May is Asian Heritage Month, and it’s a time to celebrate and commemorate the influence Asian Canadians have had on Canada and the United States’ culture, history and achievements. 

This year, Vancouver has plenty in store to celebrate the arts and our cultural diversity. Vancouver is heavily influenced by Asian culture. According to StatCan, 43% of the Vancouver community is somewhat linked to Asia in terms of heritage. And a lot of it we take for granted! 

During May, it’s important to educate yourself on the impact, and history Asian-Canadians have in Canada. Not everywhere in Canada has such a diverse and rich culture. 

Immigration is an important part of our country’s identity and success. Over half of Canada’s total immigrants come from the Asia Pacific. But growing ethnic diversity isn’t a straightforward tale with a happy ending. Although Canada has welcomed many immigrants, the fight doesn’t stop there for most. 

Settling in a new country isn’t easy. With language barriers and new social norms, the transition can be challenging. Many Asian Canadians tell their stories of adjusting and being met with racism and ignorance. 

Ignorance means, lack of knowledge or information. Most prejudices and biases are rooted in a lack of understanding and education. This is another reason why Asian Heritage Month is so important. It’s important that the younger generations grow up in a norm of learning about other cultures and appreciating the unique beauty in each and every heritage. 

According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino, Vancouver was recently named the city with the highest number of anti-Asian hate crimes in North America in 2020. 

During the pandemic, we’ve seen spikes in anti-Asian hate crimes. Which again roots back to ignorance, lack of education, knowledge, whatever you want to call it. The blame on Asian people for a worldwide pandemic can be debunked in seconds if you take the time to educate yourself. It’s important to keep these conversations going and implement education and appreciation of other cultures into our day-to-day, outside of May.

Canada can continue to move in the right direction, as we welcome more immigrants and celebrate other cultures, because as Canadians, we are nice and polite, remember?! 

Let’s stop Asian hate.