Regarding the article “Struggling for acceptance,” September 27:
Ken Yum has exposed both sides of the story. I have noticed that differences exist between Chinese Canadians who have recently entered Canada and those that have grown up in Canada. I don’t want to be offensive nor do I want to be defensive, but there needs to be some serious balance.
On one hand, we have those (not all) Chinese Canadians who think “Hey, we’re in Canada now, I can do whatever I want.” I have seen this ignorance shown on many occasions. For example, there are times where I go shopping and the parking spot reserved for the physically challenged is taken up by cars without parking permits. I see them park their cars and walk off. These spots are reserved for people who really need them. Another example: up the street from where I live is a sharp turn. It clearly has signs stating that parking is prohibited, but cars are still parked on the side of the road. I see people getting out of the car and I tell them about the signs. They say “Who cares,” and just walk off. It’s just ignorance.
I was born in Canada and I grew up in a “generation of tolerance and multiculturalism.” I am proud to live in Canada and be part of it. I believe that remarks made by Carole Bell, deputy mayor of Markham, overall mean “RESPECT.” These individuals should understand our point of view, but there still seems to be continuing conflict. For example, Chinese-only signs in Markham. I think this is total disrespect. There should be both languages on the signs no matter what.
All I would like to say is, “Hey, just a little respect wouldn’t hurt!!!”
Erwin Cheung
Business Management 3
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