Editor: Re: Jim McGregor’s column, “Don’t sell the family farm just yet,” (the Times, May 27).
I couldn’t help but notice that you left out the ethnic origin of your wife in the story when talking about sitting at a table calculating if you were able to afford a $210 mortgage payment.
You did specify that a Lexus with tinted windows with an Asian driver stopped to ask you about your farm home?
Do cars with tinted windows frighten you or is it because some tinted windows are illegal?
You go on to tell the story of early immigrants being lured to Canada from Ukraine and Europe but left out our Canadian government’s recent history of luring Asian investment, in fact, this week our premier and prime minister are in Asia doing just that.
You talk about the plight of early settlers that braved the lengthy ocean voyage and sacrifices made to come to the Fraser Valley but now foreigners drive up in expensive cars and offer cash for our homes.
My question is, what makes you think the driver (albeit your mention of him being Asian) is an immigrant?
There are many thousands of people that are Asian looking, South Asian looking, South African looking etc. that were born here in this country. In fact, I consider it somewhat offensive and totally unacceptable to assume or label anyone who doesn’t look Caucasian as a foreign being.
It always chokes me up a little on Canada Day when the media shows all the new Canadians pledging allegiance to the flag on July 1. It makes me proud to be a Canadian.
They drive Dodge pickup trucks or Mercedes cars worth more than a Lexus and do want to buy homes in this area to invest in farms for the purpose of farming, not just to be “foreign or absentee owners” that, in your opinion, sit on vacant land waiting for zoning changes so they can demolish the old homesteads and cash in on real estate.
I must say I am increasingly annoyed with the anti-Asian propaganda associated with real estate acquisitions in B.C. and suggest that people’s complaints and concerns of Asian interference in the market be directed to our provincial and federal governments as they are the ones who since Expo ’86 have been eager to get as many rich Asians as possible to “invest” in B.C.
My farm is currently not for sale either, although I am getting many inquiries these days from all kinds people of different ethnic backgrounds.
It just so happens that I took a trip to the Langley farm museum early on to see if I could look into the past for ideas to develop my farm and was very surprised to find that the farming pioneers in the Langley area were of Japanese descent, beginning with the berry farms in the area and fishing on the side to make ends meet because of seasonal farming limitations.
My B.C. and my Canada include all people from all different ethnic backgrounds, rich or poor, regardless of their skin colour or accents. No matter what kind of car they drive, they are all welcome.
My heritage is Irish-Scottish and I was told by my grandfather that we had changed our name to avoid persecution, from McGaraigh and Anglicized it to a more simple “Garrow,” so as not to stand out as the early Irish and Scottish “Mc” settlers that were stealing all the good jobs.
Can we all just stop demonizing others from different ethnic backgrounds and adopt a more modern approach to cohabitation?
This July 1, let’s cheer on those that made it to our great country and pledge to help them out by being supportive, loving, caring Canadians.
Keith Garrow,
Langley
