I wrote about the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes across Canada; the perceived dichotomy of being Chinese-Canadian, and what it means in times like these. Ty @Yves_Global @keixote #COVID19 #canada #asiancanadian #modelminority #china https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/04/24/being-chinese-canadian-in-a-brave-new-world.html

Like in the US and in Europe, Canada has seen an increase in anti-Asian sentiment amid #COVID19. My sister and I had our own experience with it earlier this week. https://twitter.com/joannachiu/status/1253403660215877638

My incident conjured childhood flashbacks of being asked by schoolyard peers “what kind of Chinese” I was: “Good Chinese” (a Liberal Democrat at the age of seven), or “Bad Chinese” (a communist.).. This week, @DerekSloanCPC seemed to ask @CPHO_Canada the same loaded question..

Besides public safety and civil society, Sociologist Xiaobei Chen says such incidents bring into question the Canadian cornerstone of #multiculturalism: “Achieving unity is impossible in the context of this pandemic; (I worry) we will be driven even further apart from each other”

Latent discrimination has long existed, says Chen.
“Your look signifies your foreignness.. Chinese are not seen as #Canadians and their stories do not belong to Canadian history. It doesn’t matter how much of the railway they built, they are only seen as hired hands.”

And it’s time we talk about it. “Asian-Canadians have a responsibility to become comfortable in talking about discrimination too,” says Chen. “We have a lot of awareness-raising to do, both outside the Asian community and within.”