Amid Asian Heritage Month, pain over virus stigma

May is Asian Heritage Month, a time to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Asian Canadians to the nation's culture and history. However, a rise in anti-Asian incidents amid the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked concerns about racism and xenophobia.

Following the release of a video of a 92-year-old Chinese Canadian senior being assaulted in a convenience store in Vancouver last week, some seniors who live in the area are afraid to leave their homes. They say their family members have been verbally harassed on the street with people yelling, "Don't give me your virus".

A new poll has revealed acts of racism related to COVID-19 are disturbingly common in Canadian neighbourhoods, and significant anti-Asian bias is spreading in Canada's largest cities.

"With results like this, it is not surprising that we are seeing a growing increase in anti-Asian racism, likely provoked by COVID-19 fears and ignorance, but no less threatening for that," said Susan Eng, director of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice (CCNC-SJ).

The study found that 14 percent of respondents polled in Canada's three largest cities – Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver – either believed that all Chinese or Asian people carry the novel coronavirus (4 percent) or were uncertain about that (10 percent).

"Canada's leaders must stand up and unequivocally denounce every such racist incident and ill-informed belief, lest this behaviour is deemed acceptable, and others are invited to do the same," Eng added.

On April 21, Derek Sloan, a Conservative MP and party leadership candidate, posted a message and video on Facebook and Twitter claiming that Chief Public Health Officer Dr Theresa Tam, who was born in Hong Kong, had "failed Canadians" in her handling of the pandemic and asked her if she works "for Canada or for China".

"Dr. Tam must go! Canada must remain sovereign over decisions," Sloan continued, adding that the United Nations, the World Health Organization and China "must never again have a say over Canada's public health!"

Sloan's remarks drew swift criticism on social media, with some calling his words "repugnant", "vile" and "xenophobic". He also has come under fire from colleagues in his own caucus, who have called the party's leader Andrew Scheer to condemn the remarks and expel him from the party, according to CTV News.

"MP Sloan's comments were cruel, racist and completely unbecoming of a Member of Parliament. Dr Tam is a great Canadian and has played an integral leadership role in our nation's fight against COVID-19," read a letter sent to Scheer by community leaders in Sloan's Ontario riding.

Despite a national backlash, Sloan has refused to apologize for his comments on Tam, who has denounced the rise in anti-Asian incidents in Canada since the outbreak and stressed that her focus is on controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Canada.

"This is race-baiting at its lowest," said Walter Chi-yan Tom, a human rights lawyer from Montreal. "We cannot allow those who lead, or aspire to lead a national political party, to fan the flames of hate in our country."

"Particularly in this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic, when politicians with ulterior motives try to point fingers and use divisive tactics to further their political ends, we have to unite together with a common and determined voice to show this racist behaviour cannot be tolerated," said Joseph Wong, another director of the CCNC-SJ.

Members of the Confederation of Greater Toronto Chinese Business Association also issued an open letter to call upon Sloan to "unequivocally" retract his statements and "take responsibility" for his actions, as "it is especially disconcerting in the backdrop of larger issues relating to anti-Asian racism".