Dear Editor,
Re: “Race: An easy, but wrong, target,” Voices, Nov. 25.
The recent incident involving delivery of a flyer to a few Richmond homes has generated some good discussions. Is the incident racism? Absolutely. So should we dismiss it totally? No.
As a long-time Richmond resident, I concur with the editor’s statement that “this type of bigotry does not represent Richmond. At the same time, it would be a mistake to be dismissive.”
I’d like to provide my perspective as an immigrant who landed in Canada 15 years ago from Mainland China.
The issue of how the Chinese community is shaping Richmond is complicated. One of the reasons is that the Chinese community is not a static, uniform, and monolithic group. Instead, the Chinese community itself is comprised of many dynamic and diverse sub-groups whose values, attitude, and interests are different from one to another. While some of those differences are subtle, others are profound. Most Chinese, including myself, are active community members — as described in another letter, “Don’t let racism divide.”
I immigrated to Canada because I share Canadian values and want to pursue an engaged life in this country.
However, I have also come to know, directly and indirectly, members of the Chinese community who exhibit very limited interest or willingness to participate in the local community. Rather, they encircle themselves in their own social sphere. Some immigrants don’t care to think about what their neighbours feel or to learn the official language. Services they need are available in their native language, “so why even bother?” is their attitude.
When members of a community are not engaged, that community gradually becomes fragmented and neighbourhoods are diminished. Sadly, in some areas of Richmond, that is what’s happening. When people who live next door are not able (or even willing) to have a short chat, how is it possible to establish a sense of neighbourhood?
This past Halloween, when my six-year-old daughter asked me why some big houses weren’t playing trick or treat, I found it hard to explain why people who live in those homes are a little bit different from the rest of us.
Richmond has made headlines in recent years thanks to Chinese-only business signs, Mandarin-only strata meetings, and Chinese birth tourism. As a Richmond resident and a Chinese immigrant, I am deeply concerned about how such headlines are influencing public perception of Richmond and the Chinese community.
In today’s political and social climate, any discussion around race or culture is often labeled racist. Most politicians instinctively stay away from such discussions. But avoiding an open and constructive conversation about culture does not make racism disappear. Instead, in my opinion, it helps fuel it by driving these discussions underground, and onto anonymous forums, such as on the Internet.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Canadian Multiculturalism Day, multiculturalism is our strength. But multiculturalism does not preclude open and honest discussions on how we can better harness the benefits from each unique culture. In fact, such discussions would facilitate active social engagement and cross-culture pollination in our society. Communities will benefit from an enriched cultural environment and tighter social fabric.
As a city with one of the largest Chinese populations in North America, Richmond could do more to spearhead positive, open dialogue to promote cross-culture interactions. Richmond city council should introduce meaningful policies to address dialogue.
I also call upon the Chinese community to be active in community building. Chinese community leaders could do more to encourage its members to integrate into Canadian society.
To defeat racism, we need to acknowledge that healthy discussions, that include all of us, are essential.
Dongping Gu
Richmond
