Although Christian conversion from non-Christian faiths was an overt expectation, racism was also a catalyst for congregational formation for many ethnic minorities. While common language brought Japanese and other non-English speaking immigrants together to form worshipping congregations, experiences of racism in Canadian society often forced them to draw on the strengths of each other. In their daily lives and in their neighbourhood churches, racial ethnic minorities were made to feel unwelcome and marginalized. Over ninety years ago, Union United Church in Montreal was founded out of the experiences of Blacks who were blatantly not welcome in White churches. Today it is exciting to visit Union and witness a vibrant United Church congregation that welcomes people from many different places, especially several Caribbean Islands and the countries of Africa, celebrates their cultures, and provides outreach services to communities that still face racism.
Racial prejudice shows up in other less vicious ways.
With language no longer a barrier, he assumed they no longer had need their ethnic congregation. Racism can be heard in the paternalistic voice telling racial ethnic minorities that they have made it in the church when they no longer need an ethnic minority church. Racism says that United Church faith is expressed best in English or French vocabulary in the cultures of the Anglo-European majorities. Racism says that ethnic and cultural diversity is desired in majority congregations, provided that ethnic minorities never become that majority. Racism internalized can be heard when ethnic minorities in mainstream congregations think themselves superior, or more culturally adaptable, comfortable with, and accepted by the majority.