A horrifying event took place in Atlanta, Georgia last week and people around the world have been feeling its impact. The deadly shooting resulted in the loss of 8 lives, 6 of whom were Asian women. It was a devastating event, especially compounded by the rise of anti-Asian racism and violence throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Toronto isn’t perfect and there are a bunch of ways each and every one of us can be a better ally to the Asian community and a better person in general.
Here are 5 ways to support the Asian community in Toronto.
GET EDUCATED
First things first, it’s important to educate yourself on what exactly is going on right now. Two great websites with loads of resources for that are project 1907 and act2endracism. These platforms have a ton of history, statistics, and community resources available.
DONATE
Let’s be real, money talks. If you’re able to, there are a ton of great organizations putting in the legwork to fight anti-Asian racism. We’re just going to give you a little list here, feel free to donate to as many as you can: #StopAsianHate GoFundMe, Canadian Anti-Racism Network, South Asian Women’s Centre, Canadian Society for Asian Arts, Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic.
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SPREAD AWARENESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is even more important than ever these days. Although we can’t all connect in person, sharing information with your friends online is a great way to get the word out there. We recommend following and sharing posts from awesome accounts like @stopasianhate, @stopaapihate, and @thepeahceproject. Feel free to tag more great accounts in the comments!
SUPPORT ASIAN-OWNED BUSINESSES
Toronto is full of incredible local businesses owned by members of the Asian community. So why not make a point to support them? View the Vibe has put together a fabulous list of some of the city’s best Asian-owned restaurants. The dishes at these places are so great you’d probably be placing an order anyway, but you might as well do so consciously.
DON’T BE A PASSIVE BYSTANDER
You know the saying: if you see something, say something. If you ever find yourself witnessing a horrific act of bigotry, no matter how big or small, don’t be afraid to speak up. It’s always easier for a bystander to intervene than it is for the victim to stop an attack on themselves. If you’d like a great resource for learning how to step in and step up, you can check out this online workshop.
Be sure to let us know if you have any additional suggestions and/or resources for supporting the Asian community in Toronto.
