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May is Asian Heritage Month, an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Pan-Asian Canadians.

Photo courtesy Government of Canada

Richmond marking Asian Heritage Month

By Angel St. George

Published 12:24 PDT, Thu May 19, 2022

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May is Asian Heritage Month, an annual inter-cultural celebration of the many achievements and contributions of Pan-Asian Canadians.

This year’s theme is “Continuing a legacy of greatness,” and there are many family friendly ways to participate in this annual celebration of diversity.

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie made a special proclamation to recognize May 10,2022 as the “Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism.”

Richmond is a diverse community and is well known to be one of the most concentrated Asian urban centres in Canada.

According to a study by Statistics Canada, almost half of the immigrant population in Canada was born in Asia. From 2017 to 2019, 63.5 per cent of newcomers to Canada were born in Asia (including the Middle East). In the entire Canadian population, 3 Asian origins were among the 20 most commonly reported origins: Chinese (close to 1.8 million people), East Indian (approximately 1.4 million) and Filipino (837,130). 5

According to a study conducted by the City, the most commonly reported ethnic origin in Richmond is Chinese, with 107,080 people or 54 per cent of the City’s population having this background. 4

Pan-Asian and Non-Asian Richmondites are committed to inclusion and standing in solidarity with fairness and inclusivity.

According to Brodie’s proclamation, racism and acts of hatred have no place in Canada and Canadians must come together to support a stronger, more inclusive society where everyone can feel safe, happy, and healthy.

People can discover events and exhibitions that showcase the growing communities of Pan-Asian heritage and their rich, vibrant history in Canada at the explorASIAN festival. The festival is celebrating its 26th year of promoting Pan-Asian Canadian arts, culture, and heritage. It has become the second-largest festival celebrating Asian Heritage Month in Canada.

One of the key goals of the festival is to develop an environment of synergy, collaboration, and identity by establishing solid relationships and partnerships with Asian and non-Asian artistic and cultural communities.

Visit exploreasian.org for more information and to view the full program guide.

The From Far and Wide: Pacific Canada Stories virtual workshop is aimed at those interested in translating family lore into a digital format so that it can be passed on for generations to come. These workshops will lead into the Pacific Canada Heritage Centre’s upcoming Pacific Canada StoryFest in June.

Over the duration of three workshops, the series will introduce participants to interviewing, storytelling, filmmaking and editing with phone and computer applications. Participants will also have the chance to view each other’s films and hear each other’s stories.

The first two workshops will be held virtually on May 18 and June 1, followed by an in-person event on June 18. Visit pchc-mom.ca for more information and to purchase tickets.