Racially motivated name-calling. Driven headfirst into a desk. Beaten with a switch. Being part of a minority in Fredericton during the 1970s and ‘80s was a personal nightmare for Rajeev Venugopal. “I grew up in a constant state of fear of being beaten up for being a “paki,” Venugopal told New Canadian Media. “Sometimes I could fend off an attack, other times I could talk or run my way out of confrontations, but getting beaten up was a regular part of growing up.” Venugopal, who went on to work in government, academia, policy and international relations, now lives in Ottawa and serves as General Manager of International Relations at Canada Post Corporation and as Canada’s Head of Delegation to the Universal Postal Union (a specialized agency of the United Nations). Venugopal said while New Brunswick specifically and Canada in general is now more tolerant when it comes to multiculturalism and diversity, that wasn’t the case when he was a youth. Being a part of a visible minority resulted in him being seen by others in a way that made him vulnerable to both verbal and even physical assault. “I was beaten up quite badly in the basement of Fredericton churches, in which I would participate in community leadership groups, and received a lashing with a switch in the woods at my school bus stop only 100 meters from my childhood home,” Venugopal said. “One time I was thrown headfirst into a teacher’s desk and was concussed so badly I couldn’t remember my mother’s work phone number so she could take me to the (hospital) for stitches.” Most of the time these confrontations were overtly racially motivated, he said. “In addition to the physical confrontations, I was keenly aware of a certain element in Fredericton that did not take kindly to ‘outsiders.’ This pained me, as I was born and raised in New Brunswick and knew no other home than the one I had in Southwood Park.” For at least a decade, Venugopal said it felt like each day of his existence was being played out in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies,” a novel in which a group of stranded schoolboys attempt to govern themselves with horrific, violent outcomes. “My childhood, therefore, ranged from idyllic afternoons spent deep in reading great adventure classics such as Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Jules Verne novels and the like, to periods of incredible violence, fear, and hiding. “To say growing up was difficult would be an understatement, but I also realize that my experience is not necessarily the experience of other racial minority kids who were growing up in Fredericton during the 1970s and 1980s.” Venugopal, like scores of other New Brunswick residents, made his way through the province’s education system by attending well-known Fredericton schools such as Forest Hill Elementary, the now-defunct Albert Street Middle School and Fredericton High School. “I did not particularly enjoy grade school and did not fit in well with my peers,” Venugopal said. “My ability to integrate socially was limited at best, and painful at worst, so I buried myself deeply into reading, studies, and a deep curiosity with politics.” In an effort to defend and protect himself Venugopal, while in high school, enrolled in karate classes on the campus of the University of New Brunswick. “I was tired of being afraid and made the decision to immerse myself in combat sports,” said Venugopal, who now holds a third-degree black belt in judo. “I had no confidence in teachers and other community leaders and authorities to give one iota to protect me from harm and realized that I had to be able to be free of fear, be able to control my emotions and learn how to fight properly. “Since those early days, I have been actively involved in martial arts for some 35 years now, and participate in these activities more for fitness, fun, self discipline, and character development.” Statistics Canada Chief Statistician Anil Arora said efforts are currently being made to understand the strengths, requirements and well-being of different community groups, whether from India or some other place in the world, through data analysis. Arora said the Disaggregated Data Action Plan, an approach now being led by his organization, helps uncover hidden trends in society and assists in identifying and revealing challenges experienced by vulnerable populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities. By highlighting their experiences to better reflect their ordeals, voices are being heard, Arora said. “In an environment where we have no real capacity for talent to be wasted — and resources are always precious — we want to make sure everyone has an equitable chance of success,” Arora said.