Coronavirus concern sparked a racist incident in Vancouver
It's no secret that coronavirus concerns are leading to racism in Toronto, but a racist incident in Vancouver, B.C. is making waves on social media.
The Instagram video is taken at a parking lot in Burnaby.
The video begins halfway through an exchange. According to the Instagram user, the man says, "Hey, you dropped something" to their mother and sister before the video starts.
The woman filming steps out of the car and confronts the man. The man responds by saying, "You dropped your coronavirus."
The man also reveals that he's made similar comments to 10 different people.
The Instagram user added that even after both sides got into their cars, the man continued to make rude hand gestures at them.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam has already expressed concern about the growing number of reports of racist incidents directed at the Chinese community.
1/5 I am concerned about the growing number of reports of #racism and stigmatizing comments on social media directed to people of Chinese and Asian descent related to #2019nCOV #coronavirus. #EndStigma pic.twitter.com/xpueZTcNn9
— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) January 30, 2020
Tam asked Canadians to learn from their experience with SARS, where South East Asians faced significant discrimination.
She also reminded Canadians that stigmatizing language is "unacceptable and very hurtful."
5/5 #Racism, #discrimination and stigmatizing language are unacceptable and very hurtful. These actions create a divide of #UsVsThem. #Canada is a country built on the deep-rooted values of respect, diversity and inclusion. #EndStigma #2019nCOV #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/qianvvIwgn
— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) January 30, 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also spoken out against racism, saying, "There is no place in our country for discrimination driven by fear or misinformation."
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