The following is an open letter to the strata council at Wellington Court, re: “Chinese-only strata prompts human rights complaint,” News, Dec. 23, 24.

Dear council members,

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My name is Tom Zheng. I am a Canadian of Chinese descent and I have been living in Canada since 2002. I completed my bachelors at McGill University and I am currently pursuing a degree in law at King’s College London.

Chinese is my first language. Just like you, I am proud of our heritage and proud of how our collective culture and traditions have contributed to the Canadian identity.

A few days ago, I read in the papers that not everyone is happy with your decision to only use mandarin Chinese in your strata meetings. While at first glance, this seems to be just a rational decision, given the vast majority of the participants speak Chinese. However, I believe that how this issue will be resolved will have a lasting impact on relationships among the various ethnic groups living in Richmond, and in Canada as a whole.

Chinese Canadians have come a long way from the days of railroads and head taxes. Today, almost 1.5 million of us call this beautiful country our home.

Whenever I visit China, my relatives and friends are envious of the fact that I have the privilege to live in a country that is prosperous, democratic and tolerant. Around the world, Canadians are known as the “nice” guys, partly because we are sensitive and respectful of each other’s cultural backgrounds, and we are one of the few remaining countries in the world that understands that multiculturalism, when adopted properly, is a powerful catalyst to a peaceful and vibrant society.

Philosopher Zhuang Zi once said: “When one enters a foreign land: Respect its customs, and observe to its values.”

Let us suppose that what happened here happened in China, and you, a local resident who only speaks Mandarin, are unable to attend the strata meetings because the organizers have decided to conduct the meeting in English and English only. How would you feel? How would you feel if you are not able to participate in these meetings in your own country, where you were born and raised?

English and French are the official languages of this country; they are the languages that bind all of us together, regardless of our skin color or our accents. Speaking at least one of the official languages makes it significantly easier for anyone to take advantage of all of the wonderful opportunities this country has to offer. Not to mention, I personally believe it is our civil responsibility, as immigrants, to speak an adequate level of English or French.

Canada is a tolerant country, but we should not take advantage of this tolerance to deprive others of rights they rightfully deserve.

It is neither Canadian (or Chinese) to alienate others just for matters of convenience. Consequently, I strongly urge you to start adopting English at your strata meetings and provide on-site translators for non-English speakers. It is the right thing to do.

Tom Zheng

Richmond