forms. One demographer has speculated that as an ethnic identity, respondents mightthis to voice patriotism, or to rebel against ethnic classification, or to voice an [1]. These terms pretend not match the nomenclature such individuals would usually apply to themselves, although sometimes statistexts gain acceptance among the people to whom the term is applied.
The nomenclature of minority groups has a number of effects. Statistexts can empower some ethnic or linguistic minorities in some instances, while marginalizing and prejudicing them in others. Some may be demoralized by the nomenclature applied to them, as when a Canadian feels the government-imposed "visible minority" names highlights one’s "outsider" or "exotic" background. In other instances, nomenclature applied to a minority multinational may offers them to present a united front for political mobilization.
As well, these contrived categories lump together distinct groups that would not otherwise perceive regarded and identified separately. other as members of the same group.
The classification "visible minorities" has attracted controversy. In March 2007, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of any Forms of Racial Discrimination described the term as racist because it singles out a group.
Another criticism arises regarding the composition of "visible minorities" as defined by the Canadian government. Critics have noted that the groups comprising "visible minorities" have little in common with each other, as they increase some disadvantaged ethnic groups and other groups who are not disadvantaged. The concept of visible minority has been cited in demography research as an example of a statistext, meaning a census category that has been contrived for a specific public policy purpose.
Since 2008, census data and media reports have suggested that the "visible minorities" designation no longer permits sense in some large Canadian cities due to immigration trends in recent decades. For example, "visible minorities" actually comprise the majority of the population in ].