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.
Yiu-Yin shares how she came to Canada from Taiwan at 20 years old as an international student. She discloses moments of microaggressions and racism as an adult learner and in the field of mental health. She states the importance of feeling safe to advocate for yourself, gather support, and for organizations to take real action against microaggressions and racism.
Manal shares how she came to Canada at 12 years old from Egypt, and her first language is Arabic. She said she struggled when people would tell her she wouldn’t make it to post-secondary. She states that as a director of a clinical psychology program, she supports students who are more disadvantaged due in part to the intersections of their identities. She voices there is power in mentorship.
Jocelyn shares how she grew up in Taiwan and came to Canada at 10 years old. She worked in the corporate world, where she would experience microaggressions, such as people commenting on her good English. As a mental health professional drawing from her own life, she shared the importance of acknowledging the invisible cost of performance and taking care of oneself.
Corporate Site: https://www.vancouvercounsellingclinic.com/
Carrie shares that as a Chinese-Canadian, community, inclusivity, representation and belonging are important. She is an urban planner who works in a culturally inclusive way to be an advocate and an ally. She voices the significance of being the voice of change, even when it rocks the boat.
Curtis shares how he grew up in small communities with experiences of overt racism and microaggressions. He chose to become an educator partly due to his love for coaching sports. He voices the importance of questioning assumptions and biases. He shares that as an educator, he is aware of how students want to be seen and not spotlit.
