Markham man says fight broke out with another man after hearing ‘you don’t belong here’ (Toronto Star, July 8, 2022)
"...Alfred Lam from the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services in Newmarket agrees that incidents of hate have become much more frequent with perpetrators becoming emboldened during the pandemic, particularly lashing out against the Asian community. This is according to the centre’s own data, gathered from the community.
“The first thing we say to our clients who encounter such incidents is they need to understand their rights which are protected by law in Canada," says the executive director, "No one should suffer silently as victims of racism and we advise everyone to report such crimes to the police as early as they can safely do so."
Meanwhile, Lam reiterates the importance of putting people’s own physical safety first when encountering such incidents, gauging the situation carefully before deciding on a response."