Through our eyes, with our voices: How students and faculty are creating space to heal and be proud of their Asian identities

Hear from four faculty members in the Faculty of Arts about how racism impacts them and how they are making the learning space a transformative one

"Being an ally necessitates us to submit ourselves to the state of being a non-expert, unknower, and a foreigner, which is not easy when the field of academics constantly expects us to be otherwise.”

— Dr. Ayaka Yoshimizu, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Department of Asian Studies

“The first step that any individual, group, or institution can take in addressing matters such as racism is to condemn such behaviours. This message might appear to be a simple one, but it is an immense one, as it echoes what type of society we want to live in and what type of behaviour is acceptable.”

— Gurinder Mann, Lecturer of Punjabi Language and Culture, Department of Asian Studies

“One of the main purposes of higher education is to provide students with resources, support, and opportunities to not only explore and take care of themselves but also care about bigger issues beyond their personal scope.”

— Dr. Hsiang-ning Sunnie Wang, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Department of Asian Studies

“There are times when allies, by virtue of their being relatively less vulnerable in given situations, have the responsibility to name the presence and persistence of practices of marginalization. Their privileges might enable them to be heard in ways that are not easily afforded to those in more precarious positions.”
— Dr. John Paul (JP) Catungal, Assistant Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies in the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice and (incoming) Interim Director of the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies program.

Read the full interviews