Share

cover art for WORK 15 - Canada’s New Underclass

COMMONS

WORK 15 - Canada’s New Underclass

Season 13, Ep. 15

The huge rise in international students in Canada — most of them from Punjab, India — has become one of the biggest stories in the country. But most media outlets and political parties have framed it entirely as a housing issue. 


They’re missing the point. 


This is a story about the creation of a new, racialized underclass to do all of the work we don’t want to do. And it’s about the human wreckage that’s left in the wake after we’re done squeezing those people of every penny and every drop of sweat that we can.


Featured in this episode: Jaspreet Singh, Rupa Banerjee


To learn more:


“The International Student Boom Might Be Over” by Kuwarjeet Singh Arora in Baaz News


“How recruiters in India use false promises to lure students to Canada” by CBC’s Fifth Estate


“Canada’s open secret: International students are here to be exploited” by Kunal Chaudry in The Breach


Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)


Sponsors: Douglas, Article 

 

Additional music from Audio Network


If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 


You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Preview #1. Series launch on May 5th

    01:01|
    Desmond Cole & Andray Domise talk about their ambitions for their new weekly political podcast Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Ep.1 - Who's in charge?

    24:30|
    Is it the Prime Minister? The Governor General? The Queen? Canada's Head of State may be symbolic, but symbolic of what? Desmond Cole and Andray Domise start with the basics. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Ep.2 - What happened in Alberta?

    29:01|
    Desmond and Andray try to understand the NDP's shocking victory. Guests: professor Melanee Thomas and writer Drew Brown. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Ep.3 - Elizabeth May

    28:02|
    Desmond Cole taks to Green Party leader Elizabeth May about her plans to get arrested, and more. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Ep.4 - The PMO, what it is?

    27:38|
    What is the Prime Minister's Office? How many people work there, who are they, and what do they all do? Just how powerful is the PMO, and is the Prime Minister responsible for what it does?Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Ep.5 - Sex work in Canada

    25:30|
    Kerry Porth, Akio Maroon, Elene Lam join for a panel discussion on Bill C-36 and more.Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Ep.6 - Residential Schools

    30:34|
    We haven't even begun to talk about what happened. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Ep.7 - Crossing the floor

    29:07|
    Andray and Desmond speak with former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith about crossing the floor from the official opposition to the governing party.  Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Ep.8 - Barbaric cultural practices

    29:12|
    Andray Domise, guest-host Supriya Dwivedi and Ishmael Daro talk about the Zero Tolerance For Barbaric Cultural Practices Act, the new Quebec secular legislation, and the massacre in Charleston.Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.