To date, I have the honour of talking with psychologists, social workers, former MLA, lawyers, youth, Minister of cabinet, Vice Provost at a University, documentary film maker, former media broadcaster, and policy makers. Each episode ends with some calls to action so the listener can walk away with ideas they can think about, do, and do more of on their anti-racism journey.
Jeremy shares how he was born in Hong Kong and came to Canada with his family in the mid-1990s. He notes growing up, he experienced covert, overt, and internalized racism. He voices he chose psychology for many reasons, partly due to being a wounded healer. He shares the importance of Asians being bold and that anti-racism is for everyone.
Helen shares how she was born in Malaysia and in later years, she wanted to come to Canada to start a new life. She notes she experienced racism, such as people would ask where is from and they would say they don’t understand her English. She voices the importance of speaking and listening to children when they talk about experiences of racism. She conveys that speaking up and sharing our concerns are crucial for change.
Alex shares that as a newcomer to Canada from Venezuela in 2017, with a human rights and law background, he experienced moments of overt racism. One was when working as a cashier, a customer told him she wanted to speak to someone without an accent. He voices that there are many stereotypes about racialized and First Nations Peoples. He states there is a need to speak out and take action against racism.
Alice shares how her parents came to Canada from Vietnam as refugees and she was born here. She notes growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood, she experienced racism such as when people made fun of her food. She states the importance of volunteerism to connect with community to build allyship. She encourages everyone to learn more about Chinatowns and talk to friends about diverse cultural groups.
Jingjing shares how she came to Canada from China as an international student when she was 19 years old. She discloses the painful experiences of feeling shame and the desire to distance herself from her Chinese identity. She voices the importance of being vulnerable and finding your community, whether it is inside or outside your cultural group. She notes the importance of sharing your story and learning about others.
