‘Go back to Hong Kong’ jibe sparks debate on level of racism in Canada, but emigrants say abuse that went viral doesn’t reflect country’s attitude
- Canadian city of Richmond in spotlight after woman filmed telling Asian man to ‘go back to Hong Kong’ during angry exchange at local council meeting
- Hongkongers in the area say racist remarks don’t reflect country’s attitude, but show major disagreements over plans to tackle drug abuse
The Canadian city of Richmond came into the spotlight after heated exchanges on February 12 and 13 over the local municipal council’s motion to explore the feasibility of a “supervised consumption site” for drug users.
Provincial health authorities in the city, near Vancouver in British Columbia, later said they would not be “moving forward” with the site as it was not “appropriate” for the city.
While the motion eventually passed with a 7-2 vote, hundreds in the predominantly ethnically Asian city rallied against the proposal and argued it would promote drug abuse at a time when fatal overdoses were rising.
A screengrab of a viral video showing a woman telling an elderly Asian man to “go back to Hong Kong”. Photo: Instagram/Pierrepoilievremp
A widely shared video originally posted by online group Neighbours of Richmond shows a white woman in favour of the motion accosting an elderly Asian man during the rally and describing him as “what’s wrong with Canada”.
“You do not belong here. Go back to Hong Kong,” the woman says in the video.
She has since apologised for her remarks.
Community leaders were quick to rebuke the woman’s comments, even as the country is grappling with fears of a gradual shift from its traditional acceptance of immigrants.
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“Racism has no place in our society and it is disheartening to witness such behaviour,” said Chak Au, a Richmond city councillor who once taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and moved to Canada in 1988.
“This incident underscores the urgent need for collective action against racism,” he said. “t is an essential endeavour for fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.”
Au said opposition to the site should not be “framed as an ethnic issue” as people from “diverse backgrounds” held different views on the supervised drug use centre.
Richmond, which is part of the Vancouver metropolitan area, is home to one of the country’s largest Asian-Canadian communities.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...gust-compared?module=hard_link&pgtype=article
About half of the city’s population of 230,000 identify as being ethnically Chinese or as a Hongkonger, while Cantonese and Mandarin are the second and third most common mother tongues, respectively.Canada is also one of a handful of countries that offered bespoke immigration pathways for Hongkongers following Beijing’s promulgation of the national security law in 2020.
According to the country’s immigration authorities, about 25,000 applications for work permits or extensions were approved between the programme’s launch in 2021 and August 2023.
The number of approved permanent residency applications has also surged threefold since 2021, climbing to 7,535 in 2023.
Public sentiment towards increased immigration has shifted over the past year amid the country’s housing shortage and cost-of-living crisis.
Chak Au, a Richmond city councillor who moved there from Hong Kong in 1988, has described the incident as “disheartening”. Photo: Handout
A series of surveys from pollster Nanos Research between March and December 2023 found the number of Canadians in favour of authorities accepting fewer immigrants jumped from 34 per cent to 61 per cent.
But Hong Kong emigrants who recently moved to the Vancouver area told the Post they felt the woman’s remarks reflected an emotionally charged issue, rather than signs of deeper tensions.
“Generally I think the city is still quite friendly to newcomers,” said Stephane Hung, a 36-year-old research assistant who moved to Richmond a year and a half ago.
He said Hong Kong-Canadians were “generally more concerned” about drug policies, clashing with British Columbia’s more traditionally liberal approach that considered it a public health issue rather than a criminal one.
Hung said that this dispute could sometimes create “different points of understanding” that led to disagreements.
Another emigrant surnamed Chan, who moved to the area two years ago, echoed the sentiment.“I think the anger shown in the footage is targeting this specific issue,” the 29-year-old said. “I don’t think there is any change culture-wise on new immigrants, so I am not worried.”
Rachel Miu Mei-sze, a former Hong Kong news anchor who now works as a parenting instructor, said the incident had attracted the attention of Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, who posted about it on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
His post has amassed more than 665,000 views and over 1,600 comments so far, with many expressing support for the country’s Asian community.
“Judging from the pouring in of comments, you can see how Canadian citizens have all condemned any discriminatory sentiment and shown full support for reason and manners.”
