May 1, 2019 - May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. In 2019, there is still tremendous progress to be made to achieve diversity and inclusivity in our workplaces. To this day, Asian communities living in Canada continue to face individual and institutional racism, Islamophobia and ongoing socioeconomic struggles.
Throughout their history in the Canadian labour movement, workers of Asian descent have faced discrimination and exploitation within their workplaces. Through resilience and organizing, they were able to slowly modify discriminatory laws and practices.
During Asian Heritage Month, Local 1944 encourages our members to reflect on the challenges faced by Asian communities in Canada, which only highlight the current difficulties experienced today by every worker. May is a time to claim racial justice not only for Asian people, but for all minorities that contribute to our economy and to our vibrant communities in Canada.
“Our workplaces are strengthened by diversity and solidarity,” said National President Isabelle Miller. “By learning from the struggles of our diverse communities, we can take action against discrimination. Local 1944 strongly believes that diversity and inclusiveness make us stronger.”
Find Asian Heritage Month events in your province:
- Alberta: http://asian.ca/heritagemonth/events and http://asianheritagecalgary.com/hub-calendar
- British Columbia: https://explorasian.org and http://asianheritage.ca
- Ontario: www.asianheritagemonth.net
- Québec: http://accesasie.com
In Solidarity,
USW Local 1944
