Recognizing Asian Heritage Month

May 16, 2022 - May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. By Vivek Goel President and Vice-Chancellor - Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity to recognize the many accomplishments and controbutions that Canadians of Asian heritage, includiong our colleagues and sudents here at the University, continue to make in our country and communities. The continent of Asia encompasses more than 60 per cent of the world's population, and represents many languages, ethnicities and religious traditions. It is important to recognize that Asian culture is not one monolith, but a mosaic of cultures and traditions-all of which add rich diversity to our communities. Amidst the celebration of our vibrant communities, we need to recognize Canada's complicated history of anti-Asian racism and that discrimination against people of Asian heritage still exists in our society today. Fight COVID Racism has tracked a 47 per cent increase in reports of anti-Asian racist incidents received by its online platforms in 2021 compared to 2020. In the recently released President's Anti-racism Taskforce (PART) report, recommendations include educating the university at large about cultural identity and perceptions while developing a greater sense of belonging for all members of our community.