May Chiu, a prominent Péquiste who was the first Chinese-Canadian candidate to run for the Bloc Québécois, has slammed PQ Leader André Boisclair for using a French expression that means "slanting eyes" to describe Asian students.
Chiu — who ran unsuccessfully for the Bloc in the 2006 federal election and is now working on PQ candidate Zhao Xin Wu's campaign in Montreal — warned that Boisclair's refusal to apologize for the comment would jeopardize the inroads that his party has made with Quebec's Asian population.
PQ member and former Bloc Québécois candidate May Chiu.
(CBC)
"With one remark in two seconds, I think he has done a lot of damage with the work and the bridges that these candidates have built with the community," Chiu told the CBC on Thursday night.
Boisclair spurred controversy when he used the expression les yeux bridés (slanting eyes) Wednesday night in a speech to students in Trois-Rivières, when he talked about the influx of Asian students coming to study in North American universities.
Chiu said Boisclair's reaction to the outcry following his remarks revealed his ignorance.
"I think that you've got to be extremely disconnected with reality if you don't realize that calling people slanted eyes has been an insult to Asians for the longest time, and is still used as an insult."
The PQ leader refused to withdraw his comments on Thursday, arguing the expression is commonly used in a non-derogatory way in the French language, and most Quebecers would agree with its use. He also said he was amazed by the discipline and success of the Asian students.
But Chiu urged Boisclair do his homework.
"He doesn't know the experiences of Asians in Quebec, the experiences of racial minorities. If he thinks Quebecers will stand behind him, they will not stand behind a remark which is so harmful to so many Quebecers of Asian descent."
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| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 48 | 0 | 48 | 33.08% |
| ADQ | 41 | 0 | 41 | 30.80% |
| PQ | 36 | 0 | 36 | 28.32% |
| QS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.65% |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.89% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .26% |
| Last Update:March 27, 12:52:21 AM EDT | ||||
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