When people ask me about life in Canada, they are usually interested in hearing about one of two things: about the country’s natural landscapes and about how naturally nice everyone is.

That’s because Canada has a reputation for being a tolerant place – where people of all different races and nationalities can live together, with the philosophy that they all have vested interests in maintaining a thriving, multi-cultural community. Personally, I feel parts of Canada has succeeded in creating such a way of life. I find it alive and well in the big cities — in Toronto and Vancouver. And while I see a multicultural makeup here in New York City, there are times when I feel that people are so packed into this city that they are just grudgingly co-existing, getting by each day by just minding their own business.

But Canada, too, is far from perfect. It is far from ideal. This past week, news that a 15-year-old Korean boy, who defended himself when another student attacked him, has been charged with assault, suspended from school and now faces expulsion.

A white student called him a “fucking Chinese”, started shoving him backward, and then threw a punch, hitting the Korean student in the mouth. The Korean student fought back, striking and breaking the white kid’s nose with one hit.

But the Korean student was the only one punished in the matter. Arrested and now suspended from his school.

It happened in Keswick, a small community just north of Toronto, where violent attacks on Asians have occurred in the past. In 2007, some Asian Canadians who liked to fish in the Keswick area, reported being harassed and abused — some were victims of violent car chases, other were pushed into the water as they stood on the pier. Five reported cases led to criminal charges.

The story in The Globe and Mail tells the tale of a young Korean immigrant, who came to Canada with his family in 2004. His father is a martial-arts master who trained with the Korean national team. Read the story below and be outraged.

Black belt teen strikes back at bully, and rallies community against racism
by JOE FRIESEN
April 30, 2009 at 4:21 AM EDT

KESWICK, ONT. — The 15-year-old black belt thought he was doing his tormentor a favour when he elected to fight back with his weaker left hand.

He had heard his white classmate throw an angry racial slur in his direction after an argument during a gym class game of speedball, and now the student was shoving him backward, refusing to retract the smear.

The white student swung first, hitting the 15-year-old with a punch to the mouth.

The 15-year-old heard his father’s voice running through his head: Fight only as a last resort, only in self-defence, only if given no choice, and only with the left hand.

His swing was short and compact, a left-handed dart that hit the white student square on the nose.

The nose broke under his fist, igniting a sequence of events – from arrest to suspension to possible expulsion – that has left the Asian student and his family wondering whether they are welcome in this small, rural and mostly white community north of Toronto, one that has been touched by anti-Asian attacks in the past.

The 15-year-old, the only person charged in connection with the April 21 school fight, faces one count of assault causing bodily harm.

But a remarkable thing happened this week.

On Monday, 400 of his fellow students, wearing black in solidarity and carrying signs of support, walked out of Keswick High School to rally in protest in front of their school.
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Read the full story here.

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