Ashwin Annamalai , a Canadian citizen of Indian origin, recently shared a disturbing encounter with a woman in Waterloo, Ontario, who launched into a racist tirade against him. Despite holding Canadian citizenship, the woman mistakenly assumed he was Indian and aggressively demanded he "go back" to where he came from.
Annamalai documented the incident, filming the exchange and posting it on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In the video, he confronted the woman after she expressed hostility toward him during his walk. He recounted how she "gave him the finger and spewed hate" while asserting her misguided beliefs about his identity.
Having moved to Canada in 2018 as an international student, Annamalai has since become a citizen. Reflecting on his experiences, he noted, “I never faced the hardships that international students are facing nowadays. This is not the Canada I came to,” in an interview with the Waterloo Region Record.
A heated exchange between Annamalai and a Canadian women
During their interaction, Annamalai repeatedly asserted his Canadian identity. "I am Canadian," he told the woman at least twice, questioning her aggressive behaviour. In response, she escalated her accusations, stating, “You’re not Canadian. I’m being aggressive to you because too many Indians are in Canada, and I want you to go back.” She demanded, "Go back to India," dismissing Annamalai’s insistence that he belonged to Canada.
When he attempted to reason with her, she countered, “You can’t even speak English.” Annamalai then showcased his linguistic abilities by responding in French, one of Canada’s official languages, to which the woman replied in English, claiming she understood French before walking away while shouting profanities.
The broader context of rising hate in Canada
Annamalai shared his video on X, emphasizing that the woman “wrongly assumed” his ethnicity. He expressed concern over the increasing frequency of such hate-filled encounters, stating, “This isn’t an isolated incident. Such encounters have been happening regularly since the beginning of the year, and people seem to be getting more emboldened.”
He noted that until 2023, he had not experienced racism in Canada . The recent surge in hateful incidents has coincided with rising tensions between India and Canada, exacerbating the climate of discrimination. Furthermore, Annamalai faced backlash online, with numerous users supporting the woman and echoing her sentiments.
Also Read | Watch: Distracted commuter narrowly escapes collision with speeding train in a viral video
Annamalai documented the incident, filming the exchange and posting it on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In the video, he confronted the woman after she expressed hostility toward him during his walk. He recounted how she "gave him the finger and spewed hate" while asserting her misguided beliefs about his identity.
Having moved to Canada in 2018 as an international student, Annamalai has since become a citizen. Reflecting on his experiences, he noted, “I never faced the hardships that international students are facing nowadays. This is not the Canada I came to,” in an interview with the Waterloo Region Record.
A heated exchange between Annamalai and a Canadian women
During their interaction, Annamalai repeatedly asserted his Canadian identity. "I am Canadian," he told the woman at least twice, questioning her aggressive behaviour. In response, she escalated her accusations, stating, “You’re not Canadian. I’m being aggressive to you because too many Indians are in Canada, and I want you to go back.” She demanded, "Go back to India," dismissing Annamalai’s insistence that he belonged to Canada.
When he attempted to reason with her, she countered, “You can’t even speak English.” Annamalai then showcased his linguistic abilities by responding in French, one of Canada’s official languages, to which the woman replied in English, claiming she understood French before walking away while shouting profanities.
The once welcoming community of Kitchener-Waterloo has seen a disturbing rise in hate, particularly against people of colour. Here’s a personal account of what I experienced today: A random woman gave me the finger & spewed hate while I was out for a walk at Erb/Avondale 🧵 1/n pic.twitter.com/TxvXeXW3Yd
— Ashwin Annamalai (@ignorantsapient) October 15, 2024
The broader context of rising hate in Canada
Annamalai shared his video on X, emphasizing that the woman “wrongly assumed” his ethnicity. He expressed concern over the increasing frequency of such hate-filled encounters, stating, “This isn’t an isolated incident. Such encounters have been happening regularly since the beginning of the year, and people seem to be getting more emboldened.”
This isn’t an isolated incident. Such hate-filled encounters have been happening regularly since the beginning of the year, & people seem to be getting more emboldened. I’ve spoken about the racism faced by international students in our community. 2/nhttps://t.co/Ef1DAVYasF
— Ashwin Annamalai (@ignorantsapient) October 15, 2024
He noted that until 2023, he had not experienced racism in Canada . The recent surge in hateful incidents has coincided with rising tensions between India and Canada, exacerbating the climate of discrimination. Furthermore, Annamalai faced backlash online, with numerous users supporting the woman and echoing her sentiments.
Also Read | Watch: Distracted commuter narrowly escapes collision with speeding train in a viral video
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