Editor:
There are no words to fully express the grief, fear and demoralization that members of the Asian community have experienced in the past year, culminating in the events of the past week. Our hearts and souls are heavy, and we see that many outside of our community are sympathetic to our anguish.
For those outside of the Asian community, it's hard to know what to do from here. I know many in my social circles feel the desperate need to help, without knowing where to start.
So what can you do?
1) Eliminate racist and prejudicial language from your vocabulary and humour. This includes not only slurs, but rhetoric such as the Kung Flu, China virus, yellow fever in reference to sexual preferences and many others.
2) Stop perpetuating harmful stereotypes. We all know what I'm talking about. The ones about driving, math, being quiet and subservient, our smelly food, our eyesight, our sex appeal or lack thereof. All of this is harmful, microaggressive, racist and only serves to dehumanize us.
3) Start identifying and unlearning your racial biases. Catch yourself when you make a snap judgment. Because with practise, you'll catch yourself before you make one.
4) Educate yourself. There are many historical events that exemplify and perpetuated systemic racism against Asian-Canadians. Read up on them. The Japanese Internment of the Second World War and the Chinese railroad workers are a great place to start. Also make sure to follow social media pages and accounts that cover current issues, provide education and additional resources for further learning.
5) Support your local, Asian-owned, community businesses. Refer establishments to friends and family. Welcome us into, and allow us to enrich your communities.
6) And finally, step up when you witness wrongdoing. Both big and small. With strangers and loved ones. In the words of a wise wizard, "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends." Win the small private battles around your dinner tables that we are not there to fight.
This is the work that needs to be started; the individual deconstruction of internalized bias, and the further spread of education, and introspection. This is where we need our allies to put in the work, to ensure that the future is a place where we can all live free of fear for ourselves and our loved ones.
Most of these do not cost a penny, but they make a world of difference.
Aliya Boulanger
