Equity

The Liberal Party of Canada is beginning to recover after months of social deterioration, which some claim is driven by a wave of national pride in response to Donald Trump’s price battle and threats to American sovereignty.

The Conservative Party of Canada’s ( CPC )’s ) growing appeal among immigrants and their children is obscured by this apparent rebound, which is more surprising.

The centrist Liberal Party has usually been supported by immigrants and members of apparent minority groups. Chinese and South Asian Canadians have long been a significant part of the Liberal base in the Greater Toronto Area ( GTA ), where over half of all residents identify as “visible minority” ( the category used by StatCan ).

However, recent polling reveal a unique perspective. According to a survey conducted in October 2024, 44 % of immigrants have changed their political affiliations since immigrating to Canada, with several then leaning Conservative.

In addition, another national survey from January 2025 found that the majority of East Asian ( 55 % ) and South Asian ( 56 % ) respondents voted in favor of the Conservative Party, far outpacing the Liberals or the NDP.

The two largest populations in Canada are South Asians and Chinese Canadians, accounting for more than 26 % of the country’s population.

The couple available data points suggest a significant shift, despite the rarity of detailed cultural breakdowns in American voting. This style also reflects a wider pattern: South Asian and Chinese Indians in the GTA are becoming more socially active, with a rise in voter participation and a broader political split.

Increasing awareness

For its part, the Conservative Party has taken see. Under Pierre Poilievre’s leadership, the CPC has constantly recruited racial candidates and increased awareness to residential swing ridings, specially through ethnic media ads and messages centered on family values and financial self-reliance.

This racial voter’s shift to the right perhaps seem counterintuitive. Under Stephen Harper’s leadership from 2006 to 2015, the Conservative Party has previously represented white, wealthy voters, and has implemented policies that have overwhelmingly harmed racial communities.

Why, then, do racialized Canadians extremely turn to the right?

In a study I just published, I spoke with 50 white, South Asian, and black children who were born in the Greater Toronto Area ( GTA ) through a study I recently conducted. This change, in my opinion, is not in contradiction with the previous one but provides a glass into how racial groups deal with inequality, isolation, and the research for belonging.

Although there are many reasons why second-generation racist Canadians may back the Conservative Party, this study provides one unexplored explanation. Second-generation South Asian and Chinese Canadians may seek approval when power is related to white by voting for a right-wing party that represents the interests of light, wealthy citizens.

the added costs associated with appropriate in

In other words, many of these racist Canadians don’t voting Traditional because they are ignorant of inequality. They choose to be Traditional because they are navigating it.

The younger people I interviewed watched their immigrant families face deskilling and upward mobility despite having professional certifications and growing up in dangerously middle-class families.

They were pressured by their families to” Canadianize” their titles and accents, only to be let down by companies who also supported white.

And they were raised in a society that frequently ignores structural racism while celebrating historical symbols.

In this environment, supporting the Conservatives reflects a way to overcome exclusion rather than ignorance of it. Having a proper alignment is a sign of belonging.

One younger South Asian American gentleman put it this way:

You’ve arrived, I tell you. You are a French. Thus, begin casting your ballot like a fool.”

This apprehension to relate doesn’t manifest in a pump. It is shaped by cultural scripts that compensation compliance and punish dissention, most notably the design minority stereotype.

Acceptance comes at a price.

Eastern Canadians are portrayed as diligent and silently effective by the model minority stereotype. It appears to be acclaim at first. In reality, it conceals inequality and needs silence in exchange for contingent belonging.

That tolerance is delicate. Some South Asians, especially those who were perceived as Muslims, were immediately recast as dangerous outsiders after Sept. 11, 2001.

Similar themes surfaced again during the Covid-19 pandemic, when racial harassment in Eastern People dramatically increased. In both instances, those who were once hailed as “model” residents were abruptly threatened.

Social caution, such as keeping silent or avoiding protest, can serve as a survival tactic in some situations. However, that’s not what I observed in this review.

The second-generation Canadians I spoke with were not socially calm. They vehemently backed the Conservative Party. Voting Conservative was a way for them to show they were already there, not by requesting incorporation, but by demonstrating they did not need to. Conservative conservatism became a sign of success, independence, and connection to the people who were at the heart of American life.

This idea is reinforced by Canada’s established embrace of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is unclear how racism actually operates, despite being frequently praised as a regional strength. Behind feel-good stories of addition, architectural restrictions are hidden.

Reconsidering belonging

Race, school, and dignity are frequently the factors that influence who belongs in Canada. Racially divided folks must not only show that they are diligent and upholding the law, but also that they have “fit in.” Voting Conservative is a way for some to demonstrate that they have done the same, as saying,” I’m not like them. One of you is me.

However, this approach has a price. Racialized voters perhaps gain personal recognition while promoting the very structures that marginalize them while furthering social exclusion. And they might avoid the procedures that would contribute to the development of a more just community by rejecting equity-based platforms.

This fluid is not limited to the next generation. Four in five newcomers, according to a recent CBC study, think Canada has accepted to many immigrants and foreign students without appropriate planning.

Some newcomers are becoming more and more expressing their anti-social opinions, frequently toward those who have arrived more just. This also embodies ambitious politicians. And it demonstrates how vehemently intertwined are culture, precarity, and belonging today in Canada.

None of this imply that conservatives who are racialized are nave. Their choices frequently reflect a thorough knowledge of how electricity functions.

But if we want a fairer political future, we must consider how race, class, and nationalism affect belonging, not just at the polls but also in the narratives we tell about who qualifies as” Canadian.”

Inclusion shouldn’t be seen as an act of generosity, as sociology Ruha Benjamin reminds us. It’s not about “helping” the underprivileged; rather, it’s about acknowledging that we are all interconnected. Everyone suffers when fear is removed from public policy and commodities.

Emine Fidan Elcioglu is a University of Toronto associate professor of sociology.

This content was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Learn the article’s introduction.

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