Members of Winnipeg's Asian community proud of solidarity in face of anti-Asian hate during pandemic
CBC
One year ago this month, Manitoba's Asian communities rallied to stand against racism, with anti-Asian sentiment on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the year since, the Asian communities have seen some unexpected changes, and some members say those within the diaspora are finding a new strength through solidarity.
"Before, the Chinese community didn't really want to openly talk about the instances [of racism]," said Jennifer Chen, who helped organize the March 2021 Stop Asian Hate rally — a response to racism that festered after the discovery of the novel coronavirus in China and tense political relations with that country.
But now, "I've really noticed Chinese people are more open to talk about [racism] … what happened to them and what they've seen."
The March 27, 2021, anti-hate rally in Winnipeg came shortly after a shooting rampage at three Atlanta-area massage parlours that left eight people dead — six of whom were Asian.
Hundreds of supporters drove past the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, while dozens more stood outside the museum holding signs with a simple message: stop Asian hate.
Tina Chen is on the board of directors of the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre. She's been a driving force in connecting different Asian cultures through events and workshops.
She says within the last two years, new groups and collectives have formed in Manitoba, and they're not always tied to long-standing organizations like the Chinese cultural centre.
"Often, we think there's experts on topics of racism, and we want to hear from them about what should change. But really, it's the lived experiences of all of us," Tina Chen said.
She's been working with the cultural centre and advocating for Asian voices for 20 years, but says she's excited for new voices to emerge in Manitoba.
Sanjay Narine, who is a member of Winnipeg's West-Indo community, says he's viewed his existing relationships in a different light over the last year.
One of his closest friends is South Korean. When she began posting stories online about hate crimes against Koreans, he was shocked.
Though he isn't of Korean descent, he understood how she felt, Narine said.
"Even though it may not be a culture that represents me, that hate I can get. That discrimination, I can get."
The amount of money it takes for people to earn a living wage has increased across the province, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
The new owner of Ontario steelmaker Stelco says his company "will not disappoint the people of Hamilton and Nanticoke," where the business's major facilities are based.
A Winnipegger is warning others about an intricate scam she says she almost fell for.
Fort William First Nation is opposing a planned redevelopment of the Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) 117 year old Kakabeka Falls Generating Station, which is located in their traditional territory.
A building that sits at the corner of Sussex Street and Brunswick Avenue has had many lives over the last century — being a church, a school and offices. Now it's set to become housing, at a time when the city sorely needs it.
A Waterloo, Ont., elementary school principal will be sentenced in the new year after pleading guilty to child sexual exploitation charges following a joint investigation that involved the London, Toronto and Waterloo police services.
Students at UPEI have let their student union know what they want from the province this fiscal year, and those priorities are reflected in a 2024-2025 advocacy document brought to the legislature on Wednesday.
Larger communities in the N.W.T. will soon see a boost in their territorial funding to maintain infrastructure and deliver services — like water and waste management — but the increase still falls short of what communities need.
The toxic drug crisis has taken more than 47,000 lives in Canada since 2016 and the synthetic opioid fentanyl has become a household name. But now, what's believed to be an even more potent class of synthetic drugs is showing up in drug busts across the country: nitazenes.
The Liberal government and the NDP have agreed to introduce a two-month GST vacation on certain items before the holiday season, Radio-Canada has learned.
Veterinarians are warning Londoners to make sure their dogs are vaccinated and keeping clean after a deadly virus outbreak was declared in London this week.