My experience as a white immigrant with an accent was markedly different. I consistently felt like an outsider who did not fit any of the organization’s DEI boxes, and this shaped how I was perceived and treated. Feedback was often belittling, inconsistent, or delivered without clear documentation. Expectations shifted without warning. Concerns were reframed rather than addressed. The contrast between how included some staff felt and how excluded others were was stark.
This created a two tier experience: those who fit the preferred categories often thrived, while those in the “middle space” — not Canadian born, not visibly diverse, and not protected by any category — faced disproportionate scrutiny and marginalization.
