NDP candidate Jane Shin is once again raising eyebrows, this time with a comment she made online 11 years ago, saying she was fed up with the "chinkasauruses roaming about Vancouver."
According to the online Urban Dictionary, "chinkasaur" is a "semi-offensive reference to an older/elderly Asian person."
Shin, the NDP candidate for Burnaby-Lougheed, did not return a call and email from the Burnaby NOW, nor was her campaign manager available.
But according to the Vancouver Sun, New Democrat Jenny Kwan defended Shin, whose family immigrated to Canada from Korea years ago.
Kwan said the party stands by Shin who was 21 years old when the comments were made.
"I'll use myself as an example. If I made those comments today, I should be fired," Kwan told the Sun. "Jane made those comments in the context of a gaming forum 11 years ago, and I think today she has matured. She is a sincere, respectful person. She oozes respect when you talk to her."
Shin also recently came under fire from the Liberals, who have questioned her credentials after combing through online articles, biographies and information about Shin, which paints an unclear picture of where she went to medical school. (Shin went to medical school at Spartan Health Sciences University in the Caribbean.)
According to The Vancouver Sun, Shin said she "accepts responsibility for the confusion over her credentials and for not catching the mistakes."
"This is my first time running. There is a part of me that is quite disappointed. Yes, I fully acknowledge the mistakes, and I will take responsibility for them," Shin told the Vancouver Sun. "I am very proud of the education I received. The credentials that I have is something I will stand by, and I hope I can earn the respect of the public."
Ken Kramer, the Liberal candidate for Burnaby-Lougheed, declined to comment on Shin's online remarks.
"My honest opinion is I'm trying to get away from it all and get back to what I was doing, campaigning, and this is a real distraction for me. Obviously, only Jane can comment on these issues," Kramer told the NOW. "If this was me being attacked, I would be out there clarifying and defending myself. ... But ultimately, at the end of the day, it's if the voters of that riding have confidence in whoever is representing them, and credibility is vital in this area, ... and there's some doubt about Mrs. Shin's qualifications."
