DCE Occupation was motivated by Racism

By Gary McHale - www.CaledoniaWakeupCall.com

August 26 2007

In 1981 we moved to Toronto – Steels and Warden Ave. to be more exact. We moved into an apartment and lived on the 20th floor. Although it was part of Scarborough, it looked like we were in the country since you had to drive on dirt roads to get to our building.

We lived there for 14 years and 200,000 people moved into the area.During the 1980s was the time when Canada opened the doors to people from Hong Kong with over 500,000 moving to Canada in a few short years.

We witnessed the malls change from English to Asian and one by one businesses started to have Asian only signs. Home after home was built and purchased by Asian people and slowly even the churches started to have Asian only services. To us this wasn’t a problem.

My wife donated time teaching English as a Second Language to Asian people but many whites and blacks had a hard time. Suddenly their neighborhood had a new culture, customs and language.

Throughout history racism starts when such changes occur in communities when those who hold to their culture and customs are forced to allow others to live side by side with them.

Just how many white communities over the years hated it when the first black family moved in. To them their white culture, traditions and customs were suddenly under attack. For these whites their whole way of life had to be defended.


Janie Jamieson’s statements in Toronto Life demonstrates Racism

Imagine my surprise to read that Janie Jamieson, Native Spokesperson for DCE occupation, used the very words that whites used when Blacks move in to their neighborhoods. When the Asians first moved into Scarborough they were met with the same racist statements and attitude that Jamieson admits to in the Toronto Life story. The following is the quote from Toronto Life Aug 2007:

For Jamieson, the story raised a red flag. The plan projected 7,000 new residents in Haldimand County alone over the next 20 years. “That really frightened me,” she recalls. “All these strangers moving right onto our doorstep, and we had no say in it.”

This is like reading white supremacy material that shows a fear that Blacks are moving in and the whites have no say. Whites fear their culture and traditions would start to change. Their children would slowly mix and white culture would be lost.

Jamieson states in the Toronto Life story that “We have such a strong, rich history…” This is true but so does every group. What Jamieson is presenting is that by allowing Italians, Germans, Asians, Africans etc. to move right onto their ‘doorstep’ that she was ‘frightened’.

This truly is the heart of racism.

Read the full story here