FACL Western Response to COVID-19
Dear friends and supporters:
Since the first diagnosis of COVID-19 in Canada in February 2020, all communities have been adversely affected in a variety of ways. We write this open letter to highlight the experiences of one such community, the Asian-Canadian community, and to express our wholehearted sympathies and support amidst a marked increase in anti-Asian racism and discrimination.
In a June 2020 poll, over 500 Asian-Canadians, particularly of Chinese ethnicity, indicated they were called racist names and insults since the beginning of the pandemic. Nearly 3 in 10 of them were exposed to racist graffiti and social media messages. A separate study showed that there have been more reported racist incidents against Asian-Canadians per capita in Canada than in the United States. 60% of the reported incidents were targeted at women, and nearly 30 % involved some type of assault. As a result of misinformation about the COVID-19 virus, Chinese-owned restaurants and other businesses across the country have suffered losses and even closed their doors permanently. Similarly, South-Asian-owned businesses in Calgary were reported to have been heavily impacted after rumours of a “super-spreader” wedding occurred in the same Northeast plaza.
Beyond these trends, racial discrimination has also come from our own political leaders. On November 25, 2020, Premier Kenney appeared on RED FM, Calgary’s South Asian radio station, and singled out South Asian residents in Northeast Calgary with a “wake up call” as the cause of the largest spread of COVID-19 in Alberta. Many were seriously concerned with the scapegoating effect of his statement, which perpetuates stereotyping that a certain ethno-cultural demographic is unsafe and more likely to spread COVID-19. Premier Kenney’s comments are also problematic because they fail to recognize the much-needed resources for residents living in COVID red zones (including PPE and public health knowledge translation) and ignores other socio-economic factors which are significantly prevalent. While Premier Kenney said he did not intend to blame or target anyone, the effect of his comments was quite the reverse, as it demonstrated that racial discrimination, in a pabndemic, is permissible and justified.
Sadly, a recent string of violent incidents against Asian individuals in California have come to light – including multiple attacks against elderly Asian individuals – and these events have renewed the attention on anti-Asian racism during the pandemic. Even though the motivation for some of these assaults are still unclear, the ultimate effect of these attacks are nevertheless problematic, as it instills fear and distrust within Asian communities, especially amongst the vulnerable, elderly population.
As Asian-Canadians and members of the legal profession, FACL Western continues to speak out against any forms of racism and discrimination. FACL Western vehemently denounces these racially discriminatory acts, statements, sentiments and we stand in solidarity with all those affected by racism during this pandemic.
At a time when communities should unite rather than in-fight, FACL Western encourages community members to be an ally to Asian communities, and to each other, in their efforts to cope during this pandemic. In the face of fear, we urge understanding. In the face of misinformation, we urge education. You can stand in solidarity by condemning the terms “China Virus”, “Kung Flu” or other racist labels that promotes anti-Asian bias. You can use social media cannels to denounce hate speech, racism and misinformation. You can choose to support local businesses, many of which are owned and operated by individuals of minority groups. We believe that we can remain united while we are physically apart. We urge community members to support each other however they are able. Only then will we be able to persevere through 2021 and the enduring effects of COVID-19.