Asian Heritage Month
/Updated May 2023.
Happy Asian Heritage Month!
A store sign that reads “we stand with our asian family until we all win.” Photo by Lerone Pieters on Unsplash.
We should take every chance we can to uplift and celebrate our Asian families, friends, coworkers, and communities. But this month, we want to go even further.
Genuine allyship is as crucial as ever, and key to allyship is active learning. This means taking the initiative to seek out information and resources, ask questions, listen to Asian people and communities, and self-reflect.
If you are not sure where to begin, we recommend starting with some fundamental Asian-Canadian history. The recent rise in anti-Asian hate necessitates a shift in our focus to Canada’s long and deep history of anti-Asian racism. While these incidents are upsetting, they are not new or surprising. As Asian-Canadians, and as allies, it is important that we have some understanding of how our history informs our present.
The Head Tax
“Chinese Head Tax in Canada.” (Arlene Chan, The Canadian Encyclopedia)
“The enduring legacy of Canada's racist head tax on Chinese-Canadians.” (Andrea Yu, Maclean’s)
“History of South Asians in Canada: Timeline.” (South Asian Studies Institute, UFV)
Chinese Exclusion Act (Chinese Immigration Act of 1923)
“Chinese Immigration Act.” (Arlene Chan, The Canadian Encyclopedia)
“The Chinese head tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act.” (Matthew McRae, Canadian Museum for Human Rights)
“Chinese Immigration Act, 1923.” (Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21)
The Komagata Maru
“Komagata Maru.” (Hugh Johnston, The Canadian Encyclopedia)
“Those Canada Turned Away: Remembering the Komagata Maru Incident.” (Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21)
Internment of Japanese Canadians
“Internment of Japanese Canadians.” (Greg Robinson, The Canadian Encyclopedia)
“Japanese Canadian internment and the struggle for redress.” (Canadian Museum for Human Rights)
“The Story: Righting a Wrong.” (UBC’s Japanese Canadian Student Tribute)
Video: Japanese Canadian Internment, Second World War (Valour Canada)
Asian Heritage Month runs from May 1-31.
Resources to help support Asian-Canadians and fight anti-Asian hate.