Toronto Paper Runs "Racist And Sexist" Cartoon Of Chinese-Canadian Candidate

The people of Toronto were appalled. The cartoon ran right before Election Day.

By
Tanya Chen
by Tanya Chen

BuzzFeed Staff, Canada

On Sunday – a day before elections – the Toronto Sun ran this editorial cartoon of mayoral candidate Olivia Chow:

Daniel Dale @ddale8

OK, it's legit - the Sun did run a cartoon of Olivia Chow in a Mao suit literally riding Jack Layton's coattails:

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Daniel Dale@ddale8Follow

OK, it's legit - the Sun did run a cartoon of Olivia Chow in a Mao suit literally riding Jack Layton's coattails:

8:22 PM - 26 Oct 14ReplyRetweetFavorite

Jack Layton is Chow's late husband who was a politician himself and former leader of the New Democratic Party.

The drawing sparked immediate backlash and was dubbed racist, sexist and tasteless.

Kelly @broadwaybabyto

The #OliviaChow cartoon is not only real, but massively offensive. What a day Toronto... For women, for politics, for social media. #ugh

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Kelly@broadwaybabytoFollow

The #OliviaChow cartoon is not only real, but massively offensive. What a day Toronto... For women, for politics, for social media. #ugh

8:28 PM - 26 Oct 14ReplyRetweetFavorite

The Dying Arts @TheDyingArts

Yo @TheTorontoSun the @oliviachow cartoon is a crass example of some serious sexism. SHAME for pandering to the lowest common denominator

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The Dying Arts@TheDyingArtsFollow

Yo @TheTorontoSun the @oliviachow cartoon is a crass example of some serious sexism. SHAME for pandering to the lowest common denominator

9:50 AM - 27 Oct 14ReplyRetweetFavorite

TheEerie @tcote

That awful Toronto Sun @oliviachow cartoon is a great teaching tool: it exemplifies the mistreatment of both female AND minority candidates.

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TheEerie@tcoteFollow

That awful Toronto Sun @oliviachow cartoon is a great teaching tool: it exemplifies the mistreatment of both female AND minority candidates.

11:07 PM - 26 Oct 14ReplyRetweetFavorite

Chow slammed the paper.

Fred Thornhill / Reuters

"It is disgusting," she told CP24.com. “Because I am Chinese-Canadian, I must be a communist and have slanted eyes and glasses. And since I am a woman, I must be inferior and therefore not good enough for the job of the mayor so I must rely on my deceased husband so it is both racist and sexist.”

She also said she was surprised these dated stereotypes are still circulating today: “I remember getting that kind of attack in the 80s when I first became a school trustee. I thought those kind of racial stereotypes were long past us and then to bring up my deceased husband and to drag him in… it is just quite outrageous.”

Politics aside, Torontonians are rallying against the Sun and cartoonist Andy Donato.

Hannah Sung @HannahSung

EVERYONE, regardless of how vote today, should slam this RT @blogTO Olivia Chow slams Toronto Sun for cartoon http://t.co/V5VyWLx27C

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Hannah Sung@HannahSungFollow

EVERYONE, regardless of how vote today, should slam this RT @blogTO Olivia Chow slams Toronto Sun for cartoon http://t.co/V5VyWLx27C

11:11 AM - 27 Oct 14ReplyRetweetFavorite

Danko Jones @dankojones

Dear @TheTorontoSun, for your racist cartoon of Olivia Chow, here's your award #topoli

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Danko Jones@dankojonesFollow

Dear @TheTorontoSun, for your racist cartoon of Olivia Chow, here's your award #topoli

9:38 PM - 26 Oct 14ReplyRetweetFavorite