On our Way: The Road to Tolerance.

By: Richard Chuen-Shiuh Chu

(Originally published in the Sept/Oct 1997 issue of Perspectives)

UBC: The University of a Billion Chinese. For those with a sense of humour, this does have its funny point, if only by the fact that it describes a visual reality. Only when I really stopped to think did I realize its substantive value. Of the hundreds of people I pass by, while walking to class, the majority were Chinese. Factor in other students and profs from other parts of Asia, and the numbers are pretty staggering. It then occurred to me that it would impose, if only instinctively, to Caucasians, a threat, a threat that could easily propagate racism or resentment.

Recently, I heard of such a case with a high school acquaintance of mine. A friend mentioned how difficult it was for a fellow high school graduate attending UBC, simply because of the fact that the majority of the students in his classes were Chinese, and on ‘too many occasions’ the prof would accidentally drift into Chinese. It was a totally unique experience for him since he (and I) went to a high school where basically everyone was Caucasian, except for maybe half a dozen out of 400 students (it was a small school). He was pretty frustrated by it all, especially since he had a couple scholarships on the line. It was this experience, from someone I knew for 5 years, that put a personal twist on the almost stereotypical scenario of the Caucasian threat of ‘immigrant infestation.’

Vancouver has indeed become the cultural mosaic that Multiculturalism has declared for decades. It has to such an extent that English is no longer the main language of the majority of people living here (25% of non-English immigrants having Chinese as their first language). Despite our diversity, I still wonder how accepting each of us are to each other. As a society and nation declaring itself an open house to the world, I still see that Canada has a long way to go. Even tolerance has not taken hold within the minds and hearts of some Canadians. People still grow up in an environment of intolerance, ignorant of the reality of cultural and social development.

On several occasions I wonder how much intolerance is the fault of the intolerant and how much is the fault of those being intolerated upon. True, some of intolerant are unwilling to learn and be personal with visible minorities, but how many Chinese people shy away and isolate themselves? It’s been my own experience that too many people concern themselves with their own pride, or are too self-conscious, to attempt to resolve the social issue, even on a personal level. Many, including myself, often remain in their own safety net of friends and associates instead of taking the time and effort to effectively change the community around them through dialogue or action. Our ‘ethnic ghettoization’ only facilitates fear and leads many away. To fuel the fire, internal divisions exist within ethnic groups evoking the perception that all minorities are intolerant to others. The most notable are nationalistic tendencies between Hong Kong Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants and their differing of opinion about the state of their territories, or, the much televised eruption between liberal and moderate Sikhs.

Despite these exaggerated perceptions, I have many experiences to look back on and remember how simple it can be to make a positive contribution to the problem of intolerance. As much of a cliché it has become, education plays a key role. By education, I don’t only mean of the big social issues, but really small things. For example, a friend of mine was telling me a story about how her friend was yelling in the dorm after eating a piece of sushi. All she knew was that it had something to do with ‘some green stuff,’ and she asked me what it was. After telling her that it was called ‘wasabi,’ and the fact that it is really hot, did she understand what all the commotion was all about. And the conversation continued, to Chinese food (real Chinese food, not the ‘Americanized’ stuff), and eventually to ESL. In any case, I was surprised at how little my friend knew about Asian food, but she became more curious, and the conversation went on from there.

While the level of general knowledge will vary, we should try to make it easier for people to get the chance to learn about Asian cultures. Indeed, if we don’t try, archaic stereotypes will still remain. Even if my example may not describe the reality in Vancouver, Richmond, or Burnaby, the point is that given the chance, and in taking the opportunity to give your experience to Caucasian friends, or anyone, the benefits will outweigh the negatives. In sharing our unique cultural characteristics we not only break the stereotypes that East Indians, or Chinese people are all the same, but also show our humanity.

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