Text by CBC
Queen’s University is investigating after photos surfaced online showing white people in rice hats dressed as Buddhist monks, Middle Eastern sheikhs, Mexicans and Viet Cong fighters during an off-campus student party in Kingston, Ontario.
The partygoers wore “inappropriate costumes” at the event on Saturday in the university district, the Alma Mater Society said in a statement on Tuesday. The district is a residential area around the campus.
“These events undermine Queen’s ability to create a welcoming and respectful campus environment,” says society vice president Carolyn Thompson.
“We need to have an open and productive dialogue about race and racism on campus.”
“We take the matter very seriously”
The university also issued a statement on Tuesday saying that although the incident did not occur on campus, it is “taking the matter very seriously and (continuing to) investigate.”
“If we determine that this is an event sponsored or approved by the Queen, we will take appropriate action,” the statement said.
Photos from the event were posted on a Queen’s University student’s Facebook page and were visible to “friends of friends,” according to Toronto comedian Celeste Yim.
Yim was able to see them and posted eight of the images on Twitter, calling the event “shockingly racist.”
“The costumes are undeniably and clearly offensive, in poor taste, and should not be tolerated. Context and intentions do not matter,” Yim wrote.
