Justin talks about his upbringing in London, Ontario where most of his peers are white and he did not see many who looked like him (including teachers). He voices how his parents were born in Macau (mom) and Shanghai (dad) and how he lost his dad at 12 years old. He notes how he endured people being mean (he did not know it was racism) when losing his dad was much more difficult. He wants his children to grow up in a world that is safe and to know they can do anything. He shares how his life has come full circle with being a teacher and now getting back into sports.
Justin Chau (he/him) is a husband, father of two bi-racial children, and an elementary teacher in Toronto, Ontario. He holds a Professional Master's Degree in Education and has worked as a classroom teacher and a specialist teacher teaching Health and Physical Education. Born and raised in London, Ontario, Justin’s mother immigrated from Macau, SAR, China, when she was a child, and his father from Shanghai, China. Justin is a Chinese Canadian who grew up in a predominantly white community facing microaggressions and racism in school and sports but could never identify the problem facing it. In his experience as a teacher and coach, Justin has taught in public, private, and international school settings. He currently sits as the Director of Youth and Education with the Asian Gold Ribbon Campaign. He is a member of the BOKS Trainer Advisory Board, specializing in promoting physical activity programming in Canada.
