"if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen
the side of the oppressor." - Desmond Tutu.

BC Minister Katrina Chen applauds Trudeau for standing up for Chinese community Featured

 

Rising above party politics, the BC Minister of State for Childcare has appreciated Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for trying to embrace the Chinese community that is currently facing racism following the outbreak of Coronavirus which has claimed more than 900 lives.  

Katrina Chen, a New Democrat, feels that the Liberal Prime Minister has shown leadership in the time of crisis.

As a person of Chinese origin, Chen feels that this gesture means a lot to her.  

Most of the deaths from the virus that originated in China have been in that country, and yet Chinese people in Canada are facing discrimination which has been strongly denounced by Trudeau, who went to a Chinese restaurant to celebrate his daughter’s birthday to dispel fears. Years ago, Chinese people faced a similar situation in the aftermath of the deadly SARS  virus that hit the country. The then-Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien also went to a Chinese restaurant to show his solidarity.   

Chen told Spice Radio on Monday, February 10 that not only Trudeau, but her party's leader, Premier John Horgan, also went to attend Chinese lunar year celebrations and ate with the community.  Apprehensions are unfounded about the spread of the Coronavirus in Canada, since the risk is very low, thanks to the efforts of Health Canada.

She had gone to the Burnaby-based radio station to participate in their sixth annual #HandsAgainstRacism campaign launched in 2015. The participants are encouraged to dip their hands in colour and leave behind  handprints on a white sheet along side a message against bigotry. Before she left, Chen wrote, "Fight Against Racism Every Day !". 

Chen was concerned about growing hostilities against Chinese people in Canada, which has a history of racism against people of Asian heritage. Chen herself endured racism in the past, and witnessed attempts to polarize society by extreme right wing political parties in the last federal election.

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Last modified on Tuesday, 11 February 2020 00:07
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