Waterloo Response to Anti-Asian Racial Stereotypes in MACLEAN'S and TORONTO STAR articles (水城百事)

by zzz, Wednesday, November 17, 2010, 09:12

Hello friends,

I have been angered, upset by the two articles published last week. One on Wednesday, November 10, by Maclean’s on elite Canadian universities,such as Waterloo, the U of T, and UBC, being “Too Asian?” and one by the Toronto Star on “Asian students suffering for success.”

I am concerned not just about the reinforcing of racial stereotypes in these articles, but also of the way the media is creating fear about an "Asian Invasion", and conflates all Asians---be they international students, first generation immigrants, Canadian born, from multiple countries of origin and heritages---and reinforces the idea that we "Asians" do not belong here. There is a history of exclusionary policies against Asians in this country----I am so deeply disappointed to that this has not changed.

With the help of WPIRG and the International Student Connection, there will be a meeting on:

Friday Nov.19th at 4pm, in the WPIRG office, room 2139 in the Student Life Centre, Waterloo Campus.

I hope this will give us a chance to share concerns about the article, join a public dialogue in response that has started in Toronto and Vancouver, and brainstorm ideas for moving forward, and perhaps bring these concerns to UW administration.

Please invite others you know who want to join this dialogue.

I have compiled some of the responses, and historical information below.

-Kathryn

More information:

If you haven't seen them, here are links to the articles:

* Maclean’s link: http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/11/10/too-asian/
* Toronto Star link:http://www.thestar.com/article/888368--asian-students-being-forced-into-university-maclean-s

Waterloo Daily Bulletin, November 16th:

Printed copies of the “universities” issue of Maclean’s magazine started appearing on campus yesterday, with cover price of $6.95. That’s the one that, just like last year’s, shows Waterloo with a reputation as “best overall” university in Canada. Along with its rankings, the issue publishes feature stories, both about the top-ranked institutions and about what it considers newsworthy topics in higher education. The lead story this year is about “that mysterious substance guidance counsellors call ‘fit’,” the quality that makes one university right for one student and another one right for somebody else. But it’s the one starting on page 77 that has drawn the most comment over the past few days. “Too Asian” casts an eye on stereotypes about some campuses: “Discussing the role that race plays in the self-selecting communities that more and more characterize university campuses makes many people uncomfortable. Still, an ‘Asian’ school has come to mean one that is so academically focused that some students feel they can no longer compete or have fun.”
The article includes a comment from Waterloo president Feridun Hamdullahpur about universities’ leadership in bringing diversity to Canadian society. "There is a great tendency in our society to learn more about other nations and other cultures," he is quoted as saying. "Universities are the hotbed of these kind of activities. If you want to see more economic and political diversity, I think they star."

The Ontario government's recently announced program of Trillium scholarships for international students has generated a lively and at times heated debate. A number of university leaders have added their voices, including Waterloo president Feridun Hamdullahpur, whose opinion piece appears in today's Waterloo Region Record and Toronto Star

History:

A similar incident occured in 1979--CTV's W5 program wrongfully represented Chinese Canadians in an investigative story, titled “Campus Giveaway,” that claimed Asian students were eroding opportunities at getting a secondary education for “Canadian” students. Many of the students portrayed in the W5 program were naturalized citizens or born in Canada . In response to this, Canadians mobilized to form the Chinese Canadian National Council.

Redress Remix--Chinese Head Tax Redress Movement:
http://www.redressremix.ca/#/home/en

Komagatu Maru and the politics of Apologies
http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/2014

National Association of Japanese Canadians
http://www.najc.ca/

Some of the RESPONSES:

From the Chinese Canadian National Council
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/article/888848--chinese-canadian-council-slams-the-star-and-maclean-s-for-story-about-east-asians-on-campus

The Chinese Canadian National Council- Toronto Chapter will be hosting a meeting on Wednesday to try to put some discussion into action.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167502949937195&notif_t=event_wall#!/event.php?eid=167502949937195

This is another facebook group with some good background information
(including youtube links to the community response/rebuttal to the CTV
W5 program "campus giveaway" that eventually resulted in the formation
of CCNC):
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167502949937195&notif_t=event_wall#!/pages/Too-Asian-TALK-BACK/175689619113941

Response from the Chinese Canadian National Council:

http://www.ccnc.ca/content/pr.php?entry=217

Below is a press release in response from several organizations and individuals in Toronto and Vancouver.