May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. Over the last two centuries, immigrants from East Asia, Southern Asia, Western and Southeast Asia have journeyed to Canada, bringing our society a rich cultural heritage with an infusion of many languages, ethnicities and religious traditions.
This month is meant to offer all Canadians an opportunity to learn more about the history of Asian Canadians and celebrate their contributions to the growth and prosperity of Canada.
But mid-May, we still haven’t seen or heard much about Asian Heritage Month in mainstream media. A big reason why is COVID-19 dominating our news cycles, which is ironic because the coronavirus has also ushered in a spike in anti-Asian racism.