The National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) joins with a network of other Asian Canadians who have come together out of concern for the escalating incidents of verbal and violent attacks against Asian Canadians. Allowing hate to rise against any racialized vulnerable group diminishes the ability of our communities and our country to act in solidarity – as we must – to overcome this world-wide pandemic.
Information about the Act2EndRacism network including reporting tools, resources, reference materials and useful links can be found on their website: https://act2endracism.ca
Report Anti-Asian Racism
The NAJC’s Human Rights Committee is now collecting these stories, in order to assess needs, raise awareness, and respond. We encourage you to fill out an online form (see link below) to report a story of anti-Asian racism related to COVID-19. Only share as much as you’re comfortable sharing. Responses to questions marked as (OPTIONAL) will only be used to follow up with you and to determine next steps.
NAJC Statement Regarding Increase of Racist Aggressions against Asian Canadians due to COVID 19
The most recent remarks, made by Derek Sloan, MP from Ontario, show the kind of racist attitudes that are surfacing during this COVID-19 pandemic. There is no excuse for those who would use the crisis to scapegoat, revile and cast doubt on the loyalty and credibility of Canadian representatives.
Sloan is quoted as saying, “Tam must go!”, asking, “Does she work for Canada or China?”. These kinds of remarks have no place in modern Canadian society and, by a Member of Parliament, are unacceptable. Conservative leader Andrew Scheer has yet to denounce Sloan and is refusing to comment.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer, has been working hard, coordinating with the World Health Organization and provincial counterparts across the country and world, to control the spread of the COVID-19 in Canada.
The National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) joins with a network of other Asian Canadians who have come together out of concern for the escalating incidents of verbal and violent attacks against Asian Canadians. Allowing hate to rise against any racialized vulnerable group diminishes the ability of our communities and our country to act in solidarity – as we must – to overcome this world-wide pandemic.
Black Lives Matter
The National Association of Japanese Canadians supports the call for an end to the violence against Black people.
We protest the racism experienced by Black Canadians and Americans which has all too often included their deaths at the hands of law enforcement. We question how this could happen especially in their homes, and jogging and driving in their neighbourhoods. We need to understand and check our privilege. We need to learn more about the history of our country and the challenges faced by Black Canadians. We need to have the hard conversations to do better at home, at schools, at our workplaces, and in our communities.
For those who say “all lives matter” open your hearts, recognize the systemic racism, and know as we stand with the Black community in their time of need, this does not diminish the importance of any other group of people. We will continue to speak out against the rise in anti-Asian racism with the COVID-19 pandemic. We know the suffering of Indigenous peoples since colonial white settlers first came to their traditional lands and the injustice which persists to today. We acknowledge our ancestors are settlers, and their ethnicity, just like other racialized settlers, made them targets for racist abuse by white settlers.
Injustice is injustice. Our work to combat racism must include ensuring racialized and Indigenous peoples are in the Canadian narrative. We must call out the systemic racism. Silence is not an option.
Black lives matter.
The NAJC was formed in 1947 to fight for the rights of 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were stripped of their rights and interned during and after the Second World War. In 1988, the Canadian Government acknowledged and apologized for the injustices. The NAJC strives for equal rights and liberties for all people, in particular racial and ethnic minorities.