by Claudia Medina Recently it came to my attention that hate propaganda posters had been put up in various locations around town. Friends who had seen them had taken them down immediately, shocked and disturbed that such blatant racism was on display. I spotted one soon after, tacked on a pole in Cranberry, and even though I knew about their existence, I was shaken but I wasn’t altogether surprised.
I had been noticing a rising tide of prejudice and racial stereotyping in the previous months, as news of Chinese citizens investing in this area, through the buying of businesses, real estate, and opening up educational opportunities for students, started to buzz in the Powell River rumour mill. I started to hear disturbing comments that revealed a lot about how much ignorance and fear existed in some of the population when it came to a culture they were not familiar with. These comments were especially revealing, since most people have been clamouring for outside investment, in making Powell River “open for business.” Apparently, “open” means different things to different people.
As a first generation daughter of immigrants from two cultures, I’ve heard first-hand stories of prejudice that can devastate newcomers to a community. I’ve heard of the feelings of isolation, of sadness, and of anger that arise when people make assumptions, and don’t make an effort to understand what it is like to start a new life in a different community and culture. I’ve also heard stories about how simple acts of kindness, gestures of welcome, and social engagement can break through the isolation and make the adjustment to a new culture just that much easier.
When I saw that poster, I imagined being a person of Chinese heritage walking by on a beautiful sunny day, and coming across something so hateful, directed at my nationality.
I am heartened to know that everyone I spoke to who saw these posters took them down immediately and started talking about what we could do to reverse this ugly tide. We have the potential to confront the issues of racism and discrimination in a constructive and meaningful way.
A couple of years ago, I was fortunate to be involved in the making of a documentary, Defining Diversity, Creating Community, which told the story of diversity in this town. People spoke of hardships and of breakthroughs, of outright racism, and of the road toward mutual respect and belonging. We are obviously still a ways away from fully embracing diversity, but these kinds of incidents have the potential to shine a light on the ugliness so that we can deal with it once and for all. It is everyone’s responsibility to call out racism and prejudice and find ways to learn about each other beyond destructive and misleading stereotypes.
For the person who felt compelled to put up those posters, I ask you: what caused you to have so much hate in your heart, and what are you going to do to free yourself from it?
Claudia Medina is a mother and filmmaker living in Powell River.
