Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic over a year ago, Asian people have faced growing fear, hatred, suspicion, and physical assaults. The recent shootings in Atlanta led to the murder of eight individuals, six of whom were Asian women.
Much of this is driven by a racialization of the COVID-19 virus, the belief that it originated with Asians and is spread by persons of Asian heritage living in Canada. According to the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC), most of those impacted by these racist actions are of East Asian descent and accounted for 84% of the crimes reported.
This has had a huge impact on the mental wellness of Asian Canadians, who have expressed that they now feel physically and psychologically unsafe.
Aside from physical violence, verbal attacks and foul behaviour including coughing, and spitting at Asian Canadians in public, Asians also face microaggressions, lack of workplace opportunities and are passed up for promotions in the workplace setting.
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Join us May 20 for a free webinar on anti-Asian racism led by CCDI Executive Director, Anne-Marie Pham. It unpacks the causative factors behind the recent spate in anti-Asian discrimination and how to actively combat this disturbing trend through knowledge and allyship. Learn more...
