Asian Canadian demand public apology from Toronto City Councilor Rod Ford

This morning a small group of protesters stages a peaceful protest outside of the office of Toronto City Councilor Rob Ford’s office at the City Hall. The protesters armed with sewing machine, stream-iron and dressed in white shirt and black dress pants as the standard uniform of the service industry.  They were there to demand a public apology and voiced their outage over Mr. Ford recently racist comments at the city councilor meeting, he was reported stated;

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 “You want to see workaholics? Those Oriental people work like dogs, they work their hearts out…I’m telling you, the Oriental people…they’re slowly taking over, because there are no excuses for them. They’re hard, hard workers.”

Since Ford’s comments were broadcast from Council and carried in major newspapers in the city and across Canada, public calls for an apology have increased through calls to Ford’s own office, to the office of Mayor David Miller and editorials and letters to the editor at major newspapers.

 

“Councilor Ford’s use of outdated language to describe our community shows him to be an anachronism, and a throwback to times when Canada was less tolerant of the people who now make up more than half of the country’s population,” said Kristyn Wong-Tam,

past president of the Chinese Canada National Council Toronto Chapter.

 

“ When the Councilor says that we are slowly taking over” he is further racist ideology that once originated with the “yellow peril” campaign which ultimately developed racist immigration policies such as the Chinese Exclusion ac, with the irrational fear of white people’s wages being diminished and jobs being loss to Asians.”

 This is not Mr. Ford first controversy with his comments, in 2006 when Toronto Star reported, during a Toronto Maple Leaf hockey game at the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Air Canada Center and allegations arose of his loud, unsociable conduct. Two audience members alleged Ford instigated a shouting match. Security at the Centre later ejected Ford from the venue.

 Initially, Ford denied involvement, claiming mistaken identity. The following day, Ford confirmed the allegations and announced his apology to the couple. He cited "personal problems" as a reason for his behavior.