Because America is not big enough to contain the current state of hate, it seems that the Trump Effect has hopped its way over the border... into Canada. This week in Richmond, which has a large Asian population, racist pamphlets taking aim at Chinese people were distributed to several homes.
Racist flyers turn up in Richmond mailboxes
The flyers, which declare "Step aside whitey, the Chinese are taking over," appear to be an attempt to draw white recipients to an "alt-right" website. The author's grievances include "being marginalized in the community your forefathers built" and living amongst "neighbors who refuse to speak your language." That would probably be Chinese people they're alluding to.
It's not like Canada is immune to racist bullshit. But somebody up there is apparently eager to get in on this Trump vibe we're dealing with in the States -- and they're recruiting. The pamphlets were reportedly dropped through the mail slots of homes in the "Springs" neighborhood of Steveston on Thursday morning.
Local police say they are investigating the incident.
"The Richmond RCMP take all matters that may be hate or bias motivated very seriously," Richmond RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dennis Hwang said. "We are currently investigating this incident. We realize that incidents like this have a direct impact on citizens and our community. We encourage people to report all incidents such as this to their local police."
For what it's worth, it seems that the pamphlet was not received well.
"I'm pissed that someone thought this was acceptable," area resident Mike Karamanian told Richmond News.
"Save Richmond from what?" asked Lorne McMillan, one of the flyer's recipients. "The only thing that I think Richmond needs saving from is attitudes like the person who created these," he told the Vancouver Sun.
"There is no place for that divisive and racist fear-mongering in Canada, and certainly not in Richmond," said resident Kelly Greene, who was pretty quick to classify this as an American brand of hate. "We are each other's neighbors, coworkers and friends. The hate spewed in the United States is not welcome here."
We Americans didn't invent that shit, but we have seen an abundance of it around here lately. Sorry, Canada.
More here: Alt-right pamphlets come to Richmond targeting Chinese people
