Number 84, November, 1996

English is Now A Minority Language in Vancouver

"If you feel like you're in the minority if you speak English in the city of Vancouver, you're right. A majority of people living within the city limits now speak a language other than English at home, city hall's social planning department has confirmed. ... The past few years have seen an unprecedented influx of Asian immigrants moving into Vancouver, coupled with a mass movement of English-speakers selling their high-priced Vancouver city homes and cashing in by moving to the suburbs. The result: just 43.96 per cent of the children in Vancouver schools report English as the language they speak at home. ... More than 56 per cent of the population of the city speaks a language other than English at home. ... Chinese dialects make up the bulk of non-English speakers in schools at 31.56 per cent. ... Add to those the 5.17 per cent speaking Vietnamese, 4.39 per cent Punjabi, 2.6 per cent Spanish, 2.06 per cent Hindi, and 1.52 per cent Tagalog (from the Philippines,) and you've already got 47.3 per cent of the populace speaking a language other than English." (Vancouver Sun, November 2, 1996) Does anyone remember ever being consulted about this? Did British Columbians or Canadians, for that matter, ever get to vote on the demographic remaking of their land?

Poll Shows Strong Opposition to Minority Immigrants

"One in four Canadians opposes immigrants "purely on the basis of skin colour," a study for the federal government says. 'Canadians are more comfortable (or) positive to members of white European ancestry (and) less comfortable (or) positive to visible racial and religious minorities,' says the report by Ekos Research Inc. ... A survey of 1,200 adults suggests that half of Canadians think current immigration levels are about right, 36 per cent think they are too high, and 11 per cent think they are too low. The respondents were asked: 'Forgetting about the overall number of immigrants coming to Canada, of those who do come, would you say there are too many, too few or the right amount who are members of visible minorities?' Twenty-six per cent said there are too many, 10 per cent said there are too few, and 57 per cent said the amount is about right. ... On a related question, 54 per cent said they would be pleased if someone of Italian descent moved into their neighbourhood. Almost as many liked the idea of new neighbours from Poland, the United Kingdom of Vietnam. But only 17 per cent said they would be pleased if someone of Iranian descent moved in. Immigrants from Lebanon, Somalia and Haiti were also less popular. ... 'Intolerance is somewhat more pronounced amongst older English-speaking Canadians (Ontario and British Columbia) and in oiur largest metropolitan areas,' says Ekos." (Toronto Star, November 7, 1996) In other words, the more they are exposed to the "diversity" that is supposed to be enriching us, the less people like it!

_CRIME WATCH_

Criminal Intelligence Service Highlights Asian Gangs Menace

The Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) is an organization that provides the facilities to unite the criminal intelligence units of Canadian law enforcement agencies in the fight against the spread of organized crime in Canada." (CISC Annual Report on Organized Crime, 1996, p.5) "Organized crme is increasingly affecting the quality of life in Canadian society. It is estimated that in 1994, Canadian chartered banks lost $143-million through fraud and the insurance industry advises that $1.5-2-billion are also lost annually to fraud. Hundreds of millions of dollars are laundered by criminal organizations thereby threatening the integrity of our financial institutions. " (p.3)

"ASIAN ORGANIZED CRIME: Asian organized crime in Canada is alive and flourishing in several metropolitan areas in the country. Toronto and Vancouver are the principal centres of concern to law enforcement. Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton are also affected by Asian criminal groups, followed to a lesser extent by Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Halifax. In Canada, Asian organized crime groups are involved in crimes that reach beyond the Asian community, including such white collar crimes as money laundering, credit card fraud and counterfeiting cheque schemes. As well, these groups are involved in sophisticated major theft rings and commercial break and enters. These expanding areas of criminal activity challange not only the law enforcement and banking community but Canadian society as [a] whole. Much of the increase in violent criminal activity can be attributed to street gangs that exploit victims in the Asian community. Canadian law enforcement agencies are concerned with the mobility and propensity for violence of these gangs, which are often armed with semi- and fully automatic weapons. Extortion, loan sharking, illegal gambling, prostitution, drive-by shootings, 'home invasion', and commercial robberies are typical gang signature crimes.

Criminal groups operating in the Asian community continue to be responsible for most counterfeit credit card fraud in Canada. While the Big Circle Boys (BCB) are the main operators in this area, other Asian criminals are also believed to be involved. There are indications that Asian criminal groups are involved in the distribution of counterfeit currency. A well-organized crime group operating within Toronto's Vietnamese community has staged automobile accidents throughout the province. These elaborate ruses are estimated to have cost the insurance industry millions of dollars. In addition, Vietnamese gangs continue to be active in the contraband tobacco trade, smuggling mainly American cigarettes for the Canadian market. Law enforcement agencies in Toronto and Montreal as well as many other major urban centres, including Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, have documented well organized Vietnamese groups. These groups include both male and female members, and are involved in shoplifting. Asian organized crime is involved in telephone toll fraud, using stolen calling cards and credit cards, as well as in illegal migrant smuggling operations. There is a predominance of Asian criminals at every level of the heroin trade in Canada from importation to street-level distribution. Individuals and groups originating in the People's Republic of China (PRC) remain the highest threat with respect to heroin importation to Canada. They are followed by other Asian organizations/syndicates including Vietnamese street gangs, and, to a lesser extent, triad members and their associates operating in Canada. Southeast Asian traffickers are diversifying their heroin trafficking routes and using China, Taiwan, and Vietnam as transit areas. Vancouver remains the major port of entry for large quantities of heroin entering the Canadian market.

Investigation into heroin importation by the Big Circle Boys (BCB) indicates the use of legitimate businesses and import companies to facilitate this activity. Groups in the Asian community are also involved in smuggling and trafficking in multi-kilogram amounts of cocaine. Heroin for cocaine exchanges have been reported. Asian criminal organizations have established links with various other criminal groups, including the Hells Angels and Italian, Iranian, Nigerian, Lebanese and Aboriginal organized crime groups. Most of these connections are made for purposes of drug trafficking, tobacco smuggling, credit card fraud and counterfeiting." (p.9-10)

Looking toward the future, the CISC Report predicts: "Asian organized crime will continue to control the importation and distribution of high quality heroin arriving from the Golden Triangle and the People's Republic of China. ... Asian organized crime will expand its involvement in white collar crimes. Already Asian criminals are responsible for the vast majority of the credit card fraud in Canada. They are also increasing their involvement in counterfeit cheque scams, insurance fraud and the distribution of counterfeit money. Asian criminal organizations will continue to be involved in home invasions, armed robbery, protection rackets and homicides. Recently, Asian crime groups have been involved in kidnapping for ransom in the areas of Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto." (p.10)

Police Crack Chinese Smuggling Ring, Forcing Illegals Into Prostitution

"Canadian police have arrested Chinese immigrants in Vancouver, Toronbto and Cornwall, Ontario, in connection with ... a massive smuggling operation that moved hundreds of Asians illegally into Canada and then the United States. ... Police say that the key figures behind the syndicate operated in China's Fukien province, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Toronto, and New York. ... The smugglers moved the illegal immigrants through Europe, Australia and South America before entering Canada through Vancouver or Montreal. Police say that the smugglers counselled their clients to make refugee claims upon entering Canada." (Globe and Mail, November 6, 1996) The illegals pay $3,000 down in Fukien to a "snakehead" smuggler. The rest of the $30,000 fee is due when the arrive. To work it off, they are often forced into the "sweatshops and brothels of New York." (Toronto Star, November 7, 1996) For all the banshee howls of racism, this sad story is another example of Asians exploiting their own. Our looney laws that allow phonies to make "refugee" claims ironically encourage this sordid traffic in human flesh.