Ryerson launches new campaign to #StopAsianHate
‘Scream’ is part of a new PSA campaign that’s breaking the silence on the rise of anti-Asian hate and violence in Canada
A new PSA campaign initiated by Ryerson University Chancellor Janice Fukakusa hopes to put an end to rising acts of hate and violence targeting Asian Canadians. Created with support from Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing professors Josephine Wong and Charlotte Lee, the campaign focuses on the concept of silence—and how we must speak up if we want to stop the hate. The campaign features a series of videos calling on Canadians to speak out and take action against anti-Asian hate attacks and incidents. The videos are currently being shared via social media and can also be found on respondingtohate.ca.
Anti-Asian hate and discrimination is not new, but the disturbing rise in violence and ethnic slurs fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked national attention in Canada. (PDF file) Research (external link) by the Toronto Chapter of the Chinese Canadian National Council examined the impact of these incidents and found that victims of anti-Asian hate want to see more public education and collective action against racism.
Campaign is the latest in Ryerson’s ongoing efforts to combat hate and discrimination
In the fall of 2020, a group of Asian Canadian leaders within the Ryerson community introduced the (PDF file) Responding to Hate toolkit. The toolkit outlines the services and supports available to victims and witnesses of anti-Asian hate crimes, incidents and acts of discrimination - so that we ultimately break the silence and stand together against anti-Asian hate.
The university also formed the Ryerson Advisory Committee to Combat Anti-Asian Racism, which will continue to examine the effects of anti-Asian racism and discrimination and provide recommendations to address this critical issue.
To view the videos, download the toolkit and find out how you can be part of the collective solution to combat anti-Asian racism visit respondingtohate.ca.
Up Next: The National Forum on Anti-Asian Racism
Chancellor Fukakusa along with researchers and professors from Ryerson will be participating in UBC’s National Forum on Anti-Asian Racism (external link) . The two-day virtual event takes place June 10-11, 2021 is open to the public and will focus on the issues impacting Asian Canadians, effective coalition building and working toward systemic change. To receive event updates, including registration information sign up here (external link) .