Anti-Asian racism refers to historical and ongoing discrimination, negative stereotyping, and injustice experienced by peoples of Asian heritage, based on others’ assumptions about their ethnicity and nationality.
Peoples of Asian heritage are subjected to specific overt and subtle racist tropes and stereotypes at individual and systemic levels. These stereotypes lead to their ongoing social, economic, political and cultural marginalization, disadvantage and unequal treatment (Sourced from the website: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/anti-asian-racism.html, retrieved on October 22, 2022).
As we begin to engage in this work, it is important that we have a clear understanding and definition as to what we are trying to combat, change or dismantle. Anti-Asian racism shows up in our resources, in our language and in our spaces. Once we are aware of it, we must name it, notice it and combat it whenever it shows up.
We also need to be open on our learning journey to the opportunities. As much as we have a responsibility to look for and remove the barriers we know people face, we also need to learn from and celebrate the cultural teachings that are possible … to amplify both the battles against racism and the celebrations of culture, storytelling and sharing lived experiences.
Free Storybook Resources
Below you’ll find free storybooks for you and your family to use at home. If you click on them, you’ll be taken to a free audio-book or read aloud version, perfect for storytime
Elementary and Middle resources
Other resources
We’ve also included some more novels and stories to better educate yourself and your family about the history, culture, and issues facing Asian people across Canada. You can access these books through your local or school library.
Elementary and Middle resources
| Title | Author | Age range | |
 | Green Lantern Legacy | Minh Le | 8-12 years old |
 | Pahua and the Soul Stealer | Lori M. Lee | 8-12 years old |
 | Prairie Lotus | Linda Sue Park | 10-12 years old |
 | The Magic Fish | Trung Le Nguyen | 12 years old+ |
 | This Time will be Different | Misa Sugiura | 12 years old+ |
Secondary and Mature resources
| Title | Author | Age range | |
 | An Inconvenient Minority | Kenny Xu | Mature |
 | How to Pronounce Knife | Souvankham Thammavongsa | Mature |
 | Minor Feelings | Cathy Park Hong | Mature |
 | The Wake Up | Michelle Mijung Kim | Mature |
 | We were Dreamers | Simu Liu | Mature |
Interested in continuing your learning? Use the navigation at the top of the page (in the left bar for desktop platforms, or the “Section menu” under the banner for mobile) to explore a new topic, or use the below button to get to the next page in the DEIA Parent Toolkit
