Newspaper clipping of a Toronto Star Editorial (A16, May 30, 1984) on the Dragon Centre controversy.

On May 28, 1984, a community meeting was convened in Scarborough's Agincourt neighbourhood to address traffic and parking concerns stemming from the newly opened Dragon Centre (慶龍中心)—the first indoor Chinese-themed mall in North America. The meeting devolved into racial hostility, with attendees expressing anti-Chinese sentiments. Dragon Centre had rapidly become a cultural and commercial hub for the growing Chinese-Canadian population in the area resulting from an influx of immigrants from Hong Kong. This incident highlighted underlying racial tensions, whereby some residents voiced discomfort with the demographic shift and the presence of the Chinese in the community. Despite clear evidence of racism, local government responses were criticized for lacking acknowledgment or decisive action. In the years that followed, these tensions persisted, exemplified by the distribution of hate literature targeting Chinese Canadians in Scarborough into the 1990s, underscoring ongoing challenges to acceptance and belonging for the community.