Tuesday May 5, 2020 ~ VICTORIA
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
“It is very concerning that we are seeing an increase in racially motivated attacks toward people of Asian heritage since the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Citizens’ Services and responsible for Multiculturalism, in a news release today May 5.
This is now over three months into the evident pandemic (officially declared as such by the World Health Organization on March 11) that is seen to have started in China. Though today it was revealed in international news that early cases of what we now know to be COVID-19 was seen in France as early as November 2019. And it was right after New Year’s Day that Canada’s own Dr Teresa Tam advised the federal government that an unknown virus was been seen. So the spread has been out there.
The original version heard by most of the world as to where the novel coronavirus first emerged, was that it resulted from animal-to-human transfer at the ‘wet markets’ in Hubei Province of China, where caged wild animals are killed on the spot and sold as meat. Though there have also been reports of the virus resulting from a laboratory accident. Perhaps the origin of the virus will not for a while be known, if ever. And at the moment, that political analysis is not as urgent as dealing with ‘the needs of the now’ in fighting, containing and trying to get ahead of the COVID-19 virus (as stated in our editorial ‘The high stakes of global politics in public health’ in the January 24, 2020 issue of West Shore Voice News).
It is now thought that the Chinese government not only locked down its own population in the affected outbreak areas as a way of containing spread of the virus, but also possibly contained the truth about how much they knew about COVID-19, including how long it had been infecting people. This did give them time to build up, control and secure supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE).
That the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘played nice’ with China during this phase may have seemed weak or naive on the surface (some saying China was making WHO into its pandemic puppet or that WHO became China’s accomplice) but it could be said that the up-close communication between the WHO’s Director-General and China’s president potentially gave WHO the opportunity to observe and pick up some valuable insights while visiting China.
Until now a large amount of PPE has been produced in China but countries elsewhere (including Canada) are ramping up their production of protective masks, face shields, gowns and other PPE.
And closer to home, when Canadian citizens or permanent residents returned back to Vancouver from travel to China, people avoided them. We have it on direct communication that avoidance in that case was not racist — it was about avoiding anyone who had returned from Hubei as a sensible health precaution while the returning travelers did their self-isolation. That includes Canadians of Asian descent avoiding their own relatives, clients and friends in such circumstances — for health reasons — before it was ordered for travelers returning from Hubei (and later other countries) to do a 14-day self-isolation by the province. They were actually ahead of the curve.
So these are factors that put China in the limelight, and some factors that were perhaps misinterpreted. Yet for some in society that tips their thinking in a wrong way, such as expressing an attitude of racism.
Racism is unacceptable and will not be tolerated:
Kang says the attacks toward people of Asian heritage since the COVID-19 outbreak “are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated”.
“We are acting now to address racism at the community level and ensure all British Columbians are free from discrimination and intimidation,” said the BC Citizens’ Services Minister.
Non-profit group appointed as anti-racism hub:
Today it was announced that following a competitive bidding process, the Province has selected the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) to serve as a provincial hub to help communities address hate activity and take on systemic and institutionalized racism throughout the province.
Meanwhile, the provincial government had already launched Resilience BC, a multi-faceted, province-wide approach in challenging racism at a local level in November 2019.
“VIRCS is very proud to lead the important work being done in B.C. communities to stop the spread of racism and end the recent spikes in hate crimes,” said David Lau, executive director, VIRCS.
“We look forward to collaborating with community leaders across the province to create innovative local resources to advance multiculturalism, support reconciliation with Indigenous communities and fight prejudice to provide a fully inclusive province for all British Columbians.”
Expanding the hub:
Resilience BC will connect communities with a network of information, supports and training to help them respond to incidents of racism and hate. The program is one of many actions the B.C. government is taking as part of its commitment to stand up for diversity, end racism and all forms of discrimination, and support multiculturalism in British Columbia.
The Province has begun a competitive bidding process to establish community-based Resilience BC spokes to work with the provincial hub to address racism and hate at local and regional levels. Community organizations interested in leading anti-racism and anti-hate efforts in their communities are encouraged to submit proposals by May 19, 2020.
About Resilience BC:
- The development of Resilience BC was informed by input gathered during a community consultation led by Ravi Kahlon, former parliamentary secretary for sport and multiculturalism, in 2019.
- VIRCS is a non-profit organization founded in November 1989 by three former refugees and is regarded as a leader in anti-racism work in Greater Victoria.
- As the appointed hub service provider for Resilience BC, VIRCS has been awarded $240,000 for activities in the fiscal year 2020-21.
- The total investment in Resilience BC is $540,000 annually. This funding is being provided through the ministry’s existing budget.