Honouring the strength, resilience, and contributions of Asian Canadians

Every May, people across Canada celebrate the rich contributions Asian Canadians have made in shaping this country for nearly two centuries, beginning with Chinese immigrants in the 1800s who played a vital role in building the Canadian Pacific Railway and laying the foundations for Canada’s national infrastructure and economic growth. 

Yet today, many Asian Canadians across Canada are struggling. Harmful narratives in public discourse increasingly raise questions about belonging in Canada. Foreign interference, while a legitimate threat with real consequences for victims, has given rise to a broader climate of suspicion—unfairly casting doubt on the loyalty and inclusion of Chinese and Indian Canadians.  

At the same time, hate crimes are on the rise. South Asians in Canada have been on the receiving end of multiple incidents of vandalism at places of worship and threats in public spaces. International students, including many from India, were invited to Canada with promises of a future in this country. Instead, they have been left in precarious and vulnerable situations, facing exploitation, deportation threats, and broken promises. Incidents of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism and hate have also been reported in various parts of Canada, further underscoring the need for better understanding and application of hate crime and incident response, as well as support to all impacted communities. 

This year, Asian Heritage Month in Canada carries a particularly somber note, as communities all over Canada grieve the attack and loss of life at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver. Now more than ever, we must come together—across different backgrounds and identities—to support one another and reaffirm our shared commitment to building an inclusive, just, and safe Canada for all our communities. 

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) has a deep and personal history in this work. Founded in 1996 as part of the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement, the CRRF was created to help confront the legacy of systemic discrimination, including the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War. 

Today, the CRRF continues to promote inclusion and address anti-Asian racism through public policy, national dialogue and community resourcing. Last fall, we hosted a fireside chat on anti-Asian racism at the launch of a series of National Dialogues in collaboration with Canada’s Globe and Mail. At the community level, we are proud to support upcoming anti-racism initiatives such as the 2025 Vancouver Hong Kong Fair and Collectif Soft Gong’s Guide du retours aux origines through our National Anti-Racism Fund. We are also pleased to support the FascinAsian Film Festival and the Against the Tides of Racism podcast, as well as projects from many Asian Canadian organisations including the South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network – Canada and the South Asian Healing Network.

Let’s continue to honour the strength, resilience, and contributions of Asian Canadians by building a country where they are seen, valued, and safe—because Asian heritage is Canadian heritage.