More than half of Asian Canadians experienced discrimination in past year: survey

More than half of Asian Canadians have suffered discrimination over the past year, according to a new survey from the Angus Reid Institute.

In the survey published Tuesday, 58 per cent of respondents said they have experienced incidents of discrimination in the past 12 months. More than a quarter28 per centsaidthese situations happen "all the time" or "often."

People who are young and lower income are more likely to experience more intense forms of bigotry, according to the survey.

"They're telling us through this survey that they have been bearing the brunt of discrimination, of anti-Asian discrimination," said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute.

"These folks are disproportionately younger," she said. "They might be on the front lines a bit more, they might be working in the service industry, they might be more likely to be taking transit rather than driving a car or working from home."

The survey was conductedonline in conjunction with the University of British Columbia.The institute surveyed a total of 631 people580 Canadians who self-identify as ethnically Chinese, as well as 77 individuals who self-identify as ethnically East Asian or Southeast Asian.

Other key findings include how incidents have been perceived, with thesurvey suggesting 53 per cent of Asian Canadians who experienced racism saidthe incidents werehurtful and have stayed with them.

Two in five, or 38 per cent, ofrespondentswho had faced discriminationsaid they weretroubled but able to put it aside, while nineper cent said they have not been affected, according to the survey's results.

CBC Newscannot accurately calculate a margin of error for online surveys. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of the general population (1,984 respondents) would carry a margin of error of +/-2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. A probability sample of 631 would carry a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Perceptions upsetting, advocatesays

The institute also questioned a further 1,877 respondents who identified as non-Asian for an upcomingseries examiningdiversity and racism in Canada. One in fivesaid they felt "most or all Asian Canadians do not contribute to the broader community," the institute said.

Doris Mah, founder oftheStand With Asians Coalition, said that finding stood out.

"This is appalling," Mah told CBC News.

Mah was born in Hong Kong and emigrated to Canada with her family more than 30 years ago.

She points to howChinese workers were crucial to the construction the Canadian Pacific Railway as just one of the many contributions from the Asian community.

The survey resultsalso suggestthat one in threenon-Asian respondents say Chinese Canadians are more loyal to China than to Canada when it comes to conflicts between the two countries.

"This is just shocking, and I think there's a lot of ignorance out there," Mahsaid.

She saidthere needs to be more education when it comes to raising awareness against racism and discrimination.

Uptick in incidents

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of anti-Asian racism and xenophobia have risen in B.C.

Data from the Vancouver Police Department shows the number of anti-Asian hate crimes rose from a dozen incidents in 2019 to 98 in 2020, while general hate incidents nearly doubled. Vancouver policelaunched a task force in response to the surge.

In May 2020, Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart made a proclamation that the cityis committed to addressing racism and hateafter a dramatic increase in anti-Asian racist and xenophobic incidents.

There have also been a series of rallies and campaigns aimed at curbing the mounting discrimination.

In late March of this year, 500 people gathered at the VancouverArt Gallery to denounce the hate.

Several other cities in B.C., including Victoria, have also made proclamations denouncing the racism and pledging programs to help combat it.