
Celebrating Asian Heritage Month - A Message from the President
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, a time to learn about, reflect upon, and celebrate the many contributions and achievements of Canadians of Asian heritage who have helped shape our country.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Government of Canada’s official declaration of May as Asian Heritage Month. The theme for 2022 is “Continuing a Legacy of Greatness” and serves as a reminder for all Canadians to come together to combat anti-Asian racism and discrimination in all its forms.
At Nipissing University, we value the richness that diversity brings to our campus, our classrooms, and our communities. As President, I have committed to taking action to create and sustain a more diverse and inclusive campus and, to my knowledge, this is the first year we have officially acknowledged Asian Heritage Month as an institution. While acknowledgement is just a small step, it provides a foundation for further change and serves as an example of our collective will to strengthen our equity and inclusion efforts across the University. This month, and throughout the year, I encourage you to dedicate some time to reading, listening, and learning about the many contributions, achievements, and lived experiences of Asian Canadians. By educating ourselves about the histories and social injustices experienced by our students and colleagues, we will continue to take steps towards creating an inclusive community.
If you are interested in getting involved in future Asian Heritage Month celebrations or other equity and inclusion initiatives, please contact Sydnee Wiggins, Human Resources & Equity Advisor at: sydneew@nipissingu.ca.
Kevin B. Wamsley, PhD
President & Vice-Chancellor
Celebrate Canada's Asian Heritage - Asian Heritage Month
Canadians of Asian heritage have helped build our great country. These contributions are important to our past and present, and will help shape Canada's future.
Asian Heritage Month Resources
Webpages
- Act2endracism – Provides resources and tools for the general public, community organizations, and survivors of racism. Created by a coalition of Asian Canadians and organizations.
- Asian Heritage Month - Canada.ca
- #Elimin8Hate: #Elmin8Hate strives for racial equity and inclusive society for all Asian Canadians
- The RepresentASIAN Project: The RepresentASIAN Project™ is a Canadian platform dedicated to celebrating, advocating and elevating Asian representation and voices in media and beyond.
CBC Recommendations
- 23 books for kids and young adults to celebrate Asian Heritage Month in Canada | CBC Books
- 15 books by Asian Canadian authors to read for Asian Heritage Month | CBC Books
Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) – Asian Heritage Month Resources
- Anti-Asian Discrimination Resources, CCDI: 202010322-learning-resources-anti-asian-racism-en.pdf (ccdi.ca)
Webinars, Training Sessions and Events
- CCDI Webinar: The intersection of race, mental health & stigma in the age of COVID-19 - YouTube
- How To Respond To Harassment For People Experiencing Anti-Asian/American Harassment - Right To Be
- Event Listing – Asian Heritage Foundation (asianheritageyyc.ca)
Films and Videos
- Asian Americans:
PBS, 2020. A five-hour film series on the history of identity, contributions and challenges experienced by Asian Americans. - Asian Communities in Canada - NFB
- CBC Gem - Asian Heritage Month
- Heritage Minutes: "Boat People" Refugees - YouTube:
A family escapes persecution in Vietnam, travelling by boat to a Malaysian refugee camp before finding a new home in Montreal (1980). - Heritage Minutes: Vancouver Asahi - YouTube:
In 1942, after Canada declared war on Japan, 22,000 Japanese Canadians were interned in the interior of BC, including the Asahi players. - Nitro | Historica Canada:
A young Chinese worker volunteers to set a dangerous nitroglycerine charge at a CP construction site in British Columbia in the 1880s
Novels, Poetry and Non-Fiction
- Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Café and Other Stories from Canada’s Chinese Restaurants by Ann Hui
- Dim Sum Stories by Larry Wong
- Familiar Face by Michael DeForge
- Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
- Human Acts by Han Kang
- Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita
- Obasan, by Joy Kogawa
- Love Work by Janie Mirikitani
- Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong
- Paper Shadows by Wayson Choy
- Rolling the R’s by R. Zamora Linmark
- Seventeen Syllables by Hisaye Yamamoto
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- Tales from Firozsha Baag by Rohinton Mistry
- The Gangster We Are All Looking For by Lê Thi Diem Thúy
- The Gutter Spread Guide to Prayer by Eric Tran
- The Library of Legends by Janie Chang
- The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
- The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya
- We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib
- Wild Swans by Jung Chang