Question Period Note: Anti-Asian Racism

Anti-Asian Racism

The Government condemns the racism, hate, and violence that Asian communities in Canada face, both historically and in the recent context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2019, the Government has committed over $200 million to addressing systemic racism, including anti-Asian racism, through Canada’s first Anti-Racism Strategy, and supported the adoption of private Member’s Motion 63 on Anti-Asian Racism in June 2023.

On June 8, the Government launched a new Anti-Racism Strategy for 2024 to 2028, which recognizes the harmful racist stereotypes that lead to discrimination faced by people of Asian descent. The Strategy is a $110.4 million investment across over 70 initiatives designed to ensure federal policies, programs and services reflect the Canada it serves.

According to the 2021 census data, about 19.3% of Canada’s population, or 7,013,835 people, have identified themselves as Asians (Statistics Canada, 2023a). Asian Canadian residents have ancestral roots from East Asia (e.g., China, Korea and Japan), South Asia (e.g., Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (e.g., Cambodia, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam), West Asia (e.g., Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey), and Central Asia (e.g., Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) (Statistics Canada, 2022a). The majority are first generation (69.5%), followed by second generation (25.9%) and third generation (4.6%) (Statistics Canada, 2023).

The latest data in the Hate Crimes Juristat released by Statistics Canada on March 22, 2023, reports that between 2020 to 2021, much of the rise in hate crimes targeting a race or ethnicity (+6%) was the result of more reported hate crimes targeting the Arab and West Asian populations (+46%; +58 incidents), the East and Southeast Asian population (+16%; +42 incidents), and the South Asian population (+21%; +29 incidents).

Further, police-reported crime statistics in Canada released on July 27, 2023, shows that rates of homicide were higher among Indigenous and racialized people. The rate of homicide for racialized people was higher than the previous year, up 2%, and 27% of racialized victims were identified by police as South Asian.

In March 2021, a gunman went on a rampage at three spas in the Atlanta area killing eight people including six women of Asian descent. The mass shooting stirred considerable outrage and fear in Asian communities around the world.

In May 2021, the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat worked with Asian community leaders from across the country to co-create an official definition of anti-Asian racism, which has been integrated into Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy. The Federal Secretariat is also helping those leaders make inroads within different government departments whose mandates address areas of concern for their communities.

As of March 2022, a national report released by the Chinese Canadian National Council and Project 1907 found that a total of 943 reports of anti-Asian racism were received through online platforms in 2021, representing a 47% increase. Reports were submitted in every province and territory across the country. Canada continues to report more than double the number of anti-Asian racism incidents per capita when compared to the United States.

In June 2022, Liberal MP Shaun Chen (Scarborough North) gave notice of M-63, Anti-Asian Racism, in the House of Commons. M-63 states that the House should condemn anti-Asian hate and all forms of racism and racial discrimination; ensure that all anti-racism policies and programs adequately address the issues faced by people of Asian descent; highlight the lived realities of racism and barriers to inclusion experienced by people of Asian descent in national consultations; and, request that the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to conduct a review of anti-Asian hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents in Canada. The Government’s position is to support M-63, which was approved and ratified in November 2022. M-63 was adopted in June 2023.

Budget 2022 provided $85 million over four years, starting in 2022-23, to support the work underway to launch a new Anti-Racism Strategy and Canada’s first Action Plan on Combatting Hate. This funding will include support for community projects that ensure that Indigenous, Black, racialized and religious minorities have access to resources that support their full participation in the Canadian economy, while also raising awareness of issues related to racism and hate in Canada. Further, Budget 2023 provided an additional $25.4 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $0.6 million ongoing, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to continue to support Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and fight all forms of racism, including but not limited to anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia.

Budget 2023 also announced the Government’s plan to introduce an action plan to combat hate. This new Action Plan will include measures to combat hateful rhetoric and acts, building on measures being taken to build safer, more inclusive communities; and provide $49.5 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to enhance and expand the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program and allow it to be more responsive to the evolving security needs of communities. Most recently, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $273.6 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $29.3 million ongoing, for Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate to support community outreach and law enforcement reform, tackle the rise in hate crimes, enhance community security, counter radicalization, and increase support for victims. This investment includes $25 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support anti-hate programming and promoting intercultural ties and community-based activities.

According to the 2021 census data, about 19.3% of Canada’s population, or 7,013,835 people, have identified themselves as Asians (Statistics Canada, 2023a). Asian Canadian residents have ancestral roots from East Asia (e.g., China, Korea and Japan), South Asia (e.g., Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (e.g., Cambodia, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam), West Asia (e.g., Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey), and Central Asia (e.g., Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) (Statistics Canada, 2022a). The majority are first generation (69.5%), followed by second generation (25.9%) and third generation (4.6%) (Statistics Canada, 2023).

The latest data in the Hate Crimes Juristat released by Statistics Canada on March 22, 2023, reports that between 2020 to 2021, much of the rise in hate crimes targeting a race or ethnicity (+6%) was the result of more reported hate crimes targeting the Arab and West Asian populations (+46%; +58 incidents), the East and Southeast Asian population (+16%; +42 incidents), and the South Asian population (+21%; +29 incidents).

Further, police-reported crime statistics in Canada released on July 27, 2023, shows that rates of homicide were higher among Indigenous and racialized people. The rate of homicide for racialized people was higher than the previous year, up 2%, and 27% of racialized victims were identified by police as South Asian.

In March 2021, a gunman went on a rampage at three spas in the Atlanta area killing eight people including six women of Asian descent. The mass shooting stirred considerable outrage and fear in Asian communities around the world.

In May 2021, the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat worked with Asian community leaders from across the country to co-create an official definition of anti-Asian racism, which has been integrated into Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy. The Federal Secretariat is also helping those leaders make inroads within different government departments whose mandates address areas of concern for their communities.

As of March 2022, a national report released by the Chinese Canadian National Council and Project 1907 found that a total of 943 reports of anti-Asian racism were received through online platforms in 2021, representing a 47% increase. Reports were submitted in every province and territory across the country. Canada continues to report more than double the number of anti-Asian racism incidents per capita when compared to the United States.

In June 2022, Liberal MP Shaun Chen (Scarborough North) gave notice of M-63, Anti-Asian Racism, in the House of Commons. M-63 states that the House should condemn anti-Asian hate and all forms of racism and racial discrimination; ensure that all anti-racism policies and programs adequately address the issues faced by people of Asian descent; highlight the lived realities of racism and barriers to inclusion experienced by people of Asian descent in national consultations; and, request that the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to conduct a review of anti-Asian hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents in Canada. The Government’s position is to support M-63, which was approved and ratified in November 2022. M-63 was adopted in June 2023.

Budget 2022 provided $85 million over four years, starting in 2022-23, to support the work underway to launch a new Anti-Racism Strategy and Canada’s first Action Plan on Combatting Hate. This funding will include support for community projects that ensure that Indigenous, Black, racialized and religious minorities have access to resources that support their full participation in the Canadian economy, while also raising awareness of issues related to racism and hate in Canada. Further, Budget 2023 provided an additional $25.4 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $0.6 million ongoing, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to continue to support Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and fight all forms of racism, including but not limited to anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia.

Budget 2023 also announced the Government’s plan to introduce an action plan to combat hate. This new Action Plan will include measures to combat hateful rhetoric and acts, building on measures being taken to build safer, more inclusive communities; and provide $49.5 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to enhance and expand the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program and allow it to be more responsive to the evolving security needs of communities. Most recently, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $273.6 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $29.3 million ongoing, for Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate to support community outreach and law enforcement reform, tackle the rise in hate crimes, enhance community security, counter radicalization, and increase support for victims. This investment includes $25 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support anti-hate programming and promoting intercultural ties and community-based activities.

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