In reporting on race in multicultural Canada, the Toronto Star has long aimed to foster understanding, not ignite controversy.

That’s not always easy. Covering Canada’s most diverse community demands much sensitivity and awareness that stories about race, ethnicity and cultural values can be complex and emotionally loaded.

While I don’t believe the media should shy away from examining tough issues about cultural differences in our Canadian mosaic, journalists must be aware of the inherent sensitivities and aim to avoid reporting that relies on simplistic stereotypes and broad generalizations about any race and culture.

In the eyes of a many Canadians of East Asian background, the Star fell short of this standard last week in reporting on a conference for families in Toronto’s Chinese community that urged parents to let their children consider life paths other than university.

The Star received many emotional emails from Chinese Canadians, most particularly upset by the fact that our Page 1 story connected the concerns raised at that conference to a controversial article titled “ ‘Too Asian’?” published in the latest Maclean’s magazine university guide.

The magazine quoted some anonymous privileged white kids’ view that some Canadian universities have a large Asian student body, reporting that “some frosh don’t want to study at an ‘Asian’ university.” The article states that an “Asian” school “has come to mean one that is so academically focused that some students feel they can no longer compete or have fun.”

It’s not my role to criticize or defend the journalism of other news organizations or speculate on the reasons Maclean’s had for publishing this article. I do expect that Canadian journalists would well understand that the headline “ ‘Too Asian’?” — even framed as a question — would certainly spark controversy.

But I think the Star added fuel to this controversy in assigning education reporter Louise Brown to report on the Maclean’s article as part of a story on a conference organized by and for Toronto’s East Asian community.

The Star’s senior editors judged the Maclean’s controversy as newsworthy. But linking the Maclean’s article to the issues raised at the conference distorted Brown’s reporting.

Had Brown simply reported on the conference, I don’t expect the Star’s article would have provoked such strong reaction. The community itself had issued a news release detailing the conference issues. Brown regarded this as newsworthy because it addressed the East Asian community’s own concerns about pushing their children to succeed at university.

Brown has written often and with much sensitivity about the “achievement gap” between various races and ethnic groups in Toronto schools, which is well-documented by demographic statistics now collected by the Toronto District School Board. Those statistics clearly tell us that students of East Asian background are significant leaders in earning good grades and gaining admittance to university.

“The conference caught my eye because it focused on parents and education. It’s true that a lot of parents of all backgrounds are obsessed by wanting their children to go to university and don’t let their kids consider other paths such as college.

“I’d never seen one particular cultural group address this in a conference however.”

The day the Star’s article was published, the Chinese Canadian National Council held a news conference slamming both the Star and Maclean’s for “fear-mongering” and stoking an “us versus them” mentality. Its executive director, Victor Wong, made clear, however, that “what really bothers me is the Maclean’s headline, ‘Too Asian’?

“What does that mean? Not Canadian?”

Avvy Go, director of the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, echoed that in a public statement: “How can a headline, ‘Too Asian’? not be racist?”

I received strongly felt responses from students and parents of East Asian background who also singled out two Star headlines: “Asian students suffering for success” and “Asian domination on campus causing resentment: Maclean’s.”

Many perceived these headlines as suggesting that students of East Asian background are not “true Canadians.” While I’m certain that was not the Star’s intention, I understand the emotional reaction this provoked.

“The term ‘Asian’, within the context of the articles, is pejorative. It is used as a racial and ethnic epithet, and is offensive and prejudicial,” reader Chuang Lee said. “Without trying very hard, the Star and Maclean’s have unwittingly contributed to the staining of our Canadian multiracial and multicultural fabric.”

Reader Helen Lee went further than that in her criticism: “Climbing onto the Maclean’s bandwagon of Asian-bashing at this point of time in our Canadian history is so disappointing,” she said.

I think labeling the Star’s story as “Asian-bashing” goes too far. But, in melding our reporting with the Maclean’s controversy, the Star fell short of its usual standard of sensitivity.

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