APF Canada Welcomes You to Asian Heritage Month

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 to the growth and prosperity of Canada since the mid-nineteenth century, and to celebrate those lasting contributions to our culture and society in all of its diversity, from coast to coast to coast.

This year, amid the unsettling re-emergence of anti-Asian racism during COVID-19, APF Canada is acutely aware of the importance of supporting the bridges that connect Canada’s different societies, and programs and initiatives that will better help us understand and learn from one another during this time of unease and uncertainty.

In honour of Asian Heritage Month, our Asian Business Leaders Advisory Council Member Janice Fukakusa, University of Ryerson Chancellor and a third-generation Canadian of Japanese descent, donated $1 million to the racial justice initiative at Ryerson’s faculty of law. The initiative aims to bridge research, law, policy, and practice to produce solutions to issues involving racial justice. This act of generosity is profound, both in the giving and in the fact that today, in Canada, it is required.

This month at APF Canada, you will see several initiatives in support of Asian Heritage Month. We encourage you to ‘watch this space’ as we roll out these new projects. These initiatives include:

  • Where Do We Go From Here?: A new report based on a series of recent APF Canada focus groups with East Asian-identifying youth discussing multiculturalism and anti-Asian racism in Canada, along with their recommendations for building a more inclusive future.
  • Anti-Asian Racism Resources: APF Canada has compiled a list of resources for combatting anti-Asian racism and learning about Canadians of Asian descent. This growing database will be available under our Education pillar on our website early this month.
  • Asian Migration to Canada in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries: A new British Columbia high-school curriculum module that explores the early arrival of Asian immigrants and how that migration tied B.C. to communities and local economies in China, India, and Japan.
  • APF Canada’s Asian Heritage Month Quiz: A weekly online quiz (with weekly prize draws!) that invites you to test your knowledge of Asia; the quiz will be featured across our social media channels and in our Asia Watch newsletter throughout the month of May.

Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity that is one of Canada’s greatest strengths. Now, more than ever, it is important that all Canadians embrace our rich cultural heritage, including the history, culture, languages, and art of Canadians of Asian descent who, like all newcomers to this country, arrived here to contribute, grow, and succeed in a Canada inclusive of all Canadians.

- The APF Canada Team