East Asian-Canadians concerned about discrimination and hate crimes due to COVID-19

As the number of COVID-19 cases rises, so does racism against Asian communities.

Thousands of East Asian-Canadians have reported being discriminated against due to their race. COVID-19 originated in China, and in fear of catching COVID-19, many people have avoided these minorities.

As an East Asian person, I have experienced this myself. The racism and xenophobia follows us everywhere we go; from people making rude comments to my family as we pick out our produce at the grocery store to hateful comments online.

Source: Newsweek

Instances such as these may not be as common in Markham because of the predominantly Asian population. However, in other communities in the Greater Toronto Area, it’s common for East Asians to experience some form of discrimination while grocery shopping or using public transit.

Jason Au, a resident of midtown Toronto, reports feeling unsafe while shopping in his local Loblaws. “I’d rather drive up north or drive somewhere where there’s more people who ‘look like me’,” says Au. To him, the outbreak is a reminder of SARS in 2003 - when he experienced the same discrimination as he does today.

“Just walking around with a mask … I felt the indirect gaze of people’s eyes. Or people just looking at me strangely or avoiding me with apprehension,” Au confesses.

Apart from verbal and behavioral discrimination, attacks against East Asians have risen since the coronavirus panic began.

The Vancouver Police Department says that there has been a 600 percent increase in reports of hate crimes targeting Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Canadians. “We believe the increase in March is indicative of a larger issue,” they stated.

Amy Go, the president of the Chinese National Council for Social Justice (CNCSJ), an organization that advocates for Chinese Canadians, has heard of and experienced similar incidents.

Go also prefers shopping in Chinese communities because she feels safer in such environments, especially after hearing from friends and family that people went out of their way to avoid or target them.

“Racism has always been there. This is not new, but people… have fear. It’s like they have the ‘licence’ now,” she added.

Researchers have a similar theory to Go’s.

Sandra Hyde, a professor at McGill University, has been researching discrimination against different cultures during pandemics and health scares.

“In a pandemic, where we have no cure and no vaccine, people are afraid. They want to place blame. It’s easier to place blame on someone different from you,” says Hyde.

Hyde suggests anti-racism workshops in elementary schools and in workplaces as a solution. “You have to make it mandatory,” says Hyde.

So, as students, what can we do to combat racism and xenophobia due to the novel coronavirus?

Educate yourself to understand why and how people are being targeted. If you aren’t Chinese or East Asian, listen and understand why people are upset. Reading articles and stories from East Asian-Canadians is a great way to do so.

Speak up and raise your voice. Confront those who are being racist and/or xenophobic to help them understand what they have done wrong, and support your East Asian friends and family by bringing awareness to the situation.

As students, we are the future leaders of tomorrow. Each one of us has the responsibility to speak up against injustice and to stand up for what is right. Let’s support each other and put an end to racism, leaving the world better than we found it.

By Jasmine Chow