Abstract

Considerations of the interactions between minority students and mainstream faculty in academe have only partially portrayed the enigma of racism. Through this qualitative study of twenty-two South- Asian-students in a predominantly white Canadian university, we investigate how discourses of racism are categorically produced and performed through power relations, notions of ethnicity, negative images and stereotypes that acquire ideological significance in the ivory tower. We argue that both overt and covert racism, more than a mere representation of tension and two solitudes is programmed in the powerful postmodern/postcolonial discourse of the culture of the "Other ". As practiced in the current teaching and learning environment, it seems that differential treatment, inequity, and negligence are perceived in the daily interactions between minority students and mainstream faculty, affecting overall evaluations, grading, tracking, and teaching styles. This analytical inquiry recommends that a critical mass of professors from visible minority and designated groups is needed to address these negative perceptions, leading to a wholesome academic environment.