The teachers of British Columbia stand in solidarity with all
people of Chinese ancestry and Asian heritage, who are experiencing a new wave
of racist attacks fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the first outbreak of the novel coronavirus was
reported in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019, hate crimes against people of
Asian heritage have risen worldwide. Reports of people being assaulted, spat
at, coughed on, shunned on transit, and racially taunted in the street and on
social media have become frighteningly common in British Columbia, as
elsewhere.
The Vancouver Police Department has reported a significant
spike in anti-Asian hate crimes, including a brutal attack on a 93-year-old
Chinese man and racist graffiti on culturally significant artworks and
buildings in Chinatown. Hate “spreads like a virus and impacts us all,” a VPD
spokesman said.
As teachers, we know this to be
true. We witness the devastating impacts of racism in the lives of our students,
colleagues, and friends of Asian heritage. These incidents highlight and expose
the centuries old systemic prejudice and discrimination at the foundation of
our Canadian society, scarcely hidden by the cheerful rhetoric of
multiculturalism and tolerance.
In our schools we teach about the long history of legislated anti-Asian racism in Canada:
the 1907 White supremacist, union-led riot in Vancouver’s Chinatown and
Japantown; the Komagata Maru Incident of 1914; the Chinese Head Tax, 1885–1923;
the Chinese Exclusion Act, 1923–47; the internment of Japanese-Canadians, 1942–47.
But beyond the history lessons, we collectively need to unlearn racism
and acknowledge that’s what is holding us back from becoming the
kind, equitable, democratic society we think we already are.
As part of a strong social justice union, BCTF members work every
day to help make the world a better place. We believe that every child has an
equal right to education. That’s why it is our moral duty to speak out against
hate, take action against racism, and inspire our students, families, and
communities to join in the fight against racism. We also need to address
systemic racism by advocating for changes to policies and structures that
present barriers to full participation for people of Chinese ancestry and Asian
heritage.
The BCTF’s work in antiracism education has grown and evolved over
the past four decades. To learn more, please visit the antiracism page on our website.