Chinese Community In Burnaby Hit With Racist Graffiti

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Racist graffiti at Burnaby’sMetrotown touches on ‘underground’issues, says advocate.

Online post shows photo of the words ‘kill all Chinese’ that were scrawled on a bathroom stall at Metrotown Centre.

BURNABY – Racism continuesto rear its ugly head in multiculturalpockets of MetroVancouver with the latest beingthe Chinese community inBurnaby, specifically near theheavy Asian Metrotown area.The community is wondering ifthey’re truly welcome after aphoto of racist graffiti wastaken at a local mall and postedto an Internet site popular withlocal Chinese, reported 24Hours. The woman who postedthe photo to the site iask.ca tookit inside a washroom stall in theladies room at Metropolis atMetrotown.“Kill all Chinese” was scrawledonto the side of the stall in whatappears to be pen and capturedby Monday by someone whoonly wants to be known as Ms.Lu due to safety concerns.“I just wanted to ignore it,” Lusaid. “The next day I decided toreport it to police.”The photo had many onlinetelling people to call the policewhen they see such graffiti.One user wondered what theChinese community had done todeserve the morbid attack.And it’s not the first time she’sseen such comments around thecity, leading her and othersonline to question how welcomethe Chinese actually are inCanada.“When I came here three yearsago I would also see words like,‘go back to China.’” She said. “Ihave seen it on trees and onwalls.”According to Jeanne Fikeof the Burnaby InterculturalPlanning Table, a group workingtoward racial harmony, despitethe organization’s efforts thereis still a problem with bigotry inBurnaby — it’s just not alwayseasily visible.“I think in Burnaby racism ismore underground, it’s moresubtle, it’s not as overt as it is inmany other places in the world,”Fike said. “But I have no doubtit is alive and well, thank heavenwe have human rights legislation.”But Fike said the majority ofresidents in Burnaby would beappalled at the graffiti, and significantefforts have been madeto tackle such issues, adding shewanted to apologize to theChinese community that the“shocking” incident had happened.Burnaby RCMP saidsuch incidents are taken seriouslyand investigated to find outwhy they happened and to preventany escalation while thegraffiti is taken down as soon aspossible. The RCMP said perpetratorsof such graffiti are alsosubject to prosecution.Courtesy 24 Hours