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Experts: Asian Heritage Month | May 2022

Published: 9 May 2022

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, a time to reflect on and recognize the many contributions that Canadians of Asian heritage have made and continue to make to Canada. Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated since the 1990s. In December 2001, the Senate of Canada adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. In May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to announce May as Asian Heritage Month. (Government of Canada

Here are some experts from McGill University who can provide comment on this issue:

Ananya Tina Banerjee, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health 

“Asian heritage must be understood as a diverse and ever-changing ways of honouring our traditional and contemporary cultures in Canada that often includes music, cuisine, storytelling and art. During this month, we must also celebrate the resilience of the Asian communities in Canada in recognizing our historical journeys and ongoing struggles to combat racism and other forms of discrimination.” 

Ananya Tina Banerjee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health. Her unique dual training in qualitative and quantitative research methods enables her to study health inequities driven by social and political forces in Canada and globally. 

ananya.banerjee [at] mcgill.ca (English) 

Arvind Sharma, Birks Professor in Comparative Religion, School of Religious Studies 

“The Asian heritage is also a heritage of a struggle against racism, colonialism, and attendant violence. This is what India will be celebrating on August 15, 2022, as it commemorates its anniversary of freedom from British rule, led by Mahatma Gandhi.” 

Arvind Sharma is a Birks Professor of Comparative Religion at the School of Religious Studies. He was born in India and had his early education there, before joining McGill University in 1987. He has also taught in the United States (Northeastern University, Boston University, Temple University, Harvard University) and in India (Nalanda University).  

arvind.sharma [at] mcgill.ca (English) 

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