“Racism In The Community” conducted by Pride Winnipeg
Panelist and Speaker: Christepher Wee
Thank you to Pride Winnipeg for inviting me to this important discussion about racism in the community. Thank you for sponsoring my journey here to Winnipeg to not only be a part of this discussion, but also giving me the opportunity to be a part of OUTShine, the second Canadian National GSA Youth Summit, which starts tomorrow.
I want to thank Pride Winnipeg for its leadership in the community not only in its LGBTQ+ advocacy work but also its community building efforts in general. This is reflected in this discussion because racism does not only affect our LGBTQ+ community but it exists and affects people of color in every city, every province, and every country. Like our LGBTQ+ advocacy endeavors, racism is an issue we must continuously educate about and implement measures to promote understanding and respect.
I am the first person of color to win the title Mr. Gay Canada. Before I entered the competition, one of my friends said to me that I did not realize the impact of my participation. And if I won the competition, the impact I would have on the Asian communities everywhere would be exponential.
This comment took me by surprise and I did not realize its impact until I received countless messages in my social media accounts and in my emails about the impact and difference I making as a representative of the Asian community. The messages of gratitude for being a voice and face for those who have to live their authentic selves through my presence and protected reality also awakened my extended responsibility.
The truth is when I entered the competition it was from a mindset of being able to do advocacy work for our LGBTQ+ community and my role as a human being in our society. My color and cultural heritage were not a part of my mindset but that soon changed when I realized the visibility and significance of my color.
I think being a person of color in the position of leadership and title is another challenge I face. I think that our society has definitely been progressing with the acceptance of women in the position of power, however embracing people of color in leadership roles still needs to be fully welcomed. I think it takes education, revelation, and time to adapt to this social and cultural adjustment.
Jane Addams once said, “Social advance depends quite as much upon an increase in moral sensibility as it does upon a sense of duty.”
Growing up in Greater Vancouver I have experienced my share of racist comments and negativity. In the playground of my elementary school, in the hallways of my high school, the boulevards of UBC, and in the hustle of my multicultural, metropolitan community.
You would think that after all these decades of co-existence that racism would be far from being an issue. I see more ethnic cuisines and restaurants now than before. I see more interracial unions and children. I see cultural and religious places of worship and gathering standing as neighbors. We teach and celebrate cultural differences in schools as part of the curriculum. Yet we still deal with racism in our community.
When I was in university driving down the road with my third generation Japanese-Canadian born friend in his father’s big, old American Buick, a man in his 30/40s shouted out of his big, old American vehicle for us to take our Mercedes and go back to Hong Kong.
Last month, after parking my car in a residential neighborhood and activating my car alarm, I heard a man in his 40/50s yelling from across the street to me and I just heard the words “beep beep.” I thought the gentleman was making a funny comment about the sound of my car alarm, but it turned out he was making negative comments about cars parking in the residential area and alarms going off. He proceeded to shout across the street at me about bashing my car in if my alarm goes off and then made comments about me being a China-man and that I should return back to my country.
2 weeks ago as I walked down Davie Street with my friend, a guy in his 20s who was walking towards me made negative comments about me being a member of a Chinese gang. As he walked beside me, he lightly gave me a nudge on my arm. I was on Davie Street, wearing my jeans, army-glammed motif shirt, a tuxedo jacket, and dress shoes.
The stereotype that I face for being a person of color who looks visibly Chinese, are further propagated and sensationalized by our entertainment industry and media.
I am of Chinese descent but I grew up in Canada. I am not good at Math, Astro-physics, or Calculus. I do not know your friend Joseph or Li Ping in China.
I live in an average house in east side Vancouver and not in a huge mansion on the hills of West Vancouver.
I drive a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe which was passed down to me from my parents and not the latest Mercedes convertible.
I wear H&M and finds from thrift shops, not Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
However, I do know some martial arts and I am very skillful with my chopsticks. I am a person of visible color but I’m not that person of color you misunderstand in your mind and heart.
I think that more proactive family, school, community, and government based initiatives and campaigns should be implemented to address and educate about racism. Its heightened awareness could only benefit our ever evolving society.
From it’s political stance and social education about human rights with last year’s theme “WithOUT Borders,” this year’s “Evolution of Pride” and this evening’s discussion about racism, political leaders and other organizations should take notes from Pride Winnipeg’s vision, commitment, and leadership to building a united and harmonious community.
I would like to close by sharing a passage from Pride Winnipeg’s Evolution of Pride message.
“The evolution of human rights is a reflection of the advancements made by society… ‘Evolution’ calls for us to reflect on our history and focus on the evolution of human rights through education and awareness. Education and awareness are the links from ignorance to knowledge, denial to acceptance, and hate to love.”
This message extends beyond our LGBTQ+ issues, it also relates to the ongoing issue of racism in our communities all over Canada and our world.
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