Paul Junor
There has been media coverage of the troubling incidents of anti-Asian
racism in Canada. A report revealed that there were 1,150 cases of racist attacks that occured between March 2020 and February 2021 that were directed against Asians.
It was only fitting that during the month of May, which is designated as Asian Heritage Month in Canada, that Ontario Minister of Education, Stephen Leece chose to announce $340 000 funding for equity programs and community partners.
Minister Leece states, “Racism and discrimination have no place in our schools and our government is acting to protect students and promote inclusivity for all children. Since the start of the pandemic, hate crimes have sharply and disturbingly risen against Asian-Canadians. In our schools, we celebrate diversity and champion inclusion, as no child deserves to feel unsafe in their schools and in this country.”
There will be $340 000 allocated to fight ant-Asian racism and discrimination that will go towards equity programs and initiatives. On December 17th, 2020 the Ontario government announced the Safe Return to Class Fund, which provides emergency funding for mental health and addiction services to more than 50 000 Ontarians. As part of this program, there will be $140 000 allocated to Hong Fook Mental Health Association to provide Asian students, families and teachers with mental health support. Through community partners,there will be;
● $50 000 to the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice to develop online resources and tools to help Chinese Canadians households engage their children, from Grade 3 to 5 in discussions about racism.
● $10 000 to the Asian Canadian Education Network(ACENET) to develop a series of professional learning and workshops about anti-Asian racism for schools and boards in Ontario.
● $140 000 to Community Family Services of Ontario to deliver resources and supports relevant to pandemic-induced issues and risks faced by newcomers and East -Asian Ontario families
There will be a total of $6.4 million that will be spent by the Ontario government toward equity-related projects to facilitate these actions are done by community groups:
● address anti-Asian hate, antisemitism, and islamophobia
● support for newcomer parents and families to enhance access to school and community resources
● culturally appropriate mental supports for youth, families and teachers
Education Minister Leece states, “To honour the proud contributions, storied history, and sacrifice Canadians of Asian heritage have made to building this country, our government is partnering and investing to directly counter anti-Asian racism in schools and communities.We are acting to protect students, combat anti-Asian racism, and ensure that all children are celebrated. The theme for Asian Heritage Month is “ Recognition, Resilience, and Resolve.”
