Surge in anti-Asian hate crimes across Canada

June 1 – 2020 – June 1 – 2020 – While the whole word reels in light of the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis last week – and subsequent riots and protests – a global crisis has emerged…. stay tuned tomorrow on Context for Maggie’s interviews and analysis on racism in Canada and the U.S. with people directly involved in the situation in Minneapolis and here in Canada.

But first, last week, we spoke with a group from another race of people dealing with – and suffering from – racism – our Asian-Canadian and American brothers and sister talk about the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes across Canada.

Four days ago, Burnaby security cameras caught a woman on tape actually tripping an Asian woman with a walker. Police are searching for anyone who may know the perpetrator. Thankfully the woman with the walker was not hurt.

Since the beginning of the year, there has been an influx of hate crimes aimed at Asians around the world and here in Canada – 29 cases in Vancouver alone, and 77 hate-related police files opened, that’s an increase of 51 over the same time in 2019.
In one case, a 92-year-old Asian Canadian man was harassed and physically thrown out of a corner store in Vancouver, the perpetrator caught on tape, and in another instance a woman waiting for a bus was punched in the face by a stranger – also caught on camera. Police have identified both cases as hate crimes.
And, while many more hate crimes go unreported, many have been linked to blaming the Asian community for the rise in the coronavirus.

Maggie John connects with actor and pastor James Yi in Vancouver, Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid in Texas, and Canadian Senator, Yonah Martin also in Vancouver to hear their thoughts on the influx of hate in North America, and what they think needs to be done to stop it.