A Call to Action
Throughout this pandemic season we’ve seen a significant rise in anti-Asian Racism. There is a perception circulating that because the COVID-19 virus came from Asia, all Asians are suspected of spreading the virus.
Yet anti-Asian racism, and racism in general, is not new to Canada. While COVID-19 has amplified a trend of anti-Asian violence as seen by increased assaults of Asians, history shows racism is pervasive in Canada. A simple internet search reveals the history of hostility toward Asians starting in the 1800s. An interesting read from Toronto.com provides a historical timeline of the treatment of Asians in Canada. The timeline includes such things as the Chinese Head tax from 1885 to 1923; hiring exclusions of Asians in 1898; and, the refusal of entry of South Asians in 1914 when the ship Komagata Maru carrying 400 South Asian passengers was denied entry into Canada and after 2 months of being docked, was forced to return to India.
Many might say “enough of the past!” as Canada is a different country now and is welcoming to immigrants. But how can we forget the past when discrimination is a constant reality in Canadian life and the present continues to attest to the struggles of Asians and other racialized communities? The Chinese Canadian National Council, Toronto Chapter (CCNC), released a report on March 23, 2021 that notes since the pandemic began, there have been more than 1,000 cases of anti-Asian attacks reported in Canada. These attacks have involved verbal harassment, physical aggression, being coughed at or spat on, the list goes on. These are the same kind of assaults that occurred during the SARS outbreak in early 2000.
How is it possible for one human being to treat another in such a dehumanizing way just because of shallow perceptions and stereotypes? Like each of us, Asians are born into their ethnicity and ethnicity is in no way a manifestation of inferiority nor a reason to be excluded and assaulted.
Why is such violence being experienced by Asian and other racialized communities in Canada? We are a nation where multiculturalism is central to our national identity and where cultural difference is supposedly celebrated. Canada has welcomed peoples from more than 200 ethnic origins! We need to make our welcome a genuine effort beyond passive acquiescence to these multicultural affirmations.
We as a church need to reflect on this reality and act from our calling to be God’s ambassadors of peace. With these current realities, Knox is being called to bear witness to the gospel truth by proclaiming Christ’s message of reconciliation and justice; to stand with our brothers and sisters in the Asian community, in the same way that we seek to stand with all those experiencing the evils of racism. But standing-with is not a matter of just watching silently in the face of violent actions and events, for to be silent is to be complicit in injustice. In your social media, express your love and solidarity with the Asian community, show your care for Asian friends. Take time to get to know your neighbours of Asian background. If you see a person being harassed, assaulted, coughed at or spat on: take a video, call the police, express outrage towards the perpetrator, or defend the victim of such atrocious acts!
We stand for a God who is the creator of diversity and loves humanity. God seeks to gather peoples from all nations into his kingdom (Revelation 7:9). He gave his son Jesus Christ to die for us and to be resurrected, to manifest his power over death and sin. And sin continues to manifest itself in racism and human hatred against one another. As we live for Christ, Christ seeks to bring us together regardless of our differences. Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” It is not a call for the eradication of social differences but an expression of the kingdom of God where there is equality regardless of difference. It is also a call to Christian ethical norms for all human relationships that are free from injustice, racism, and oppression.
—The Knox Pastoral Staff Team
#stopasianhate #stopantiasian #racismisavirus
#knoxstandswithasians
