An Open Letter to Canadian Journalists

hi dear Canadian journos & media folks,

if you are now looking for ethnic chinese folks to interview for your coverage, I need you to answer these:

what took you so long to seek out racialized community voices?

how will you facilitate a safe and secured exchange?

why should we grant you an insider look to our community knowledge?

how would you build trust, respect safety & boundaries w your interviewees?

how will the media continue to highlight diasporic & racialized voices?

how will the media honour our voices & stories?

I believe journalism is an essential part of a free society.

Often we see the media that seeks to gain clicks - flashy headlines and one-liners that reduce the diasporic community as a single-dimensional victim or perpetrator…

that is not value-added to the public discourse.

I choose to refuse participation and engagement with journos who are not intentional in their research and reporting.

That is protection for me, my sanity and well-being. But also protection for my community, where my voice would not be twisted to rationalize their detriment.

One additional takeaway: Be educated & sensitive in approaching “Chinese Canadians”

is this person ethnically Chinese?

do they actually self identify as Chinese?

and if so is it their ethnic-cultural background or in association to their migration from the PRC/HK/Taiwan?