At this pivotal moment in time, some have chosen to be discriminatory towards Asian Canadians. In a time when we should turn to one another for support in navigating this Pandemic , a scenario of division has  only made our shared situation worse.  

By Ken Herar

Has COVID-19 brought us further together or driven us further apart when it relates to our diverse population?  Regardless of your stance on our current pandemic, hate crimes towards Asians has risen drastically throughout Canada and beyond. 

At this pivotal moment in time, some have chosen to be discriminatory towards Asian Canadians. In a time when we should turn to one another for support in navigating this Pandemic , a scenario of division has  only made our shared situation worse.  

When I was contacted by Doris Mah, with SWAC (Stand With Asians Collation) about organizing an event to bring awareness to this cause, I was startled by how serious this situation had become.  

This organization is a community of people in Canada who are concerned about the surge of anti-Asian racism in our cities. Vancouver has seen a staggering increase of over 700%, Burnaby 350% increase, and Ottawa 600% increase in 2020. 

Burnaby has seen a dramatic spike in anti-Asian hate crimes, during the first year of COVID-19. In 2019,  the Burnaby RCMP detachment responded to six hate crimes with an Asian victim or target; that number changed in 2020, police have said. 

In 2020,  27 out of 43 were identified as having an Asian victim or target that was up from 30% from 6 out of 20 in 2019 in Burnaby. Rallies were held  May 10th throughout the country for a National Day of Action Against Anti-Asian  Racism. A successful covid friendly event was held in Mission to a welcoming audience. 

Ken Herar is a Mission Councilor and writer. He can be reached at Kenherar@gmail.com.