Re: Refugee influx part of the region’s housing problem, (Letters, Oak Bay News July 6)
I am glad to see that Bruce Filan’s recent letter has provoked critical response. Other writers have commented on the well-documented benefits of immigration, and the hypocrisy of restricting immigration and access to housing in “one of the world’s most desirable communities” to one’s own generation.
Mr. Flilan’s letter is yet another example of dog-whistle racism. He reduces a complex social issue to a single issue problem – foreigners. I am fairly certain that Mr. Filan is not asking us to think about the influx of white, middle class, Caucasian immigrants to Victoria. It would be the others, ‘foreign’ refugees who are the problem.
Mr. Filan referred to the “misguided belief by some that anyone who wants to move here is entitled to a home.” He suggests that only certain immigrants are worthy of calling Victoria/Oak Bay home. In creating a dichotomy of acceptable vs. unacceptable, I would invite Mr. Filan to specify the characteristics of an “acceptable” immigrant. Those from specific ethnic/cultural/religious backgrounds, or simply those with the economic means to ‘fit in’?
Mr. Filan’s suggestion that the federal government regulate where new immigrants may settle is troubling. Perhaps he is unaware that the majority of immigrants settle in Eastern provinces (specifically Ontario and Quebec), and that many of those who settle in B.C. often chose other locations. Although the housing shortage in Victoria is undeniable, this not-in-my-backyard attitude is xenophobic.
Lastly, I would caution Mr. Filan to avoid the certainty of attributing Victoria’s housing crisis to immigration. While there may be some relationship between these variables, correlation does not equal causation. A more informed analysis would avoid sweeping generalizations while taking other economic, social, cultural or political factors into consideration.
Bridget McGowan
Saanich
