Dear Editor,
There appears to be a double standard when it comes to our subjective views of big houses: one standard for wealthy white folk and one for the rest of us.
When a Michael Buble, or in bygone eras an industrialist, builds a very large abode, it’s called a mansion and the neighbours are in awe of it’s grandeur and “wonderful” charm. Many of these architectural showpieces become designated as heritage sites for tourists…think Hearst Castle.
However, when anyone else (non-white) constructs a “multi family” dwelling, it’s disparagingly referred to as a monster house and the neighbours are aghast at the person who would dare create such an eyesore in their community.
It’s kind of ironic since it was the western overlords who initially built these grand edifices as symbols of wealth, authority and dominance over the subservient masses in the colonies.
Over the generations, as some of these people attained financial independence, they, in turn, learned to display their new-found status in the same way.
So, the next time a “new Canadian” builds a monster house in your neighbourhood, look at it with a sense of pride.
After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Wes Fung
RICHMOND
