Our thoughts are with Asian community members following last week’s horrific mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, that was rooted in racial misogyny and white supremacy.
Although last week’s attack happened in the United States, anti-Asian racism is pervasive here in Canada, too. Canadians have actually reported more Asian hate incidents per Asian capita than the US (source: project 1907). Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, incidents of verbal harassment and assault have gone up considerably and Asian business owners are also experiencing the financial impacts of declining business.
We cannot be complacent. Together, we all need to support our community members and step in to stop anti-Asian racism when we see it in action.
Here are a few tips from The RepresentASIAN Project on actions you can take:
- Learn about the long history of anti-Asian racism in Canada including racism specific to Covid-19 (Fight Covid-19 Racism, Events in Asian Canadian History).
- Report anti-Asian hate incidents.
- Speak up if you see racism happening in person or online.
- Support local Asian-owned businesses in the neighbourhood (i.e. Little
Ones Closet, Cafe Cocoro, Gotamago, Queenie’s Cards, Yanagi Sushi and many more). - Donate, if possible, to organizations involved in racial justice work.
The Earl Haig SAC will continue to work towards dismantling systemic racism, gender- and race- based violence and queer and trans phobia.
For resources on talking to your children about anti-Asian hate, here are some good links to get started:
The Eagles' Nest 