Maro Club : Racism in 2010 in downtown Toronto

I am happy to say that there was no blood, fighting or injury this evening. However me an several of my classmates went out for a night on the town to celebrate a few birthdays. With a program of 270 first years, every week or two there is a cumulative night out party to celebrate the passing of time and have a few drinks.

Tonight, we went to Maro Club. Our friend knew one of the staff members and could get us guest-listed so we trekked a little out of the way, further west than usual, to check out a different spot. I am usually happy to try new places, especially places that can accommodate large groups, as we often end up being 75 plus from the school that will end up at the same bar, on a 'small night' its 20. And that is a weekday.

After being told to get to the club by 11:30, we arrived a few minutes late to find man of our friends had been held in line for 20 minutes or longer. We spoke to the bouncer, manager, another couple of bouncers, and then the manager.

I understand how the night scene works in a big city, short skirts and pretty smiles dominate. Guys with cash get to skip to line, to finance the short skirts drinks for the evening. Friend of a friend jumps the line, one person with a $20 can walk up to the bouncer, pull a smooth "Richard" handshake and bypass.

It is a money driven world. It sucks, but that is capitalism, and in a capitalist economy, it makes sense. The income discrimination is a reality, and so long as businesses are running the night scene and not the Canadian Government (where everyone will be equally inconvenienced thank you very much) it won't change.

But my experience tonight was so shocking, that I wonder exactly how ignorant and stupid some people are. After getting the run around about whether or not we would get in. We had 30 friends already inside, and another 20 or 25 people outside being told 'we were capped out.' The folks inside were messaging us saying "its not busy at all - whats going on?"

The long conversation with the manager, eventually revealed the truth, when he said (paraphrasing) - we just don't want to let in that many Asians and Brown people.

We have a very diverse student body, and people come from all over the world, and all over North America with different Ethnic backgrounds, born and raised in cities like Vancouver, Toronto, New York and L.A., but apparently this Toronto club forgot it was in the epi-centre of one of the most culturally diverse cities there is, and decided to act in a way befitting a small child in 1930's not a grown adult running a business in the 21st Century.

Shame on you Maro, and I hope your operations are shut down, and that the individuals influencing these beliefs can recognize the tragedy of how these small decisions can become big societal beliefs.