Vancouver's Chinatown

       

                                 (These Photos are taken from Vancouver's Chinatown)

          In the paper “Race, Place, and the Power of Definition” Kay Anderson addresses radicalization in Vancouver’s china town.  China town came into existence due to Canada’s demand for cheap labour.  Eventually the population grew so large that they had created their own area now know as China town.  However this seemingly nice little community became marginalized and radicalized by the white British Columbians.  Robert Miles coined the term ‘radicalization’ to refer to the process by which attributes such as skin colour, language, birth place, and cultural practices are given social significance. (Andeson,  P. 18).  I believe that rationalization is still strong and existing today in our society. The only difference is that it is not socially acceptable therefore people disguise it or keep it to themselves. This reflection is going to look at how radicalization occurs by location, as well as culture.

Often time’s people who are already socially marginalized can only afford to live or migrate to ecologically degraded spaces. This increases their marginalization in society at large. An example of this is given by Anderson in reference to the Chinese in BC. “Their residential segregation was not a direct result of government fiat but the officially sanctioned process of race definition in Vancouver certainly influences the social organization of that cities territory.  The Chinese settlers were confined through informal suasion and defensive reaction to a swampy settlement close to the business centre.”  I can’t help but wonder why is it that man is so threatened by a person of different decent cohabiting with him?  Biologically we all carry the same genes the only part that differs is some people carry more or less of one gene. (Anderson P.11).  The way society has radicalized people today, you would think they are being asked to cohabit with another species!   

Anderson also addresses how China town’s spaces are perceived. “They are viewed as either a ghettoized minority community or as an ethnic community.” Often times we don’t think about why and how a space becomes ghettoized. We just understand it as so.  The Chinese migrated to Vancouver in order to fill labor positions that the white British Columbians would not.  These positions were often dangerous and physically demanding.  The Canadian government implemented head taxes on the Chinese immigrants which often resulted in them unable to bring their families.  Vancouver’s China town became populated with men which lead to prostitutes coming into the area along with drugs, and alcohol.  This eventually turned into a space that was/is known as   dirty and dangerous.  We have now radicalized these people by their space.  Once a space is known as dangerous, it is hard to correct that.  Other people will go to that space and perform ‘dangerous’ acts they would not do in their own community.  This reinforces others opinions, and in turn never changes that space.  As discussed in class, nobody wonders why these areas are known as dangerous, we simply accept them as bad and different.  I believe we do this because it is an easy way out.  As long as you can avoid it, it doesn’t exist.  However, due to Vancouver’s increase in Asian gang activity the problem can no longer be overlooked.  On November 24, 2010 police seized what they believe was up to 9.8 million in chemical P2P (a substance to make crystal meth or ecstasy).  They also uncovered credit card counterfeiting machines, and materials for identity theft. (CTV, British Columbia). 

Next time you are walking through a poor or marginalized area, stop and think why this space has become the way it is?  Imagine that this is the place you lived and grew up in!  If we can put ourselves in others shoes perhaps we will better emphasize with them and move away from radicalizing that space.  With higher levels of education being completed in our society today the radicalization of people and space will hopefully decline.  As for me, bringing awareness and more insight really made me think about race and space differently.  To be honest I never really over thought it.  As mentioned in class, I just accepted it and never put a second thought to it.  However, now I have put a lot of thought into it and have been sharing/discussing these ideas with my family and friends.  The discussions generated a lot of good conversation and ideas, just as hoped.