Long Blog 3 — The Rise of Anti-Asian Discrimination in Toronto
“Since March 2020, I have been repeatedly yelled at on the sidewalk in my own neighborhood. I have had my citizenship questioned despite my response stating that I was born in Canada when chatting with others.”
– A woman in her 30’s
Last week, the Toronto police requested public help for an ongoing investigation into vandalism incidents in downtown Toronto, where racial slurs against the Asian community were written on a concrete pillar (Michael, 2021). And following the deadly Atlanta spa shootings that killed six Asian women, a rally was held at Nathan Phillips Square on March 28 to raise awareness about anti-Asian racism in Toronto (Bowden, 2021).
Anti-Asian racism isn’t new — it existed in Toronto and across the country long before the pandemic began. However, the pandemic has made it more apparent and severe, with the number of reported cases rising drastically. This can be seen by a two-year study led by Weiguo Zhang, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. The goal of his study was to assess the prevalence of racial discrimination against 700 Chinese immigrants. Last year in April, 11% responded that they have experienced incidents of discrimination. But when the survey was conducted again in early 2021, more than 35% responded (Zhang, 2021).
Over the past year, anti-Asian racism amplified and the city’s Asian community has been subjected to racist attacks that were often associated with the rhetoric of blaming them for the spread of the virus. Recently, the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter released a report, which analyzed more than 1160 cases of racist attacks that were reported. About half of the cases occurred in public spaces such as parks, streets, or sidewalks. In addition to public spaces, the second most frequent sites were restaurants and grocery stores, accounting for almost one-fifth of all attacks. The attacks were seen in many different forms, with verbal harassment and physical force or unwanted physical contact being the two most common types (Kong, 2021)
How are the Asian Canadians dealing with racist attacks? Participants in Dr. Zhang’s study reported feeling higher levels of anxiety, depression, and fear. According to the 2020 report by the Angus Reid Institute, 61% of 516 individuals reported that they have adjusted their routines in order to avoid run-ins or otherwise unpleasant encounters since the outbreak began (Korzinski, 2020). This means being afraid to go grocery shopping or travel alone on public transportation. Right after the first coronavirus case was reported in Toronto, Asian Canadians are now facing a double threat, as they take precautions to avoid the virus and at the same time deal with the growing racism.
“I was at a local Loblaws in the queue to pay and a person behind me got too close. I requested that he back up to allow for social distancing and he stated, ‘shut up and go back to where you came from.’”
— A man in his 50’s
It’s important to note that only the most atrocious attacks are reported by the media. Smaller incidents of discrimination, such as xenophobic posts on social media or racial comments in public spaces, often go unnoticed. Last year, I was standing in line at a restaurant and encountered a man, who took one look at me and moved away abruptly with an irritated expression. I was wearing a mask while keeping a safe distance. That’s when I realized that acts of discrimination can be very casual, to the point where they become infused into people’s attitudes and become more challenging to identify as racism. And what really scared me is the possibility of these attitudes becoming the norm.
I’ve also noticed that the topic of anti-Asian racism is often downplayed and needs a lot more public discussion. Anti-Asian racism isn’t just from the pandemic — it was always with us and the root goes way back in Toronto’s history. So it’s time we all finally acknowledge the severity of the issue and stand together to end it. So media needs to do better. We all need to do better. Our city’s motto — “Diversity Our Strength” — has been put to the test. The Asian communities in Toronto and across the world are under attack and living with fear. Nothing will change if we don’t take action.
So what can we do? According to the City of Toronto guidelines, there are three ways we can help to protect Toronto’s Asian community. Speak up, stay informed, and report hate crimes. If you see it on the street, please don’t just walk away — do something. After seeing thousands of Torontonians gathered for the rally at Nathan Phillips Square, it was clear to me that we have the power to combat racism in Toronto and around the world. It took so many horrific events to finally be able to acknowledge the issue, and the message is loud and clear: End Asian hate NOW.
Works Cited
Bowden, Olivia. “Rally in downtown Toronto to combat anti-Asian racism, raise awareness.” Toronto Star, 28 March 2021, https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/03/28/rally-in-downtown-toronto-to-combat-anti-asian-racism-raise-awareness.html
Kong, Justin, et al. “A Year of Racist Attacks: Anti-Asian Racism Across Canada One Year into the Pandemic.” Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter, 23 March 2021
Korzinski, David. “Blame, bullying and disrespect: Chinese Canadians reveal their experiences with racism during COVID-19.” Angus Reid Institute, 22 June 2020, https://angusreid.org/racism-chinese-canadians-covid19/
Michael, Akrit. “Police seeking help in investigating two anti-Asian hate incidents in downtown Toronto.” Toronto Star, 25 March 2021, https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/03/26/police-seeking-help-in-investigating-two-anti-asian-hate-incidents-in-downtown-toronto.html
Miller, Mira. “Thousands gather at Nathan Phillips Square to protest anti-Asian racism in Toronto.” blogTo, 28 March 2021, https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/03/thousands-gather-nathan-phillips-square-protest-anti-asian-racism-toronto/
“Toronto For All: Combating Anti-East Asian Racism.” Youtube, uploaded by thecityoftoronto, 16 October 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_GqSQP4RhU&ab_channel=thecityoftoronto
Zhang, W. et al. “COVID-19, Racial Discrimination, and Psychological Distress.” Annals of Epidemiology vol. 52 (2020): 106. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.08.032
