Chinese Canadians demand apology on ‘Asian’ man attack

Chinese people in Canada are demanding an apology as they feel insulted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's handling of a Toronto Muslim girl who lied that she was attacked by an "Asian" man, and experts said the incident showed the Chinese community needs a greater voice in Canada.



A group of Asian protesters converged on Queen's Park Sunday to demand an apology from Trudeau for his handling of the hijab hoax. The protesters say they feel insulted that a girl lied that she was assaulted by an Asian man and say Trudeau needs to make amends to their community, the Toronto Sun reported.



"There is always discrimination, visible or not, against Chinese people in Canada. Among the ethnic minorities in the country, the Chinese have been suppressed," Yao Peng, deputy director of the Canadian Studies Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.



Chinese people in Canada tend to obey the law and mind their own business. They are not good at participating in politics, which makes them the target of attacks, Yao noted.



Even in the past decade, Canada has never adjusted its discrimination policies and attitude against Chinese people, Yao added.



An 11-year-old girl wearing a hijab was repeatedly cut on her way to school on January 12, Reuters reported.



"Police are asking for the public's help to identify the attacker described as Asian," CBC reported. Some people claimed the attacker was Chinese.



After it conducted an investigation, Toronto Police said the incident did not occur and their investigation had concluded. In a statement, the prime minister said he was relieved that the incident hadn't taken place, CBC reported.



"We are a country that defends the freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and people's right to go to school without being fearful or harassed," he said. "This is fundamental to who we are."



Trudeau's remarks sparked protests among Chinese people in Canada.



The Chinese community feels angry that Canadian society targets Asians, mainly Chinese people. The incident shows a disregard for the Chinese community, Liu Dan, an expert at the Center for Canadian Studies of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday.



The Chinese community has been steadily growing in Canada, but not many Chinese participate in politics. In recent years, the Canadian media has been unfriendly toward Chinese parliamentarians, Liu said.

