AN OPEN LETTER -- A Call to Eliminate Anti-Asian Racism

sweetspot

To:



/ [, R# v, Y0 I, S6 |0 a: oKenneth Whyte, publisher and editor-in-chief, Maclean’s,
/ |, ^  X. |' G. R' `: {
Cathrin Bradbury, editor-in-chief and general manager, Maclean’s Intelligence Unit,
% u1 K+ V* `# _8 l% v
" n& p( e, H& Q  F  lMary Dwyer, senior editor, University Rankings,

1 d& I- z1 w5 z! m; ]7 J8 G7 b& K8 _Philippe Gohier, acting managing editor, Macleans.ca,

  \, I: d5 @8 S, N5 z( o& tCarson Jerema, editor, OnCampus,
" E9 W9 M3 F2 ^% x
2 n7 x' z) u% P& J- l9 k3 vNicholas Kohler, senior writer,
- l( C1 K% N1 {
Stephanie Findlay, intern,
$ w0 p9 ]% S9 c
9 p( l( Y+ C2 u& Y( S6 Z* x' c) p' v
) c+ y0 O3 c8 M% }* q, o; M) u
and
3 b! n: o8 h2 U  H4 @
% o- F5 i# X4 f5 I0 T

John A. Honderich, chair, Torstar Corp.,
$ @: M1 h8 Z5 P  n" {  G
& S' i( y$ ^1 x- O% E6 D; c- ZJohn D. Cruickshank, publisher, Toronto Star,

) t6 ?) g. h3 N& Z' UMichael Cooke, editor,

  {3 \$ D, q! j$ L& X) L. q* _5 p; wKathy English, public editor,

2 A/ r! Y& h% X( F2 O4 j7 mLouise Brown, education reporter

) _1 Y) V0 O9 |- Y# b$ D
' I1 y* m/ P' a
  b( I0 O# v5 G& f
- @" {0 L& N0 O% Z+ f% H( d( W4 N
) W2 r& g; T# l5 XAN OPEN LETTER


7 [0 H2 Y( }, d
A Call to Eliminate Anti-Asian Racism

November 23, 2010
" t- ^9 I! C6 a/ ]( t7 n. g
- M# R- z5 f) P- O# u
0 u: P% J, d% p$ {
We, the undersigned, believe that the “Too Asian”? article in the Maclean’s magazine and the “Asian students suffering for success” article in the Toronto Star newspaper, published on November 10, 2010, worked to racially profile and stereotype Asian Canadians as perpetual foreigners in Canada. These articles served to reinforce anti-Asian resentment and antagonism by raising anxieties over Canada’s changing demographics and the emergence of China and India as global powers. Both media outlets generated binary “us” versus “them” distinctions between white and Asian Canadians, consequently inciting racial antipathy and division, instead of fostering a constructive dialogue on diversity and integration.


9 I& y7 Y$ v4 v4 t
. J+ @/ Z' _5 ?$ J, r( c9 yThe articles symbolize the failure of Maclean’s and the Toronto Star to uphold their journalistic and corporate social responsibility. The damaging impact of racial stereotyping and antagonism is far-reaching, not just in the realms of media, business, education, workplace, and the society at large, but also to the targeted ethno-cultural individuals and communities.


+ ]7 K$ t5 }) n( ^& g
Maclean’s and the Toronto Star recycled historical and ongoing depictions of Asians as yellow and brown perils that threaten the Canadian social order. These media depictions remind us of past anti-Asian government legislation, programs, and public thinking. The Head Tax and Immigration Exclusion laws, the Continuous Journey regulations, and the World War II Internment targeted the Chinese, South Asian, and Japanese Canadian communities, respectively. In 1979 the CTV television news series W5 portrayed Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Asian descent as “foreigners,” allegedly taking over Canadian educational institutions. We see Maclean’s and the Toronto Star as reinforcing a long and deeply ingrained history of anti-Asian racial anxiety that has led to bigoted profiling and discrimination of Asian Canadians.
! }% V' P/ x% b! X9 R: ^6 H* y


The media’s racial distinction of “us” versus “them” works within a troubling understanding of Canada in which white people or those of European descent are considered the sole rightful citizens and beneficiaries of the nation. Such an understanding makes it difficult to conceive of Canadian universities as educational institutions where Asians as well as Aboriginal peoples and other communities of colour, such as African, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern peoples, can also belong. Racialized individuals and communities face challenges to their claims of belonging when certain institutions and entitlements are already deemed as not for them.


* v' l1 `- h: U9 c
  H" c% H7 J; BThe media often portray Asian Canadians in homogeneous ways and fail to account for diversity within the group. They do not distinguish among Asians who are Canadian-born, naturalized citizens, newcomer immigrants, or international students. They neglect to consider the varying educational circumstances of Asian Canadians based on income, class, gender, religion, and language. They lump all Asian Canadians together regardless of their ancestral background, whether they are from China, India, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, or Sri Lanka. Since Maclean’s and the Toronto Star depicted Asian Canadians as a homogeneous model minority, they failed to acknowledge the various structural roots of the academic and social struggles that many Asian Canadian students experience. They also missed seeing how community groups are addressing barriers that hinder their goals and pathways for genuine settlement, integration, and well-being in this country.
! x' l! q: |1 {5 V! |; Y


Although Asian Canadians have been and continue to be discriminated against by racist media portrayals, government policies, and some public opinion, they also have been actively recruited for their labour and capital. Their labour has been crucial to the development of this nation, ranging from the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway 125 years ago to the recruitment of temporary workers and live-in caregivers of children and the elderly over the last 25 years. Their financial resources have been keenly sought after, as they are considered economic migrants who could bring investment and entrepreneurial capital, and as international students whose high tuition fees augment the inadequate funding of public education. Many Canadian universities aggressively reach out to and recruit students from Asia.


8 I. P! Q- \8 R7 w7 o
/ X" \# L0 f0 N' C* T" f! SAs such, Asian Canadians are trapped in a perpetual racist contradiction: they are both wanted and unwanted in this country. So long as they provide labour, capital, and expertise to the Canadian economy, they are wanted. However, when they assert their entitlement to human rights, genuine integration, and even education in Canada, their sense of belonging is challenged.



Since the media – as well as educational institutions – have perpetrated racial stereotyping, oppression, and antagonism, they need to change their policies and practices in order to help realize the promise of a truly multicultural Canada.
% l: Y5 T- A" F0 S5 N3 a$ I* w


Therefore, we demand that Maclean’s and the Toronto Star:

1 n+ f! N( N1 \4 x  i# I    * must issue a comprehensive and unqualified public apology to Asian Canadians;
    * must engage in public consultations to address racial profiling and stereotyping via their media outlets;
1 L, Q' o$ O# b" z0 E, p# K    * must implement measurable corporate and editorial anti-racism policies in consultation with relevant community constituents, and must publish the results of their policies annually;
    * and, must implement employment equity programs to diversify their corporate and editorial boards and frontline personnel.



+ z) Z4 \" X+ r/ }+ ]% z& ?We also demand that Canadian institutions of higher education:

    * must develop academic programs and courses that explicitly address racism in Canada and the historical and contemporary experiences, representations, and contributions of Asian Canadians;
    * must undertake and publish campus climate surveys of racialized students, staff, and faculty;
% M8 ?; j" W, K$ l8 w7 e5 m    * and, must establish advocacy and support offices for racialized students, staff, and faculty.

$ ?( |8 g# F$ E3 M
4 K/ H2 t0 g( [7 A$ r
' k, ^! D* Q  @% rWe sign this open letter in solidarity with principles and struggles to eliminate anti-Asian racism.
5 G$ @# @& \+ U7 R


Sincerely,
+ u- y3 Q! d8 u7 F+ D+ {! |


/ X2 [* c' H  V3 s- dCanadian coalition of community partners to eliminate anti-Asian racism
" o: B  O$ A! O. L! R

7 V8 T$ Z2 r  F; r8 s2 L! A
+ n' s% L* s' L. u% M2 yNational Anti-Racism Council of Canada

Estella Muyinda, estellamuyinda@narcc.ca
; ?3 B7 {/ _1 L2 u
" B" G2 ~! H) G# S5 f) x  E' _
, I- C3 b9 m& B) L" q
$ W+ g, d$ M) P7 l4 B* wCouncil of Agencies Serving South Asians

  e3 b3 E9 u0 a4 G5 A" x) DNeethan Shan, neethan.shan@cassa.on.ca
/ e& m1 Q- l# B: b' @" X8 [


) W. f( n; l0 T: S- EChinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter

! j" u3 `1 g. C6 f5 v: IKaren Sun, karen@ccnctoronto.ca
" _! q7 e. C. _4 s( i: U: `; ^

6 X# c. }3 _8 Y* C+ L
Komagata Maru Heritage Foundation

Harbhajan Gill, komagatamaru@hotmail.com  
/ e# p8 Q% N' q- _# z% F


University of Toronto Students’ Union

% v! l- @, l" v7 ULocal 98 – The Canadian Federation of Students
1 V! I8 H$ `7 c" Z7 \
Danielle Sandhu, danielle@utsu.ca

4 F5 ^) i9 |4 T% A8 @  X: X
7 K, b3 U1 G2 w% \& e
1 R3 p! Z; U8 K0 Q2 Y( X2 GRyerson Students’ Union
" b$ D) g/ W& |/ L- M+ R+ Z
' n+ B4 b- ^3 eLocal 24 – The Canadian Federation of Students
5 G+ _& g# V" |9 m; ?4 G# s
Rodney Diverlus, vp.equity@rsuonline.ca
2 |& q# ?- y0 s& f


Youth Coalition Against Maclean’s

. y9 u; g! F1 }, t& qFlorence Li, florenceccncto@gmail.com
4 N2 [: ?0 G& _9 m( ~8 ]6 M
3 A: s' G: q$ y& C& r
3 [! r; s# @6 c! G. Z% ~( j
Canada ALPHA

6 H+ X. g2 |1 A! h  K, m2 u8 }0 WThekla Lit, co-chair, bcalpha@alpha-canada.org
6 ]6 W% X" l8 c. E

. H$ A' V' }. |# S/ I# ^( ~
+ T% I% O# y. `% SRAW – Raging Asian Women

0 l% H& d1 O# b+ y3 dIzumi Sakamoto, info@ragingasianwomen.ca
  _# c5 S0 I$ W( h2 R8 Q( F

5 [+ B- p* n; y4 k( @$ D( |) \
Cowessess First Nation (Sasatchewan)

1 [3 `- W; ~' t. M# Z4 HTony Sparvier, director of education, tony.sparvier@cowessessfn.com
6 m- T/ ?( F8 b/ B. X& s1 }$ p

: g& M& }- \: g
1 A" }: U% x* p+ n. b5 LGraduate Geography and Planning Student Society, University of Toronto
& n: Z2 v0 {* F* U" p
+ U# F& V! N, g& ICaitlin Henry, ggapss@gmail.com

- e/ i7 ?  M( \; N: l

National Association of Japanese Canadians – Toronto Chapter

Charlotte Chiba, charlotte.chiba@ontario.ca

+ z5 u, `7 }1 m" t7 I
  g8 `' E1 v% t) \1 A; R6 R
0 M9 x) [$ V* X4 N4 x1 {Philippine Women Centre of Ontario
  g* X8 r# V0 V" b0 c& D7 s7 w
Qara Clemente, pwc-on@magkaisacentre.org
0 Q& [3 f) |$ \% J5 ]: x7 q1 J


SIKLAB Ontario (Advance the Rights and Welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers)

Bryan Taguba, siklab-on@magkaisacentre.org



Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance / Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada

8 o$ e3 D0 s) f0 C8 {. MKim Abis and Reuben Sarumugam, ukpc-on@magkaisacentre.org
  D, h" U( `  [7 c

+ H4 d# h6 \  }" t& v6 E
' `) N4 r' ]6 _5 W2 r2 O1 KCommunity Alliance for Social Justice (Filipino Canadian alliance)

Ben Corpuz, ben.corpuz@rogers.com, and Hermie Garcia, hermiegarcia4@gmail.com
; D' S+ `/ q! v1 }! ]
( J) O. a/ X( ?! F/ ?
% W+ u9 ?9 {- v  j. C
Migrante Canada (Filipino Canadian national migrant labour organization)
' ?' T: f3 A$ h0 c  y& F8 K
Chris Sorio, secgenmigrantecanada@gmail.com
4 `2 [8 R! g- I6 }+ E
# `, c) n8 u4 ^2 ^- V- b4 g4 I8 ]+ o- }

: M- P" P( \# z+ f# j: U. [CUPE 3902 Executive Committee

Leslie Jermyn, chair, chair@cupe3902.org
1 B6 V0 d) u) {' e' z: T

& k, Z( c. [$ Z8 d$ h. o
Labour Education Centre

Jojo Geronimo, jgeronimo@laboureducation.org


1 p9 B% I" J, |% |- u
United Steelworkers, Canadian National Human Rights Committee
. d* E8 A2 U* y: z# i) \
Kai Lai, staff to the committee, klai@usw.ca
  p* f! [# q' s' l' W& {
  N3 `: ^; `' ?) v+ X

3 w. T* B# m( P1 @$ yAsian Canadian Labour Alliance – Ontario Chapter Anna Liu, aliu@aclaontario.ca, and Chris Ramsaroop, ramsaroopchris@gmail.com
# y4 V: O0 `3 u( y# S! f* v
2 Q3 \' `8 Y$ B2 U3 ^5 T
! ^9 s2 s8 _1 [# m+ u0 v& q' Y
Asian Canadian Labour Alliance – British Columbia Chapter Lorene Oikawa, lorene.oikawa@bcgeu.ca

' o  c8 [7 \' x( |* H* b
& i: C  f  W7 m# z
7 N. G5 Q7 T- r& d  B1 BCoalition of Black Trade Unionists – Ontario Chapter Janice Gairey, jgairey@ofl.ca
0 T' q* v- p# G: i
# ?# Q5 l& t7 z- m1 f

Latin American Trade Union Coalition Edgar Godoy, g.edgarsaul@gmail.com
8 `1 \" x( x/ N, r: A" \3 @: v


0 v, X8 n% U' m0 ^" F5 Q0 c

. t) ~9 y; m( A7 G3 C7 sInternational Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Canada

7 \9 _2 c: L. g) ]. |Frank Saptel, communications, fsaptel@iamaw.org


! W; u5 q! u5 M# R! X  u
Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
# e! X! l7 v2 @8 m" z0 W. y. _, C
Debbie Douglas, ddouglas@ocasi.org

3 x1 m& ^8 P6 O+ {
9 W/ q4 g+ j1 d* `. g3 ?# h
Toronto Education Research Association

Xiaoming Xu, xiaoming0@gmail.com
  Y& I4 J: _# p+ N
  @* ]5 X0 u. [4 @% {3 b5 [# _

Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto

* w3 S- o1 l1 l6 m7 ZDenise Yan, denise.yan@cccgt.org
- Z4 N: C) l8 u& |5 n

% }% R: w/ Q9 L& d1 ?* _: Y
2 r" s8 r/ t3 Z( I6 zCentre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies

* Z3 t  l. _& i' t2 eRoland Sintos Coloma, roland.coloma@utoronto.ca
5 W: T- N9 M3 X) L3 Z
; r$ b2 W+ p4 ^$ x' F8 p. k

# R. F' B. ^$ }, d* I" EAnniversaries of Change Coalition Steering Committee, Vancouver, B.C.

% q5 W% b, f; \+ z7 x4 ECharan Gill (Progessive Intercultural Community Services Society), charan.gill@pics.bc.ca
# ^/ v& b4 c+ m( S; `
Harbhajan Gill (Komagata Maru Heritage Foundation), komagatamaru@hotmail.com
2 ?/ G$ ?" Z. v* c4 R8 O
+ X" D6 z/ Y1 J; qKarin Lee (Filmmaker), karinl.lee@gmail.com
# ~2 T& i$ V8 y  u! N$ a
Lorene Oikawa (BCGEU), Lorene.Oikawa@bcgeu.ca
3 `/ K/ l- |3 a
Mabel Tung (BC Nurses Union), mtung@bcnu.org

1 l# ~% c" [$ z: f& h) o7 eHarley Wylie (Consultant, Nu-chah-nulth ancestry),  redskinharley@shaw.ca

Beverly Yhap (Writer), bcyhap@shaw.ca

3 o- c& k+ W  u* j/ MHenry Yu (University of British Columbia), henryyu@interchange.ubc.ca

. ~7 @5 Z9 H3 A! D" Y* O3 o

0 g1 Q) Q9 X6 q+ o: ]0 i  T& pJapanese Students at UBC (University of British Columbia)
7 G4 L2 @3 \* `& |4 y0 ?/ Z0 T
# L0 b' D( f3 c% `& a8 a! I6 FAi Mizuta, president, aimizuta@interchange.ubc.ca

# c5 n: T6 a! _4 ?9 y2 R3 H" dDai Kojima, vice president, dkojima@interchange.ubc.ca
. [' m1 Z5 `) [+ Q+ v4 f
; v3 L( T* [$ z

8 E& E2 k1 _" O/ t' qCalgary Chinese Community Service Association

1 ?- U/ _  T. K, T  x# b9 H# bJim Wong, co-chair, wongjim@telus.net
7 z7 c% o" P) H2 ]* W5 r3 d
3 ]8 W3 O) F  J4 l( y

Calgary Anti-Racism Education

* B3 z' h, d' FAruna Srivastava, asrivast@ucalgary.ca, and Tracy Wong, wont@ucalgary.ca
5 P, Q% z9 n5 C. f4 i" G1 ?
4 n1 z6 M) |& o/ t9 `
- W3 @. j! `0 h4 g' e
5 N; z; V; N0 b" S- GThe Ties That Bind: Building the CPR, Building a Place in Canada

6 k/ e' z; ]( G0 a! pBrad Lee, curator, brad_lee@hotmail.com

  _/ a: ?. v/ H! ~8 B7 L
& I0 I9 b; j0 x
Sien Lok Society of Calgary

Ray Lee, retired Citizenship Judge, raycharleslee@gmail.com


: J( P& ?. g5 f1 ^6 k3 O' S
9 @2 S8 n" H1 I) r1 ]2 L) L! t! HWomen Together Ending Poverty
. k5 u8 v: n6 |' Z. w+ V. p
$ Z9 f8 J* K# ?5 K9 a- Nwomentep@gmail.com
* i. T# I' r# X; j9 y6 u' f/ D% I

' Y/ b7 b* p7 j. P! G
# i* `$ `( H; P7 _Hassle Free Clinic

Charmaine Torres, charm@hasslefreeclinic.org

) \2 p9 S: u3 T  B& M; c( e0 J

Ginger Post
: v5 h  s. h/ O% \9 k% a6 h/ U
6 `& O" \3 t# `* @7 NWei Djao, editor@gingerpost.com

. {6 ^# }: J7 E4 M$ r! l# p; n" T: ~

Perspectives Magazine, University of British Columbia

Zi-Ann Lum, editor@perspectives.ubc.ca

# q% G" F1 j/ b* P5 d$ m$ L

Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, Local 2025
. ?. W& F" W! b) O# {
Contact: amalrana2@gmail.com


2 Y0 @, N/ ]& H, P6 i4 A
Canadian Auto Workers
# u4 |, K! L) k" ?: I# i
% \, g$ P) G# N0 P- Y: z7 yContact: Jenny Ahn, jenny.ahn@caw.ca



  z. T* `: Q) J3 x, dVictor Gomes, Equity Committee, Toronto and York Labour Council, vgomes@culturelink.net
9 j8 @5 d  Y$ m; _2 |

" [9 G9 r6 |) l# y( z
Dr. Tania Das Gupta, Dept. of Equity Studies, York University, tdasgu@yorku.ca
  \) \. A/ A9 {$ z7 `

! I, X( @) K( n4 q" M1 y
Omar Latif, Committee of Progressive Pakistani Canadians, omayasim@sympatico.ca
2 }1 r' ^, d4 w
- Q/ C# z' F5 T8 A7 [

4 ^3 f' H, w/ D- e- [Evelyn Encalada, Justice for Migrant Workers, info@justice4migrantworkers.org

, C7 ]$ t0 p& O5 @

6 j4 M0 r1 z' nEdwin Mercurio, National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (Canada Chapter), edmercurio@gmail.com
( j9 B: j, j9 C$ N$ v; M
, @* h# ]4 V9 D8 E8 R

Amal Rana, Pakistan Action Network, pakact@gmail.com
* J8 n$ M' @" Z" u" M
" u' \2 G7 K0 M/ o
0 d! q$ W4 F" [. Y
- B0 N- g% ^. i' W6 hCommunity and Race Relations Committee (Peterborough, ON)

Carolyn Givogue, racerelation@gmail.com
- T8 ^  l3 D9 n4 W  K, M

4 t+ a2 E3 w, T1 ]) N
Acces Asie
- M& V0 s3 g" Q6 `
Janet Lumb, info@accessasie.com
! p( A2 Q# `& U/ ~
; q  C$ Q( P& x- R2 ^
9 A. [5 @+ r  w; M* I( _
% ]" N# {$ a' E$ SCanadian Arab Federation

% S# _: ?; H$ \" H7 |8 YKhaled Mouammar, benwalid@rogers.com
9 ]* u( x- D2 E7 @! y1 O, E. C$ ?
+ Y6 X8 `" Y. N; E. ]( u6 _+ A7 L
2 {9 h9 S1 |; H: W
University of Victoria Students’ Society

5 x3 p- O3 w/ DJaraad Marani, maranij@gmail.com
2 V7 p/ W' j% b4 r: {/ S


School of Social Work, Carleton University

Rashmi Luther, rashmi_luther@carleton.ca
. q. \% Q9 z/ G


Canadian Studies, Trent University
3 y3 Z2 i. t8 L* {+ {& \$ G
Davina Bhandar, dbhandar@gmail.com


0 p5 x% D3 ^. M9 n( J" D9 {+ @- l
/ f) j3 i; t( p  KNational Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Canada Chapter

- t& M4 }5 D* G* q$ JTenny F. Soriario, tennis@rogers.com  


8 w( h' f' m& A6 _0 M* @! ~
School of Social Work and Human Services, University of the Fraser Valley

Adrienne Chan, Adrienne.chan@ufv.ca
) e, [, M3 D8 z8 X$ I) T7 Q


Dept. of Philosophy & Political Science, University of the Fraser Valley

Rita Kaur Dhamoon, rita.dhamoon@ufv.ca

  O% g! Q$ Y' C- M+ ]3 j
+ W" ]" G1 u7 M
0 @0 n& }. y7 xSchool of Social Work, Ryerson University
- `1 {3 S7 R+ v7 `  d4 d8 V! B
Gordon Pon, g2pon@ryerson.ca

9 }" k7 e) A0 t) m- ~1 L
7 T/ q% k; N2 c4 Q
Ryerson Faculty Association, Equity Issues Committee
3 C; m" d& K0 K- u9 ]
Tariq Amin-Khan, Chair, tkhan@politics.ryerson.ca


( W' A) `/ X. R/ h$ o3 J
Institute of Women’s Studies, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa

% g( f/ z( C8 Q+ z/ N9 W2 bKathryn Trevenen, trevenen@uottawa.ca


5 ]5 |" l7 D. `' g8 u3 M  N3 ?
Dept. of Political Science, York University

Karen Murray, murrayk@yorku.ca


3 }9 h4 m( E+ F4 `9 Q
Dept. of Sociology, York University
0 V& O* W* i9 ^/ h7 g! W3 R. K% q5 s
Carmela Murdocca, murdocca@yorku.ca
  l. H  b5 K3 t3 _0 `4 t3 N

% w$ l9 b7 w3 X( n9 W
School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, York University

" ^' _) X; s8 ]5 s5 sRose Steele, rsteele@yorku.ca
& h8 O8 S8 S" m; |3 a5 _


Waterloo Public Interest Research Group Board of Directors and Staff
7 J6 _6 P/ k* n) J
7 m; j4 l0 p7 j5 [" b* yCassandra Polyzou, cassandra@wpirg.org

0 p9 o% L4 Q! n: l0 Y; B

Health and Racism Working Group (Peel Region, ON)
& a1 i2 c9 U7 g  r  g% D' e
* l, K! _) X6 h$ h' K$ u" qAnu Radha Verma, healthandracism@gmail.com

) k' Z( M5 C$ Q) E$ I  o7 h! X8 e

Interfaith Summer Institute for Justice, Peace and Social Movements, Simon Fraser University

Denise Nadeau, nadeau@sfu.ca



Dept. of Film and Media, Queen’s University
6 n7 ]1 p8 t$ H
, j4 D5 S* B* w' I. X2 f, O/ eSusan Lord, susan.lord@queensu.ca



Gender Studies/Political Studies, Queen’s University

3 ^( {; l' L, A  BMargaret Little, mjhl@queensu.ca

* D: l: G( y- X' ?7 E* V0 S. D

Ethnoculture
) V4 i% I) F, U9 o3 h& A" X1 M& R
Allan Wong, contact@ethnoculture.org



Cultural Studies Program, Dept. of Critical Studies, UBC Okanagan Campus
  B; a4 g$ `1 m  p1 g5 n9 N2 l
David Jefferess, david.jeferess@ubc.ca
: a1 m& w0 k$ L3 t, }& Z! W
, Q5 R4 D5 X% W9 k; W
* ~7 @5 C, U: s( v2 g, E/ P. A
Dept. of Communication Studies, Concordia University

Sandra Jeppesen, sjepese@alcor.concordia.ca
7 p5 b! E9 r$ s' C+ w- O" A


CUPE Toronto District Council
) A! C1 W6 r1 H9 @8 R
Stephen Seaborn, Equity Vice President, cupetoronto@gmail.com

) y$ G$ b6 z0 `; x! A6 f
1 X. c7 {: {! Z' K
Campaign for Public Education, Toronto

* ]( R  G8 V# ?0 ~* Z  UStephen Seaborn, news@campaignforpubliceducation.ca


  A# @  c% |8 Y$ D. l  g( y
. ]7 _  z% e) a. s9 @. t" |University of Toronto Mississauga Students' Union
$ w! W$ C4 [6 e
' @0 w; v7 c1 x* Z& e( xGrayce Yuen, VP University Affairs and Academics, grayce@utmsu.ca



Dept. of Social Sciences, Camosun College

Francis Yee, yee@camosun.bc.ca
& E& ]% s/ @' x
8 C8 e7 _7 z: r: `) A/ ~
4 \7 W* ^' o% P8 q/ l
# W! m9 f6 O4 n2 o' B* q6 qAnthropology Graduate Students’ Union, University of Toronto
7 ?6 H9 t7 \' s6 x8 G$ ?. ~
' L  L  r; h1 N) ]AGSU Executive, Catherine.merritt@utoronto.ca, karyne.rabey@utoronto.ca

& d1 E8 t/ B% U2 @7 m
0 P7 y+ ^; i: A$ d7 H9 @6 v
3 O+ ]8 e( ]- h% h/ ~5 \5 H* L  Q


8 g2 N* h' Q- D& j7 |
- - -

* ?$ }* @# S. _' `/ }) k5 M

% g8 E, k* D9 b2 |4 NFor more information, contact:
) h# p: ?& r$ `4 N! w3 w
- _- b( K6 A) l9 T

- y- P$ l% y2 c6 c) A- KRoland Sintos Coloma, rosincol@gmail.com
4 Y1 j' g/ w* S9 `( m
4 Y- X+ p8 L; Q7 y( P7 bCo-Director, Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies

Faculty, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE University of Toronto
3 P- m  P4 _5 m1 v2 N, S
) v# b, U+ M+ e6 a; g0 Z
( k& p: [1 T( d1 W7 I
8 {. e+ {$ W, Y/ @4 j* [Brad Lee, brad_lee@hotmail.com

/ |. m2 N, Z# q( SCurator, The Ties that Bind: Building the CPR, Building a Place in Canada

sweetspot

Asian and Multicultural Communities Condemn Inflammatory Maclean’s Article

Vancouver, B.C. - S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Canadian Jewish Congress – Pacific Region (CJC-PR) and Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) condemn the recent articles published in Maclean’s Magazine and the Toronto Star on November 10, 2010. The three organizations express that such journalistic practice, whether advertently or inadvertently, plays a role in perpetuating racial stereotyping and segregation.
7 |" ^. r3 D6 Y
“We are very concerned about the racist implications embedded in the articles published in Maclean’s and Toronto Star,” said Thomas Tam, CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. “Such portrayal of Asians not only reinforce racial stereotypes but also contribute to segregation and divisiveness among communities. It undermines the multicultural harmony and integration that we have strived to achieve in Canada.”
- d3 l) X: L; j+ U
: E4 B6 u6 Z3 J7 K3 d" u& f; L% }Canadian Jewish Congress – Pacific Region also expressed concerns with the article. "The Jewish community is all too familiar with the dangers of stereotyping and what it can lead to. Stereotyping has no place in the inclusive and multicultural society of Canada as it undermines the foundation that Canadian society is built upon: diversity, equality and respect,” said Romy Ritter, Regional Director of Canadian Jewish Congress – Pacific Region.
2 n: F3 P1 a0 R' l( g, b- |
2 W& @% S& U3 m"We did not expect a national magazine like Maclean's to publish such a biased article which is likely to poison the race relations climate in Canada," said Charan Gill, CEO of Progressive Intercultural Community Services.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S., CJC-PR and PICS call on Maclean’s to publish a rebuttal article written by the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC); acknowledge that the article it contains stereotypes and biased perceptions and offer an unqualified public apology to Canadians; and work with university students of various backgrounds, including students of Asian descent, to publish articles on the topics of diversity and racism on Canadian university campuses.

/ x# s  Q& X3 e3 `“Our mission is to build bridges, harvest diversity and foster integration. We encourage ethnical journalistic standards from all media outlets in the reporting and publishing of articles about race and ethnicity in Canada, especially through improved communications with community leaders and citizens of diverse backgrounds,” said Tam.

The article published in Maclean’s was originally titled “Too Asian?”. The new headline now reads “The enrollment controversy.”

, w! p& y+ B( q-30-
* R. e+ e1 C; ~3 y
) @8 ]# G+ B" v, aContacts:

) H+ s( y* x9 N6 XThomas Tam, CEO
! E8 T$ R7 N2 k7 ]/ m% vS.U.C.C.E.S.S.
) E3 ~6 S- g$ C) v# L+ I. W0 C3 q2 ^Tel: 604-408-7272
E-mail: thomastam@success.bc.ca

Romy Ritter, Regional Director,
Canadian Jewish Congress - Pacific Region
7 h' d& v, ]' L" m4 gCanadian Jewish Congress Charities Committee - Pacific
Tel: 604-622-4235
$ \; E9 H( O! C8 o. L$ sE-mail: rritter@cjc.ca

" E. u8 p& R* W& F! ]& @Charan Gill, CEO
2 k8 p! s# c" J/ w9 v) DProgressive Intercultural Community Services
; v7 v# r. |3 V0 B! wTel: 604-596-7722
E-mail: charan.gill@pics.bc.ca

sweetspot

A Statement from the University of Toronto Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work:
7 l$ N, t7 L9 J/ e
' I/ X5 q, L" l# yRe: "Asian students suffering for success" (Toronto Star) and "Too Asian?"* (Maclean's)
; |7 q' q. P! P*now re-titled "The Enrollment Controversy"

In their depictions of "Asian" and "non-Asian" students, these two articles have a polarizing effect on the landscape of higher education in Canada. Both also show a striking lack of journalistic integrity. Their arguments emerge from a scarcity of resources perspective - the assertion that the gains of one group (Asian students) come at a direct cost to others (non-Asian, especially white students). This style of argument has a tenacious history of justifying and legitimizing overt racism against non-whites across a variety of institutions, social, and public life. History continues with this current contention that the University of Toronto's student body is “too Asian” for some potential (white) applicants.

7 |4 Y& \- F) f+ pThe arguments put forth in both pieces essentialize and homogenize “Asian” and “non-Asian” cultures, socio-political histories, communities, and individuals, thereby contributing to the proliferation of negative stereotypes. Rendered univocal, “Asian” and “non-Asian” communities alike are denied their complexities and diversities, and the full spectrum of individual experiences are suppressed.

The portrayal of “Asian” students as lacking social skills and being "pushed" into particular academic niches also negatively stereotypes and pathologizes students and their parents. Meanwhile, institutional barriers and broader societal conditions that contribute to inter-ethnic/racial divides are ignored. Instead of offering a substantive analysis, both of these articles rely on sensationalism and the invocation of moral panic through their depictions of this perceived threat to white privilege: a cheap move with serious consequences.

1 Y" P: |7 `3 ~" y' E; f' p+ ZThe scarcity argument has been used repeatedly over the course of history to legitimize the exclusion of racialised groups from public institutions. The labeling of “Asian” students endorses sentiments of some as ‘perpetual foreigners’ despite their Canadian citizenship, status, identity, and contribution. On one hand, “Asian” bodies are encouraged and valued as sources of revenue for academic institutions; on the other, they are portrayed as devaluing the university communities to which they can never fully belong.

9 {/ g+ \2 M+ f6 |The University of Toronto Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work remains committed to the inclusion and full participation of all members, and will not endorse actions that set out to polarize and divide our academic and broader communities. We condemn the arguments put forth in these articles and support conversations which examine how we can effectively respond to such ongoing legacies of exclusion and injustice.

7 H0 x6 ~) A: z2 \- e( D8 vSigned by University of Toronto Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work faculty members and doctoral students including:
5 C, o: C5 f: S. H; F2 C/ C
Barbara Lee

Michelina Longo

Meg Gibson

Jennifer Sladek

Jennifer J. V. Turton

Sofia An

Dr. Adrienne Chambon

Dr. David Brennan
$ a/ L2 R; \8 k0 e% R
Dr. Lin Fang
6 ?8 E9 {! u6 p; S7 e8 Q6 J8 E  _
Dr. A. Ka Tat Tsang
, t# u6 W& N7 z1 D# U, q
Dr. Izumi Sakamoto

1 a5 l" v  c9 B+ p* h2 WDr. Barbara Fallon
( }! q- e0 `. U, }2 h
' E  D5 \1 C5 F  c4 e1 R8 l! }Melissa Van Wert

Sajedeh Zahraei

' V7 i. H$ c# l' Z) V3 J" h$ zDaphne Jeyapal

David Delay
' X$ D4 k' |6 `7 ~& ]
" `' G8 h' E9 w: _3 D# ZErinn Michèle Treff
, A  f4 g6 H! m4 r
8 A6 M& v5 K% N- s7 r0 K  _Jessica Carriere

8 K6 S+ q3 H+ ^" f8 vKaitlin Schwan
+ e. H: I2 ]% m, _
Gabrielle Pitt
: Q8 z* I7 ~1 \( w# q
/ R4 @$ ^) u+ P; b: O' z5 W. OAdriana Shnall
7 c& [" s6 H8 X2 k  l6 W- e
* T6 C5 X7 I% t  }, s& {( C/ ~* s# hSamantha Yee
  ]! s* ?4 I- a9 k1 c3 j
& T3 j. }5 k0 E& F2 r* j: pJami Sawyer
" ~, c6 K0 O8 q, `. ]
  r( ]' q  ?. U" S' fJennifer Root

Corry Azzopardi

sweetspot

A Statement from UVic psychologist Dr. Catherine Costigan, interviewed and quoted by the Macleans writers
- Z# r2 t6 M+ p. k3 r4 iPosted on November 30, 2010 by spchanuvic| Leave a comment

A recent article in Maclean’s magazine titled “Too Asian” includes citations attributed to me suggesting that my research shows that it is unsurprising that Asian students are segregated on college campuses. Research in the United States has explored the experience of peer discrimination among Chinese adolescents, documenting the high rates of discrimination and exploring some of the reasons behind this ethnic bullying. In this respect, the author correctly represented our interview.

We regret that overall, however, our research were misrepresented or simply not represented, in this article. Our research has no bearing on issues related to Asian university students or university student life in general. Instead, our Intercultural Family Study is an investigation of cultural adaptation, family relationships, and psychological adjustment among immigrant Chinese families who have children in high school. In this research program, we have found that adolescents who feel more positively about being ethnically Chinese also tend to report better psychological adjustment in terms of higher feels of self-esteem and fewer symptoms of depression. We also find that the more experiences adolescents have with peer bullying, the lower their psychological adjustment. Finally, our research has found that adolescents reporting stronger feelings of ethnic identity are less negatively affected by the stressors of lower academic achievement and peer bullying. That is, feeling positively about one’s ethnic identity appears to be protective against risks related to achievement and discrimination.
* }4 O  q3 L3 {0 S
: Y9 M( i/ Z$ H8 F+ h  u* ?These are the issues that I discussed with the author of the MacLean’s article. Any extension from these research findings were made by the author of the article and are not conclusions that we have drawn from our research.

Catherine Costigan, Ph.D.
# X' }5 d, |0 B
$ h; R" G6 D4 D" i" s% VAssociate Professor of Psychology

http://thinknotfear.wordpress.co ... e-macleans-writers/