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Thank You for Joining Us

Thank you for joining the National Forum on Anti-Asian Racism: Building Solidarities, which took place on November 9 and 10, 2021.

Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members came together to deepen our collective understanding of how systemic racism shapes higher education in Canada, and to drive meaningful action and academic and community-led solutions that build solidarities within and across communities.

Continue the Conversation

To continue this timely and important conversation, you can:

Female protester wearing a mask, holding a sign that reads Not to Speak is to Speak, Not to Act is to Act,

Event details 

The Forum was held on November 9 and 10, 2021.

Contact 

Connect with us at antiasian.racism@torontomu.ca.

Three Asian people cut out decoupage style on a teal coloured background with flowers.

Our Goal

Our goal was to deepen our collective understanding of the subtle and overt ways that systemic racism shapes higher education in Canada by connecting and amplifying the voices of people from across our university communities.

The inaugural forum focused on raising awareness about the challenges and lived experiences of anti-Asian racism; this forum built on those conversations to drive meaningful action and academic- and community-led solutions - building solidarities.

To us, building solidarities means different communities standing together to create the transformative change needed for a more equitable future for everyone. It means being open to listening without needing to agree, understanding and celebrating our differences and what we share. It means creating an inclusive coalition, where everyone has a role to play, providing mutual support grounded in collaboration and our collective ambition.

4 Asian people cut out decoupage style on a teal background with flowers.

We are Building Solidarities

Anti-Asian racism is intrinsically tied to the hate, systemic discrimination and racism experienced by many other racialized and marginalized communities. This forum highlighted the relationship between anti-Asian racism and racism against Black, Indigenous and other racialized people. In addition to understanding the lived experiences of people from these various communities, we explored how we can learn from each other’s anti-racist struggles and decolonization projects. Ultimately, our aim was to build alliances and solidarities, to identify strategic priorities and recommend bold actions to be implemented in universities across the country.

Land acknowledgement

Toronto is in the 'Dish With One Spoon Territory’.  The Dish With One Spoon is a treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee that bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent Indigenous Nations and peoples, Europeans and all newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect.

Event Organizers

This event was organized by the Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University (renaming in process), in partnership with the University of British Columbia, the University of Manitoba and in collaboration with students and faculty from a number of other Canadian universities.