Asian Heritage Month
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada – a month-long celebration recognizing the rich history of Asian peoples in Canada and their important contributions to society. It is an opportunity for all everyone in Canada to learn more about the many achievements and contributions of people of Asian descent who, throughout our history, have done so much to make Canada the amazing country we share today. Within our own locality, the Greater Vancouver Region is honored to have a diverse populace with nearly half of its community members being of Asian descent as well as speaking another language other than English. Langara is fortunate to be a neighbor to the Punjabi Market area and have communities like Chinatown, Japantown and Little Saigon nearby.
Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated across Canada since the 1990s. In December 2001, the Senate of Canada adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. Over twenty years ago, in May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to designate May as Asian Heritage Month.
snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College also wants to recognize the incredible resilience, bravery, resistance, and collective action of Asian peoples within Canada, who, despite oppression, made positive change and achieved extraordinary accomplishments. Numerous immigration policies discriminated against Asian communities along with restrictions on civil liberties, including the right to vote. Some significant historical examples include the Chinese Head Tax, Japanese Internment and the Komagata Maru incident. Although full enfranchisement was achieved for all Asian Canadians in 1949, personal and systemic discrimination continue to this day, both insidiously and more visibly. For instance, income levels for some Asian communities are significantly lower than the national average in Canada and the rise in anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic together illustrate ongoing prejudice.
Despite barriers, people of Asian descent in Canada have succeeded: Adrienne Clarkson served as Governor General, Kim Nguyen was nominated for an Oscar for his film War Witch, David Sizuki galvanized Canadian environmentalism, Mahmud Jamal was appointed as a justice on the Supreme Court, and many athletes won Team Canada countless Olympic Medals. Along with these individual accomplishments, Asian peoples have both maintained, adapted, and shared their traditions and cultures thus enriching snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara’s campus communities and Canada for which we are all grateful.