Acknowledge the rich history and culture of peoples of Asian descent; learn from the lived experiences of Canadians of Asian descent.
Over the past two centuries, individuals and families have immigrated to Halifax from East Asia, Southern Asian, Western and Southeast Asia. With them, these new Canadians brought a rich cultural heritage representing many languages, ethnicities and religious traditions.
In 2001, Senator Vivienne Poy, Canada's first Chinese-Canadian senator, proposed a motion to designate May as Asian Heritage Month. In May 2002, the Government of Canada officially declared May as Asian Heritage Month in a formal ceremony.
Check out the calendar of the Halifax Public Libraries for this year's Asian Heritage Month events in the Halifax region.
The municipality is taking steps to address anti-Asian racism in the Halifax region. In April 2022, we hosted a community engagement session where women and gender non-conforming people of East Asian and Southeast Asian descent were invited to share insights regarding safety in public spaces and the necessary resources to respond to anti-Asian racism. This session was foundational to the development of an information report staff presented to Regional Council in November 2022, Race and Gender Data and the Safety of Asian Women and Non-Binary People. Work is underway to advance the recommendations in this report.