Asian Heritage Month is celebrated across Canada during May. It is a time to reflect on the many contributions Canadians of Asian origin have made and continue to make to the growth and prosperity of Canada and to celebrate those lasting contributions to our culture and society.
According to Canada’s most recent (2021) Census, 7,013,835 people – 19.3 per cent of Canadians – reported having Asian origins. This diverse, vibrant, and growing community contributes to every aspect of life in Canada.
Here at APF Canada, we continue to support the bridges connecting Canada’s different communities to one another and to the peoples, economies, and institutions of the Asia Pacific.
This month at APF Canada, you will see several initiatives activated or announced that will provide Canadians with an opportunity to learn more about people of Asian origin in Canada and the opportunities for all Canadians in the dynamic economies of Asia.
- We encourage you to explore our Anti-Racism Resources page for combatting anti-Asian racism and learning about Canadians of Asian descent, our Asia Pacific Curriculum project providing Asia-focused resources for Canadian teachers and students interested in Asian Canadian history, and the Kakehashi Project promoting exchanges for students and young professionals in Japan and Canada.
- The Foundation’s Canadian Women’s International Network, or CanWIN, a transpacific network of women in international business, invites you to a virtual event focused on trade with the Indo-Pacific on May 22, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (PT). This webinar is an opportunity for women and gender-diverse people across Canada to learn about upcoming opportunities with APF Canada to explore new global markets in Asia.
- Building on the success of our two Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC) events in Singapore in 2023 and 2024, APF Canada has also just announced that CIAC2025 will return to the city-state February 19-21, 2025, as another multi-sector conference solidifying CIAC’s role as the premier gathering of Canada-connected people, institutions, organizations, and Asia-based graduates of Canadian universities from across Asia, with all the key players in Asian engagement from across Canada.
- APF Canada has recently announced the upcoming CanWIN Global Summit in Toronto on June 21, entitled Beyond Boundaries: Gender Inclusive Prosperity in Canada and Asia, and the recently launched women-only business mission to Taiwan and Vietnam that will take place from November 17 to 23, 2024, as part of the Foundation’s 2023-2025 mission series, Northeast X Southeast: Advancing Partnerships Between Canada and Asia.
- APF Canada also invites you to join us for a keynote address by the Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Enrique A. Manalo, on May 7 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (PT) at Simon Fraser University’s Segal Building at the university’s downtown campus. Mr. Manalo will be discussing the shared commitment of Canada and the Philippines, which celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year, in fostering closer ties and enhancing co-operation for the collective prosperity and stability of the Indo-Pacific.
- And later in May, APF Canada will be co-hosting two events on India, which is holding its largest national election this month (through June 1). In collaboration with the Centre of International Policy Studies at the University of Ottawa, we’ll be hosting Modi 3.0: Implications for India, the Indo-Pacific, and Canada, a hybrid event at UofO and online from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (ET) on May 14. In partnership with Simon Fraser University, we’ll be hosting Navigating the Indo-Pacific: The Evolving Strategic Partnership between India and Southeast Asia, an in-person event at SFU’s downtown Vancouver campus from 4 p.m. to 6:30 (PT) on May 22. Our Vice-president Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla will moderate both events.
Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity that is one of Canada’s greatest strengths. We encourage you to take time this month to recognize the many contributions of people of Asian origin in Canada and engage with our work supporting growth and prosperity for Canadians through deepened engagement with dynamic Asia.
– The APF Canada Team
