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NEWS EDITORS Hadassah Alencar / @Hadassahalencar Juliette Palin / @PalinJuliette news@theconcordian.com
NEWS
Anti-Asian hate crimes spike in Canada
Following a mass shooting in Atlanta that targeted Asian businesses, Canada reckons with its own anti-Asian racism problem
Photos by Chrisine Beaudoin
Diane Yeung Staff writer Spikes in anti-Asian hate crimes have been reported all around the world, including here in Canada. Anti-Asian racism has been present throughout the nation’s history, and this year, the Asian community reports racial violence is becoming increasingly aggressive, especially since the be- while he was carrying “the latest iPhone, the ginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. latest Apple Watch, the latest iPad and MacBook Pro,” but his attackers made no effort A recent study outlined that over 1,150 to rob him. incidents of anti-Asian racism were reported Days later on March 16, breaking news in Canada between March 2020 and February of a mass shooting in Georgia reported eight 2021. According to a report published by The dead, six of whom were Asian women. A Chinese Canadian National Council’s Toron- 21-year-old white gunman targeted three septo chapter (CCNCTO) and Fight COVID Rac- arate Asian-owned spas in Acworth and Atism, Vancouver has experienced up to a 700 lanta. The shootings sparked outrage among per cent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes. Asian communities across the U.S., with proIn Montreal, there were 30 hate crimes tests held in Atlanta and New York the same reported between March and December of weekend. 2020, up from just six reported in 2019. Last In the wake of that tragedy, MontreMay, a man of Korean descent was stabbed in al community leaders organized a march Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. against anti-Asian racism on March 21. OrgaIn September, two victims of Asian de- nizers led thousands of supporters on a three scent were killed in a double hit-and-run in kilometre march from Cabot Square to ChiBrossard. A 30-year-old man has since been natown, stopping at Quebec Premier François arrested and charged with second degree Legault’s office on Sherbrooke Street. Activmurder. ists demanded acknowledgement of the sharp Police insisted the hit-and-runs were not rise in anti-Asian sentiment within Quebec. hate crimes, but failed to explain why. Both Premier Legault continues to deny the exisvictims were of East Asian descent; Huiping tence of systemic racism in the province. Ding, 45, was Chinese, and Gérard Chong Speeches made by leaders of MontreSoon Yuen, 50, was Korean. al’s Asian community outlined Canada and This year on March 11, a man of Korean Quebec’s own colonial and historically racist descent was walking in the Plateau when he treatment of Asians. Cathy Wong, councillor was attacked with pepper spray in broad day- of the Peter-McGill district, spoke passionlight. Initially, police were not investigating ately of the racist history that the Asian comthe incident as a hate crime, although the vic- munity has endured. tim considered the incident to be one. Howev“We march in remembrance of our hiser, following media coverage, the hate crimes tory, as racism against Asians did not begin squad was brought in to investigate. The vic- yesterday. It was not born from the pandemic. tim, a man identified as Nicolas, detailed that We march in remembrance of our history be-
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cause our history is coloured by racist laws that excluded the Chinese — targeting our great grandparents, despite building railroads in exchange for dreams of a new life,” Wong said to the crowd in French. Among the speakers was part-time Concordia professor Jinyoung Kim, who identifies as Korean-Canadian. Four of the six Asian women who were killed in Atlanta were of Korean descent. “[It became] an immediate reality for me and for my friends, my parents, and everyone I know with Asian bodies in North America,” she said, before describing the threat of violence against Asians in the last year. “It’s been a year of fighting for justice, and it feels like nothing has gotten better.” “I feel deeply the traumas that my BIPOC students go through,” Kim said, speaking of her Studio Arts students at Concordia. “I have heard stories from my students.” The Atlanta shootings have sparked conversations about the fetishization of Asian women, with many activists citing the gendered violence and racism that Asian women face. In a press conference held shortly after the shootings, law enforcement officials said that the gunman confessed to the shootings, but denied racial motivations behind the attacks. Instead, the shooter saw Asian women as “temptations that he had to eliminate,” that he had a “sex addiction,” and that it was a “bad day.” Following the Atlanta shootings, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement saying, “While we have made progress toward a more just and equal society, more still needs to be done, and the Government of Canada remains committed to this work.” On March 22, New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh introduced the Anti-Asian Hate motion, which passed in the House of Commons. The motion called for the federal government to “properly fund” hate crime units across Canada, and make efforts to “identify best practices in countering this trend.” But Singh echoed the sentiments of many, tweeting in response, “Justin Trudeau needs to do more than offer words, he needs to act,” in order to combat anti-Asian violence.
